Turns Out Having an S-ranked Class is a Big Deal

The advisors led Ethan, Penny, and Alice into a side room, a space designed for private discussions and training review. The briefing room was adorned with maps, charts, and various training aids, giving it an air of seriousness and importance. Trainer Harris, Strategist Lee, and Mage Thompson took their seats around a large conference table, while Ethan, Penny, and Alice sat across from them.

Strategist Lee spoke first. "Ethan, let me be frank. Your emergence as an S-ranked Class Marked will shift the Guild’s priorities. When your rank is revealed publicly, the nation will be watching. With so few S-ranked Marked, every move you make will carry weight. While the Guild has no intention of revealing your rank to the public, there will come a time where you need to choose between anonymity or using the full strength of your class."

Mage Thompson nodded, “And with S-ranked dungeons surfacing more frequently, your rank isn’t just important, it’s critical.” She elaborated. “You’ll be expected to lead, to endure, and to succeed where others cannot."

“I’m not going to dance around the subject, which is why I need to ask up front: Why are you working with D-ranked Class Marked?” Trainer Harris confronted Ethan, his arms crossed in front of him.

“I’ve been training with Penny and Alice for years.” Ethan responded, his voice firm. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses as well as we know our own. The trust we’ve built together has been earned, that’s not something I can replace overnight with a high ranked teammate.”

"Trust is valuable, yes. But starting with stronger teammates, A-ranked for example, would give you a tactical edge. You’d be better positioned to survive and succeed in high-tier engagements.” Trainer Harris looked at Penny and Alice. “No offense intended, but class rank isn’t something skill and trust can overcome. Rank isn’t fair. We’re talking about preventing another Montana.”

The reference to Montana brought Ethan up short for a moment. An entire valley had been destroyed when the military had to be called in to respond to a dungeon break. Ethan nodded slowly, acknowledging Harris’ point. “I understand that, but my class isn’t about raw power. It’s about enhancing my teammates. Not only in the moment, but long term. We don’t know what that growth will look like yet, but at S rank I’d be willing to bet it’s going to allow me to bring my team up alongside me.”

Thompson spoke up next, coming to Ethan’s defense. “Harris, he has a point. If his class can do as it indicates and improve someone’s baseline abilities, their ranks won’t hold them back. You know as well as anyone how valuable years of experience fighting together can be.”

“You’re staking a great deal on loyalty.” Strategist Lee interjected.

“I’d stake everything on it.” Ethan nodded seriously. “Any team I’m a part of includes Alice and Penny. All Class Marked have a right to choose who they work with. I’m not going to let the Guild pick and choose my teammates. I can’t allow that precedent to be set.”

“Very well,” Trainer Harris conceded the point. “It’s clear you understand the issue well enough for me to respect your decision. Let’s get to work, then. Start with a breakdown of your class and we can go from there.”

Ethan gave them the basics, explaining the enhancement and healing he was capable of in a fight. As he began to explain Essence and its use as an alternative to mana, Mage Thompson chimed in. How exactly do you generate this Essence? The details are crucial for understanding your class's full potential.”

"Essence is generated through... intimate acts," Ethan admitted finally, his voice low. "The more intense the interaction, the more Essence is produced."

Mage Thompson's eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself. "Intimate acts? Can you elaborate on what that means?"

Ethan took a deep breath, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks. "It involves physical and emotional connection. The more intense the act, the more Essence is generated."

Trainer Harris raised an eyebrow. "Physical and emotional connection? That's quite specific. We need to understand the mechanics of this process to develop effective training regimens."

Ethan felt a sense of relief at their professionalism. "Consent is paramount. I would never **** anyone into such an interaction. The bonds I create are based on mutual trust and respect. I already have that trust and respect with Penny and Alice." He gestured to his teammates. “I’m.. not sure how that would work with a stranger.”

Mage Thompson leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "And how do you plan to manage these bonds within your team? Will Penny and Alice be the only ones benefiting from this growth?"

Ethan shook his head. "No, my goal is to form a team where everyone benefits. My abilities require a bond to function, that means everyone on my team will require a Bond. This is one of the driving reasons I want to ensure that the people I work with are those I trust. The Long-term growth aspect of my class means that anyone we recruit, we’re going to have to put a lot of trust in."

Trainer Harris nodded in understanding. "That's a noble goal, but we need to consider practicality as well. Your class has the potential to revolutionize dungeon assaults, and we need to maximize that potential. If you can seriously increase the strength of Class Marked over time, it’s something you need to consider.” Harris repeated his earlier point, emphasizing the importance of Ethan’s abilities if they worked as they surmised. “We’ll start by conducting tests to assess your abilities and determine the best training regimen for you. This will involve extensive experimentation and data collection. Once we have that, we can begin tracking your growth and get a sense of how impactful this Imbue ability of yours is."

Harris paused before continuing. “Do we have any indication as to a limit on the amount of bonds you can establish?”

Ethan shook his head. “Not yet. With the intimate aspects of the bond, I haven’t been willing or able to test my limits. My mark does have 4 circles, which might suggest that there is a limit.” He showed the advisors the mark between his shoulders at their request.

Mage Thompson stood up. "For now, let's focus on understanding the basics of your classes and how your abilities work. We’ll need to conduct further tests to assess the extent of your long-term growth capabilities, but for now, fill out a class breakdown form that we’ll send you. That will give us enough information to start planning our testing."

The rest of the advisors stood up, indicating that the meeting was over. Ethan, Penny, and Alice followed suit, feeling a mix of excitement tempered by trepidation. The idea of being **** to use his class to Bond with strangers front of mind.

As they made their way out of the room, Mage Thompson pulled Ethan aside. "Ethan, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Ethan nodded, stepping back into the side room with her. She closed the door behind them, creating a sense of privacy.

"Ethan," she began softly, "I need to be frank with you. Your class is unprecedented, and we need to understand its full potential to help you navigate the challenges ahead. The rise in the frequency of S rank dungeons appearing may sound vague now, but it’s been a serious concern for the Guild over the last several years. We’re not sure if the current rate of S ranked Class Marked will be able to keep up, especially if the dungeons appear in isolated areas undetected long enough that we can’t respond before a dungeon break occurs."

Ethan took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come.

Mage Thompson continued, her voice gentle but firm. "You were evasive around the specifics of how essence is generated. I need to know the truth. How exactly do these 'intimate acts' work?"

Ethan hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. He knew that he couldn't hide the truth forever, but he was still grappling with the implications of his class. The social aspects of it alone were enough to make him want to keep the details a secret.

Mage Thompson pressed gently. "Ethan, we can't help you if we don't know what your class can actually do. The more information we have, the better we can support you."

Ethan took a deep breath, steeling himself for the revelation. "Essence is generated through sexual acts," he admitted finally, his voice low.

Mage Thompson's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly composed herself. "Sexual acts? That's... quite unorthodox. Can you elaborate on how this works?"

Ethan nodded, feeling a flush creep up his cheeks. "The more intense the interaction, the more essence is produced. This is what I mean when I say the bonds I create are based on mutual trust and respect. The essence being generated through these interactions is what provides for either long-term growth for my bonded partners, as well as powering my active abilities."

Mage Thompson listened intently, her expression thoughtful. "And how do you ensure that these interactions are consensual and beneficial for all parties involved?"

Ethan took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief at her professionalism. "Consent. I would never **** anyone into such an interaction. It’s why I’m against the idea of simply bringing in some high ranked Class Marked simply for their rank. It wouldn’t feel right to **** anyone, let alone strangers to generate Essence. That’s one of the biggest problems I see with my class. I’d be trading sex for power. Whoever I end up bonding with, they need to fully understand what they’d be consenting to."

Mage Thompson nodded approvingly. "That's important to keep in mind. Your class has the potential to revolutionize dungeon assaults, but it also presents unique challenges. I’m glad to see you’ve already put some thought into it. We’ll need to understand these challenges and develop some.. strategies to overcome them. I think we can work something out that will allow us to navigate the nature of your class."

Ethan felt a sense of determination wash over him. He knew that he had a long journey ahead, but he was ready to face whatever challenges came his way.

Mage Thompson moved to the door, signaling the end of their discussion. Fill out the class breakdown so we can assess the extent of your long-term growth capabilities. That’s step one. We can discuss step two once we’ve had a chance to assess your abilities and figure out some of the nuances."

Ethan nodded, feeling a sense of resolve. “Okay, I can do that.” He knew that he had a mountain of expectations to live up to, but hopefully, with the support of the guild and his loved ones he could find a way to make his class work.

As Ethan caught up to Penny and Alice in the hallway, Mage Thompson watched him go, her mind racing with the implications of his revelation. She knew that she had a lot of work ahead of her, but she was determined to help Ethan navigate the challenges of his unique class and live up to the expectations placed upon him. She walked back into her office as the trio left her sight. “A sex class?” She whispered to herself, shaking her head.

The trio made their way back through the training facility, their minds buzzing with thoughts of what was to come.

“Lunch?” Ethan asked.

“Sounds good.” Replied Penny. “Alice? Lunch?” she asked, noticing Alice seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, yea lunch, yea let’s go.” Alice replied, seeming distracted.

The trio made their way to the dining hall, silent on the way there, each of them thinking through everything that had happened. Everything that would happen. The silence lasted until the group had sat down at a table in the far corner of the room, away from others.

“I think we really need to talk about this.” Penny blurted out after enduring a few moments of awkward silence.

Ethan and Alice looked to her and then to each other. The real elephant in the room wasn’t working with D class teammates. How would Ethan and Alice be able to work together? The twins had been together their entire lives, and now they had what felt like an impossible obstacle to navigate thrown down in front of them, shattering their years-long plans to raid dungeons as a team.

“Maybe.. Somewhere more private?” Ethan finally said.

Alice nodded in agreement, seeming more focused on finishing her meal than wanting to talk.

“Okay, but I’m not just going to let this awkwardness hang over us like a storm cloud. We’ve been able to talk to each other about anything for years now, this is no different.” Penny stated, meeting both Ethan and Alice’s eyes to ensure they understood. “We’re going back to Ethan’s room after this and we’re going to work this out one way or another, got it?”

Ethan and Alice both agreed, glancing at each other awkwardly. They could figure this out, right?