The Pinnacle Warrior

Having done the maths as a group, the party was still on the first floor when Astrid gained enough experience to have reached level 51. Though they weren’t in any immediate danger at the hands of the monsters on the floor, the path back was already clear and was only a couple kilometers to get to where they wanted to be. As such, each member of the party came to the same conclusion at the same moment, turned on their heels towards the doorway out, and sprinted.

There was precious little true levity to be found in the Dungeon, and Astrid gloried in the laughter they all let loose as they made their way towards the exit. She herself was close to the fastest in the party, though Muti’s competitive nature refused to allow her to give anything less than her absolute best. The Barbarian, given her position as the person with the greatest Alacrity among them, blazed forward ahead of the rest and left only puffs of sand in her wake. As Astrid attempted to use Alacrity-aligned mana to catch up, the Barbarian used Shadow Leap to extend the gap between them while Felix activated Tiger’s Pride, and hustled onward.

A bolt of lightning cracked beside her, and Astrid laughed as Skandr suddenly flew through the air, lightning coursing off of every limb as wind whipped around him. He slowly fell towards the ground, but as soon as he touched the ground, he took three quick steps and launched himself back into the air. His cloud followed along surprisingly quickly, winds whipping out of it to catch in his robes and sent him sailing forward faster. Even so, Astrid remained ahead of him, until Benedict stopped only using Hasty Rebuke on himself.

Astrid’s legs suddenly felt leaden as she struggled to continue running. She stumbled, though her superlative attributes and Alacrity-aligned mana continued to burn through her and keep her from tumbling down. She turned to the Bard with a faux growl, but couldn’t do anything more, because at that point, she’d arrived at the doorway, ahead of Skandr and Benedict, but just behind Felix and long behind Muti.

“Sometimes,” Benedict said as he coasted to a stop beside her, “I think we might be getting a little too strong. Going that far that fast? It’s inhuman.”

“Maybe another reason to stick around in the long-term,” Astrid jabbed back, having become slightly comfortable enough to make jokes about his inevitable departure.

“Eh…” he trailed off, “I like you and Muti fine, but I think that when I find somebody to settle down with, she won’t be able to crush my head in her hands. More scary than attractive.”

“Your weakness is no concern of mine,” Muti grinned as she stood proudly in the doorway.

“Fine,” Benedict shook his head. “But next time that we have a competition, it’s going to be a flute playing one, not a race.”

The Barbarian glared down at him, but he met her gaze without flinching back. “If you’re going to be excited about winning a contest against people when you’re the one who’s obviously the strongest at it, you better be willing to enter into a contest where you’re not the only person who’s going to be able to make it a real competition. After all, don’t you need to find victory over everything? Can’t be much of a victor if you only fight against children.”

Muti narrowed her eyes down at Benedict and finally replied, "You may play your flute, but I shall bring an instrument of my own.”

“Alright, we’re done with that,” Astrid said as she stepped between them and pushed them towards the stairs up and out. “Whoever keeps the rest of us from looking at our Class evolution options just so they can keep posturing for another second is gonna get my boot up their arse. Now get up the stairs so we can look at our Class options.”

Astrid didn’t say anything else before she threw her arm around Muti’s neck and started pulling her up the stairs with her. The taller, golden-haired woman laughed and pulled Astrid’s head close to her own.

“Remove your helmet,” she commanded, and Astrid did so without hesitation. Then, her head exposed, Muti gently grabbed the braid at the nape of Astrid‘s neck and pulled it just enough for Astrid‘s neck to be exposed. Muti nuzzled in on Astrid‘s neck, and she giggled as it tickled and her shoulder shot up in reaction. Her pauldron struck Muti’s chin and knocked her away with a giggle of her own.

“You are a good leader. Reminded me that there are more important things than singing!”

Muti said nothing else, ducking out from under Astrid’s arm to catch Benedict in a tight hug and kiss him on the forehead with a broad grin. Skandr was next, and the Wizard raised his hands in acceptance of what was coming, laughing as the Ambusher picked him up like a child and swung him around. As Skandr’s legs flopped through the air, Muti began humming happily. She set the frailest of the party down before catching Felix in a tight embrace and pressing her lips to his.

“We will be Steel! Every step we take will be a further declaration of our outstanding capabilities. Congratulations, my friends. My bound companions. I am proud to journey with you, to have journeyed with you, and I look forward to the path that lay ahead of us.”

The rest of the party smiled as their most volatile member veritably bounced from one person to the next. As they stepped out of the stairway, the light of a nearly setting sun greeted them. Astrid felt some measure of nervousness, now that she was right here and about to see what was going to be offered, but she took the time to dismiss her armor and embrace each member of her party.

“Congratulations. Here we are.” There wasn’t anything else to say, and once she was done, Astrid was the first of the five to get into a comfortable position on a small stool and pull up her Class evolution options.

Immortal Captain (Extraordinary): After stepping onto the path of the Immortal Warrior, you have led others to victory, relying on orders and Auras to protect and guide those who trust you. You have taken on yourself the wounds of your subordinates, given guidance to those who have witnessed your strength, and served as an inspiration already. Your presence strengthens those who stand nearby, and your guidance has brought others deeper and further than would have been possible otherwise, to the point of hunting Steel tiers and threatening a Steel tier Boss as Irons. Through your growing leadership and dedication, you have slain foes untouchable by others, and your presence grants strength to those who lack it. That said, the Immortal Captain leads from the front, their weapons crushing their enemies even before their soldiers’. The Immortal Captain’s soldiers enter the deadliest fights and stride out bloodied but breathing, and their Captain enables this as a certainty. Selecting this Class will bless you with the merging of the Immortal Warrior’s Aura (Iron) and Immortal Warrior’s Body (Iron) Skills into the Skill: Immortal Captain’s Bearing (Steel). The Skills Specter Burst (Iron) and Gravity Surge (Iron) are removed and replaced by the Skill: Deathly Aura (Steel). You will be granted the Skill: Immortal Captaincy (Steel). Your existing Immortal Warrior’s Equipment Skill (Iron) will be upgraded to Immortal Captain’s Equipment (Steel). Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of the Hero]: Power +13 (+1) [+1], Alacrity +9 (+1), Fortitude +18 (+1) [+1], Magical Potency +10 (+1) [+1], Self-Mastery +10 (+1), Acumen +10 (+1).

Extraordinary! Astrid’s already broad grin threatened to split her face as she read it. In Bronze, she’d only gotten something of this level because of her boon, but now, it was totally earned! If this was the only Class of this rarity, it would have to be the most likely to be selected, but for now, Astrid wanted to be more discerning with the option.

As the first of the Class evolutions offered, Astrid was interested in it, but couldn’t help but wonder about what kind of Class it really was. After all, if she selected it, she would lose two Skills, two Skills she’d put a lot of effort into understanding and becoming able to adjust. All that time that she’d spent learning would be lost. Just the thought of that made her want to turn the Class away as an option instead of ever considering it. Instead, she pulled up the descriptions of the three Skills she would gain through selecting this Class.

Immortal Captain’s Bearing (Steel): An Immortal Captain’s purpose is to survive through overwhelming odds and to ensure that those loyal to them do as well. This Skill increases the passive rate of mana, health, and stamina by 100% for all allied people within 10 meters. Six times per hour, the Skill’s holder can activate the Skill to recover 25% of all mana, health, and stamina of all allied people within 10 meters over the course of fifteen seconds. Upon use of one charge, all affected individuals are granted a fifteen second 10% boost to their attributes.

Astrid nodded slowly. This new Skill was more like Body than Immortal Warrior’s Aura, making it a healing Skill instead of a damage consuming one, and it also lost the damage boosting aspect in its change while also becoming a gradual heal. That was good, but Astrid didn’t like the massive shift in purpose that occurred, though small boosts, like brief 10% boosts to all attributes, weren't to be underestimated either. Though her mind was consumed with thinking about how this Skill worked, she forced herself to look at the next.

Deathly Aura (Steel): For a Moderate cost of stamina and mana grants a minor spectral attribute to the attacks of every ally within twenty meters for the next two minutes.

Though it gave no details, Astrid could understand just how impactful this Skill would be. Giving everyone in that area minor Spectre Bursts with every one of their attacks? And she knew it would be able to be condensed to a smaller area to give an even greater impact with every blow. With this, Muti and Felix’s attacks on the Leviathan would have been more impactful, though it would replace her position as a finisher as more of a supporter helping others to kill faster.

Then, just before she moved on to reading the final Skill description, Astrid took note of something that had slipped past her the first time: the attacks of every ally. It didn’t specify that it had to be weapon attacks, and as she thought about it, she realized that Skandr’s spells would also be strengthened by the Skill. She smiled as she read through the final Skill offered by the Class.

Immortal Captaincy (Steel): While in command of a party or squad, grants a 20% boost to all attributes of the Skill’s holder and a 10% boost to all attributes of those under your command.

Though it wasn’t a particularly impressive Skill in terms of being flashy, that was huge. Astrid felt her breath catch as she thought about it. Though she didn’t love the direction of this Class, it was a powerhouse, for sure. The equipment Skill, of course, was a straight across upgrade, not adding any aspect to consider.

Looking at Immortal Captain, the Class was a leader, taking away her position as a finisher and replacing it with the ability to make any party a group of destroyers. Instead of Immortal Warrior’s Aura making her the rag that soaked up everyone’s damage, Captain would make her a fulcrum to turn the tide of battle around. It appealed to her, but she couldn’t deny that losing her two “finishing” Skills would hurt. She was a finisher, she’d always wanted to be a finisher, but was her path to becoming the hero she wanted to be to lean into auras, to raising everyone around her up instead? The attribute growths for Captain were obviously focused on being survivable and able to lead from the front, but they weren’t a finisher. With the auras it came with, already Boon of the Hero would come in handy, boosting them, and she could lean more into it moving forward, given that she’d have three more Skill slots to fill.

These thoughts filtered through her mind as Astrid moved on to the next option.

Immortal Champion (Extraordinary): After stepping onto the path of the Immortal Warrior, you have stepped forward as the unconquerable, and served as a bastion and a blade against your enemies. You have taken on yourself the wounds of your allies and used those wounds and struggles to destroy those who stand in your path, to the point of hunting Steel tiers and threatening a Steel tier Boss as Irons. Your presence strengthens those who stand nearby, and you refuse to cease striding on your path forward. The Immortal Champion is one whose path shines as an example to those who see them, and they take on the wounds of those who respect them, using those wounds to overcome every difficulty that approaches. Selecting this Class will bless you with the merging of the Immortal Warrior’s Aura (Iron) and Immortal Warrior’s Body (Iron) Skills into the Skill: Immortal Champion’s Physique (Steel) and the merging of the Skills Specter Burst (Iron) and Gravity Surge (Iron) into the Skill: Spectral Graviton (Steel). You will be granted the Skill: Unconquerable Aura (Steel). Your existing Immortal Warrior’s Equipment Skill (Iron) will be upgraded to Immortal Champion’s Equipment (Steel). Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of the Hero]: Power +20 (+1) [+1], Alacrity +11 (+1), Fortitude +18 (+1) [+1], Magical Potency +8 (+1) [+1], Self-Mastery +9 (+1), Acumen +4 (+1).

Another extraordinary rarity! Astrid glanced at the attributes offered and saw the difference immediately. Champion was more specialized, with lower bonuses to the mental attributes and higher in the physical, with the exception of Fortitude, which was the same for both. Instead of being a leader, this was the Class of a physically dominant fighter. While Captain was an… uncommon? Maybe rare, Class offered in soldiers on front lines, Champion was typically a rare Class that was an evolution of Warrior. Astrid couldn’t remember anything more specific than that, but she quickly moved her attention to things that actually mattered. First, the Physique Skill.

Immortal Champion’s Physique (Steel): An Immortal Champion’s greatest weapon is their body. This Skill increases the holder’s passive rate of mana, health, and stamina recovery by 150%. Eight times per hour, the Skill’s holder can activate the Skill to recover 35% of all mana, health, and stamina. 50% of all that is recovered is applied to the next attack made. For a Moderate stamina cost, the Skill’s holder can designate up to three other individuals within five meters whose injuries will be transferred to the Champion at the time of the use of a charge of Immortal Champion’s Physique. Mana and stamina will be granted to the other individuals as well.

Astrid raised her eyebrows as she considered this new Skill. Instead of the total change made for the Captain, where it was just an area heal that also buffed, this was the immediate heal of Body which could also be applied to other people. As Astrid thought about it, she came to understand that, if she spent her stamina in conjunction with the Skill, it would take the wounds from the person she selected and then heal her. With Boon of Indomitability, eight charges of Physique would effectively give her 420% of healing? Every hour? While also doubling her current recovery rate? She could only slow down and allow that to settle over her.

As she was, Astrid considered herself able to keep going for a long time. After all, she had a Class built to be unkillable, but Champion laughed at her expectations of “immortality” for what she was as an Iron. Beyond that, there was another Skill coming up that might further upset her expectations of what this Class could offer. With that in mind, she jumped out of order and looked at Unconquerable Aura.

Unconquerable Aura (Steel): For a Severe cost of mana and stamina, creates an aura that reduces all damage taken by those within the same party within ten meters by 10% for three minutes.

Letting out a deep breath, Astrid fought to keep herself from shooting off of her stool. That… was unbelievable. Sure, the Aura could only be used twice without exhausting her reserves, but with eight charges of Body, or, more correctly, Physique boosted by Boon of Indomitability? It would be more than doable to have it up in every fight, which would then be boosted by Boon of the Hero! The thoughts of what the Champion could do, how it was a Class that seemed to be just a perfect upgrade to her current Class of Warrior, consumed her, but the change to Gravity Surge and Spectral Burst needed to be addressed as well. With her heart in her throat, she turned to observe the final Skill.

Spectral Graviton (Steel): For a variable cost of mana and stamina, create a Spectral Graviton. Its origin can be within an item that the Skill Holder is wielding or at any point within twenty meters. The closer to the Skill Holder and the more mana and stamina provided, the more powerful the Spectral Graviton.

That… was it? Astrid tried to get more information from the Great One, but to no avail. She somewhat understood that it was a mix of the two Skills that made it, but there weren’t any specifics provided. Despite all that, she felt she could understand this Skill somewhat. She nodded slowly, finally turning to look at the third and final Class option.

Immortal Spellblade (Extraordinary): After stepping onto the path of the Immortal Warrior, you have grown more adept in manipulating Skills to suit your desires and needs. The Skills you have have developed in potency and impact, becoming blades to cut and shields to defend, to the point of hunting Steel tiers and threatening a Steel tier Boss as Irons. Your path has taken you to greater understanding of mana and how Skills operate, and that proficiency will carry forward for you. The Immortal Spellblade is one whose path inspires others to seek greater heights, to become an unassailable paragon of battle prowess and Skill manipulation. Selecting this Class will bless you with the merging of the Immortal Warrior’s Aura (Iron) and Immortal Warrior’s Body (Iron) Skills into the Skill: Immortal Spellblade Artistry (Steel) and the evolution of the Skill Specter Burst (Iron) into the Skill: Spectral Bladecraft (Steel) and the Skill Gravity Surge (Iron) into Gravitational Manipulation (Steel). Your existing Immortal Warrior’s Equipment Skill (Iron) will be upgraded to Immortal Spellblade’s Equipment (Steel), with the Blunt Weapon’s Mastery (Iron) aspect becoming the Blademanship (Steel) aspect. Attribute growth per level (Racial traits) [Boon of the Hero]: Power +10 (+1) [+1], Alacrity +15 (+1), Fortitude +10 (+1) [+1], Magical Potency +18 (+1) [+1], Self-Mastery +7 (+1), Acumen +10 (+1).

A swell of emotions that Astrid couldn’t quite explain filled her, and she didn’t even try to understand them as she looked over the Skills that this new Class offered. As numbness overcame her, she decided to read the changes that would take place in her equipment Skill first.

Immortal Spellblade’s Equipment (Steel): A compound Skill comprising of: Blademanship (Steel), Shield Wielding (Steel), Steady Load (Steel). Grants the Skill holder the ability to doff and don their equipment in an instant for a minute mana cost.

Blademanship (Steel): Any tool in the Skill holder’s hand can become a blade. Draws a minute quantity of mana to create a magical blade along the weapons wielded. Additional mana can be provided to create a larger or sharper weapon. Grants a 50% increase to the cutting power of the blades conjured by the Skill.

Shield Wielding (Steel): Grants an innate understanding of how to wield shields. Grants a 75% increase in durability to all shields wielded and a 100% increase to the strength granted by imbuing mana into shields.

Steady Load (Steel): Increases the Skill holder’s Alacrity while wearing armor by 40%. While wearing armor, the Skill’s holder will be passively assisted by ambient mana to reduce the strain of wearing heavy armor. While carrying any load of at least 50% of the Skill holder's weight, the Skill holder’s Alacrity is increased by 20%.

Yes, it was just replacing Blunt Weapons Mastery with Blademanship. With that in mind, Astrid consulted one of the earlier entries for an explanation of Steel tier Blunt Weapons’ Mastery.

Blunt Weapon’s Mastery (Steel): All blunt objects can be a weapon. Grants an intrinsic knowledge of how to use a blunt object as a weapon, whether intended to be one or not. Grants a 50% increase to the destructive power of all blunt weapons wielded by the Skill holder.

Astrid nodded slowly, still slowly understanding what this all was, and allowed herself to laugh. This was the Class she’d always wanted, and stronger than she’d ever thought it would be. She moved slowly to the key Skill, Immortal Spellblade Artistry.

Immortal Spellblade Artistry (Steel): At a Moderate cost of mana per minute, create an area ten meters around the Skill holder. Whenever any attack is made within that area, the Skill holder can sap all mana from the attack to strengthen their own Skills and weaken the attack made.

Instead of healing, Artistry made her much harder to hit and kill. Astrid nodded slowly, realizing that, as per her own imagination as a girl, this Skill would allow her to walk through raging battlefields and have attacks sizzle into nothing around her, the strength of her enemies twisted to maintain this area of effect where spells were nothing and blades fell short while her own attacks cut deeper and better.

Though she glanced through the other Skills offered by the Class, she quickly came to a conclusion. Spectral Bladecraft was interesting, making the Skill a constant buff instead of single attacks and Gravitational Manipulation was a more flexible, open-ended version of Gravity Surge. Artistry was impressive, turning attacks, even before they landed, into buffs for her next attacks. With the Immortal Spellblade Class, its purpose was obvious: create an area around herself where, in exchange for only a small amount of her own mana, enemy attacks were drained of mana to strengthen her own hits back.

And that wasn’t what she was any longer.

With only two options in mind, Astrid finally turned to the rest of the party to consult, most of whom looked similarly unsure of which option to take.

“This time,” Benedict said as he nibbled on his thumbnail, “Astrid, you’re first. Maybe talking to you will clear up my own decision.”

She laughed, stood up, and decided to describe the Classes she’d been offered.