Book 2: Chapter 62 (Patreon)

“Am I going to pass out every time I unlock another Admin skill because that would really suck,” Orrin had convinced Arandir to let him haul a few chairs down to the beach. Orrin missed the ocean. His parents had brought him to a beach a few hours away for vacation growing up. After his dad left, his mom had continued the tradition until Orrin was too old to go to the beach with his mom. Now, he would give anything for one of her warm peanut butter and jelly sandwiches she always brought with them.

“I have no evidence that you will not,” Arandir wiggled his toes in the wet sand. “However, I think you will not faint again. On occasion, a person will drift for a moment when they take a skill or spell that is too powerful for their level. I believe that your body was shocked by the Administrator power coursing through you for the first time.”

Orrin considered his words. In the distance, something splashed in the water but it was too far away to see clearly.

“Maybe I should use all the points now. It’s not worth letting the power sit unused. We’re dealing with a war on one side and a possible invading Demon Lord on the other. Do you think Sanerris would leave you alone if I gave him a few Quests?”

Arandir shook his head, his blue eyes glittering as he stared at the same spot Orrin had seen the splash. “The whales are migrating. It is far too early in the year. Something must have disturbed them.”

Orrin had noticed the elder elf would play deaf and focus on something else when asked a hard question. Most of the time, he let it go. He was still supposed to be representing Dey until the final paperwork was drawn up. He couldn’t wait to get back to Daniel and Madi. Although, they were probably getting drilled in weapon training right now.

“Arandir, if you don’t answer, I’ll take the Assign Quest skill and go to Odrana.”

Arandir gave Orrin side-eye, pressing his lips into a tight line. “Never coerce with senseless threats. You may take whatever Administrator powers you want but we both know that you would not travel into that man’s grasp willingly. To do so would be folly and put not just you but your friends in danger. Would the [Hero] stay in wait for the Demon Lord if Lord Sanerris held you captive?”

“I wouldn’t go to him. I’m not a complete idiot,” Orrin said, scratching his neck. He had been thinking exactly that. He had [Teleport] and [Camouflage]. He could probably escape if he needed but thinking about what Daniel and Madi would say if he tried it alone…

They sat in silence, Arandir pointing out the shapes in the distance. Orrin learned more about whales and finally took his leave. Arandir had given him the signed papers for Silas. This would be his final outing as a delegate of Dey.

“Please do come visit still,” Arandir said, placing his chair back in its rightful spot. “I would like to help train your friends. We have many [Swordhands] that would jump at the chance to train with the [Hero] and I could make arrangements for Lady Catanzano as well.”

“I’ll tell them,” Orrin shook his hand. “Daniel might not want to visit just yet.”

Arandir sighed but accepted the response with dignity. “Be well and return to our shade when your journey is over.”

“I said Daniel might not visit,” Orrin chuckled. “I have no problem hanging out at the beach with you. I’ll be back.”

Orrin gathered the last of his things and waved as he used [Teleport] to go back to Dey.

“You should have waited,” Madi complained. “My father would have been happy to get a Hospital official to tell you all that. You shouldn’t have wasted your points on Assign Class. Now you don’t have enough points to get the Create Relic power.”

Orrin, Madi, and Daniel sat around a fire, just outside Dey. They’d been given the rest of the day to search for a monster that had been sighted to the south. [Juntha Rabbits] were ruining crops. Too fast for the average farmer to catch, the beasts were high experience and low danger. The exact recipe of monster that Silas was sending the [Hero] out after.

He had finished telling them about the power he’d unlocked and his adventures over the last few days. Madi was pissed about the lost chance at making more Relics but Daniel was unusually quiet.

“Nothing to say?” Orrin prodded his friend. “Do you think I fucked up too?”

Daniel pushed a stick into the fire, making one of the logs drop. Fire motes escaped into the air as he responded, “I think you made the best choice. Assign Class is going to be what we use to beat the Demon Lord.”

“Huh?” Madi and Orrin said at the same time

“You can turn every [Farmer] and [Merchant] into a fighting class. Think about it. How much more will the elven training do for an [Archer] compared to a [Baker]?”

“Daniel, that would be announcing to the entire world that I’m an Administrator.”

Madi sat forward, getting way too close to the fire for Orrin’s comfort. “What if we set up a room with a divider so the other person couldn’t see you? Do you have to see the person to use it?”

“I… I haven’t actually tried using it.”

Daniel and Madi gave him the look. The one that meant he was an idiot.

“I can try now.” He scrambled to pull up the new skill.

Choose Target

“Uhm, Madi.”

“What?”

“I’m going to try and assign a class to you.”

“I like my class where it is.”

“I’ve probably got to confirm the selection. Just give me a minute.”

Choose Class:

Orrin gasped as the list spread out.

“Orrin?” Daniel sat forward.

“I’m fine,” he waved his friend off. “The list is still loading but I can see [Healer] toward the top here. Maybe I can just assign the class and Amir would be able to get [Heal Small Wounds] afterward… Yes! D, the [Archer] class is on here. I wonder if this list responds to my thoughts like the System did when I first… yep. It does. Madi, I found your class. [Prism Conjurer]. That’s interesting…”

Orrin muttered his thoughts as he read, not realizing his friend’s frustration with him.

“We can’t see what you’re reading, dumbass.” Daniel poked him with the pointy stick.

“Madi, I think there are a few variants of [Prism Conjurer]. At least, I think these are versions of your… That one has to be for sure. [Prism Wizard]. What’s the difference between a conjurer and a wizard? Oh, there’s a class called [Optical Conjurer] too. Then… oh shit.”

“What? What did you do?” Madi was understandably nervous. Orrin was essentially holding her class hostage right now. “I swear if you did something to me…”

“[Superior Prism Conjurer]. Have you ever heard of that?”

Madi didn’t move. “That’s not a real class.”

“I’m looking at it right here. I don’t get any descriptions of what the classes are. I feel like this could be dangerous to play around with.” Orrin kept scrolling. “It is cool though. There are so many different options.”

“Is [Utility Warder] available?” Daniel asked. Madi was still staring at Orrin.

“I’ll check.” Orrin scrolled… and scrolled some more. “It isn’t there. Why isn’t it there?”

“Orrin, are you sure you read that class right?” Madi’s voice was brittle.

“Uhm… Yeah. It’s here. [Superior Prism Conjurer]. It was actually near the top of the list. I wonder if the skill automatically gives me options geared to the person. That would be re—”

“Can you change my class?”

Orrin jolted out of his thoughts and really looked at his friend. She was shaking despite being so close to the fire.

“Madi, what do you mean? We don’t even know what the class does. He’s just checking if the—”

“Can you do it or not?” Madi interrupted Daniel.

Orrin scrolled to the class and rolled over it. The class highlighted and a new prompt popped up.

Replace [Prism Conjurer] with [Superior Prism Conjurer]?

Yes or No?

“I think so. Madi, I don’t feel comfortable doing this though.”

She blinked hard and turned away. Daniel stood up and crossed over to sit near her.

“What’s going on? What is it?”

Orrin dropped the skill, watching the list that was still loading disappear from his sight. Madi was muttering something to Daniel. She was being too quiet for Orrin to hear. A few minutes later, she stood, keeping her back to the boys.

“I’m going to clear my head.”

As she walked away, Daniel shook his head.

“What was that about?” Orrin asked. He was surprised when Daniel turned with a huge smirk on his face.

“Do you remember that story she likes? The one about Denna? She based her entire class around her hero from a fairy tale story. I’ll give you three guesses what the stories say her class was.”

“Is there some difference between Madi’s class and the superior version?” Orrin asked, putting air quotes around superior. “If she didn’t even think it was a real thing…”

“That’s why she’s clearing her head,” Daniel explained. He pointed to his head. “She knows here it would be reckless and irresponsible to just change her entire class.” He moved his hand to his heart. “She still wants to try.”

Orrin thought it over. “We need to do some research.”

Daniel groaned. “Why do you take the fun out of everything.”

Madi returned ten minutes later. Nobody spoke until Orrin shot to his feet. “Five of them just appeared to the east. Let’s go.”

The race to the [Juntha Rabbits] let them all let off some steam. Orrin increased everyone’s dexterity to what he felt comfortable. Daniel tried to use his skills to boost forward but he had to return to keep on track. Only Orrin could tell him where the rabbits moved. They approached from separate directions, making sure to get a single hit on each cute bunny rabbit before Daniel bounced between them in a series of vicious attacks.

Experience   Gained: 1000 XP (200 XP x 5)

Level 18   Obtained!

+10 AP

“About time,” he muttered.

“Did you finally get your level?” Daniel asked. “I thought you were going to be behind us forever.”

Orrin glowered. Daniel and Madi had been hunting without him. He’d kept up his routine of using as much of his mana each day as he could but gaining experience to level was hard to squeeze in between all the teleporting he’d been required to do.

Daniel was already halfway through level eighteen. Madi was on level nineteen. She would likely reach the level twenty Quest before either of them.

“Some of us have to do work,” Orrin shot back. Daniel raised his hands in surrender.

Orrin checked his status.

Orrin

Utility Warder Level 18 (786/9,000)

AP: 36

Admin Points: 25

HP: 140/140

MP: 825/1100

Strength: 9 (100)

Con: 14

Dex: 11 (100)

Will: 28 (100)

Intelligence: 11 (100)

His skill and spell list had become too long to read through outside of bed. He’d created a smaller list of the powers that could be leveled.

Abilities:

[Side Steps]- Level Three (34/300)

[Way of the Water]- 20%

Spells:

[Heal Small Wounds]- Level Three (9,840/10,000)

[Camouflage]- Level Two (5,980/10,000)

[Teleport]- Level Two (1,225/10,000)

[Remetabolize]- (700/1,000)

[Increase Strength]- Level Three (5,160/10,000)

[Increase Dexterity]- Level Three (5,105/10,000)

[Increase Will]- Level Three (9,550/10,000)

[Increase Intelligence]- Level Three (6,985/10,000)

Madi was squatting by the rabbits, working hard at skinning them. Daniel was standing over her watching as she described the process.

“Did anybody take any damage?” Orrin asked eagerly. “I’m so close to finishing off [Heal Small Wounds].”

Madi and Daniel shook their heads. Daniel’s face split into an evil grin.

“No, I’m not going to let you beat me up so I can heal myself.” Orrin flicked him off.

“When did you stop being fun?” Daniel pouted.

Madi pushed her spear between Daniel’s feet as he talked and then kicked him in the knee. He fell back and landed hard. She smiled innocently up at Orrin. “Oh no! I think Daniel needs some healing.”