"Honestly…" Lucy sighed, "The best you could find was a monster hunt?"
She, Natsu and Happy were hiking near Akane Beach. The carriage ride from Magnolia lasted about an hour, and they were now hiking a sandy path through the trees near the shoreline.
Natsu barely managed to nod in answer to her question, still heaving as he clutched his stomach. His motion sickness hadn't gotten any better in the last seven years.
"There were hardly any fliers," Happy explained, "The only other job that came close to getting you all your rent was one that involved going to Mount Hakobe. We figured you'd prefer fighting a monster at the beach rather than hiking through the cold."
"That's fair, I guess," Lucy acknowledged as she examined the flier, "I just wish they were more descriptive. The only thing they know about this monster is that it can fly?"
"And it only comes out at night," Happy nodded.
"Which is why," Natsu breathed heavily, his voice returning to him, "We had to rush over here at dusk. Though if I'd known I wouldn't have taken this job...ugh."
"You say that every time when we don't travel by foot," Happy said plainly.
"Can't be helped now," Lucy moved on, "Your nose good enough to track some scents for us?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Natsu rolled his shoulders as he took a deep breath, feeling the last of his vertigo finally leave his system, "Now, what do we got here…"
He inhaled deeply again, sniffing around the environment. There were scents of the salt and humidity in the air, the foliage and trees, and in the distance he scented the odd lizardman here or there, which wasn't uncommon for this area.
"I'm not really getting anything," Natsu shook his head, "Let's-" He inhaled sharply. He just picked up on a new scent…
"No way…" Natsu's eyes were wide as he looked in the direction the scent was coming from.
"Natsu?" Lucy tilted her head, "Is something wrong?"
"You find it?" Happy looked around worriedly.
Natsu closed his eyes as he latched onto the scent, before they burst open, "This way!" He charged off into the foliage.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried out as she took off after him, "Why does he always do this?"
"Wait up!" Happy took to the air as his wings appeared.
Natsu continued to run, taking several twists and turns. He nearly lost Lucy and Happy twice.
The foliage got denser the further in they went, until they eventually reached the mountains that bordered Akane Beach. Natsu stopped at the base of a cliffside that reached up into the mountain, before he started scaling it.
"Natsu! Wait!" Lucy hollered up at him, before turning to the flying blue cat, "Happy, do you mind?" She pointed upwards.
"But you're so heavy!"
"Shut up, that bit's been played out!" She yanked on the feline's tail with a pout.
"Okay, I'm sorry!" Happy flailed as he hovered behind the blonde. He grabbed her and started flying up to Natsu.
"No way…" Natsu whispered again as he went still. He had just finished climbing to the top of the cliffside.
"What is it?" Lucy whispered as she and Happy caught up to him. She looked where he was looking, "I don't see-" She suddenly went still. A feeling of being watched weighed heavily on her.
The peak they found themselves on led to several other cliffsides, all of them covered in cavities and ledges. Most were silhouetted in shadows.
"This scent…" Natsu said as he rose to his feet, "It smells like a dragon…"
"What?" Happy blinked, "There are dragons here!?"
Lucy's eyes went wide, "This close to Akane…?"
"I don't-" Natsu's eyes widened as he was interrupted by a strange whistling sound.
"Get down!" He twisted around and pushed Lucy and Happy off the cliff, trusting in the blue cat to save Lucy from the fall.
Not even a second later an explosion sent Natsu himself flying off the cliff too.
"Natsu!" Lucy screamed as Happy barely broke her own fall.
She needn't have worried, however, as flames burst from Natsu's feet, propelling him back up.
Natsu gripped the ground with one hand as he landed, looking around wildly. Whatever hit him had swooped through at astounding speeds.
No doubt about it.
"It's a dragon, alright!" Natsu called out, a large grin on his face.
"What-!?" Lucy called out, only to be interrupted by another whistling sound, "Watch out!"
Natsu was blown back again by another explosion, but this time he was paying attention. He flexed his legs as he was blown back. He quickly consumed what he could of the flames used against him.
He let out a breath, focusing his senses. This thing was fast! But he's dealt with fast opponents before.
The sounds it gives off, its scent, its pattern of dive bombing…if he focuses enough he can tell where it's coming from…
Hrrrrrrr-pthew!
There!
Natsu's eyes burst open as he leapt back, all his focus on the fireball that was about to make impact.
The ball of plasma exploded, destroying the ground; at the same time, Natsu used his own flames to propel himself upward. The resulting wave of heat and force fueled his momentum at an angle, sending him straight towards the flying, black silhouette of a dragon.
"FIRE DRAGON SWORD HORN!" Natsu's magic erupted around his body as he shot like a flaming bullet towards the creature, but he was interrupted.
Pthew!
A second ball of plasma exploded as it made contact with his face; the resulting explosion was large enough to barely grace the fleeing creature's tail as Natsu went flying off course! The mountainside had caught fire at this point, though Natsu seemed oblivious to it, especially at this new revelation.
There are two of them!
Natsu fell on his side, but immediately swung around, landing back on his feet. He sneered slightly as a figure emerged from the rocks.
Seemingly melting into being from the shadows, a black dragon unlike any Natsu had seen before emerged. It had red eyes and was hissing at him as it bore blunt teeth. It was smaller than Kilgara, with large wings and a shorter, streamline stature, but that didn't make it any less menacing. This creature had power.
"That's a dragon alright…" Natsu smirked, "I'm gettin' all fired up!" His fist ignited just as the black dragon pounced!
It was interrupted, however, when a black and red streak smashed into it.
Natsu's mouth widened in confusion as he witnessed Kilgara come into focus as he and the other black dragon wrestled, grappling for dominance.
Despite being shorter in stature, the other dragon was doing a good job holding its own. But Kilgara still outclassed it in size and even technique; it wasn't long before the black dragon was pinned below him.
Kilgara roared down at the other red-eyed dragon he was grappling with, but the black reptile just roared back. Natsu felt like he was witnessing two wolves fight for the position of alpha.
Whrrrrrrrr…!
That distinct whistling sound could be heard again, and it was approaching fast!
That's right! Natsu thought as his head whipped around, There's a second one!
Pthew!
A ball of plasma was exploded on Kilgara's back, and while he struggled to push through the explosion, he snarled as his tail whipped around him, slapping the second black dragon, one with green eyes, out of the sky. His tail muscles bulged as he kept it pinned to the ground.
Kilgara's red scales pulsed as he fought to keep the two black dragons pinned beneath him; it wasn't easy. Both were putting up a resolute struggle.
Thunder suddenly struck, and Natsu barely noticed in time as he managed to dodge a streak of electricity barrelling past him, which rammed into Kilgara's side.
Kilgara noticed it too, however. He had thrust out and extended his wing, and just as the ball of lightning slammed into him, he folded it in, tensing it against his side, effectively grappling yet another of those black dragons with one wing!
There are three!
Natsu's eyes were wide, unable to really make sense of what he was looking at. This black dragon had blue eyes, and continued crackling with electric energy as it shifted and struggled to free itself from Kilgara's wing.
Kilgara kept the dragons pinned, one beneath his talons, another against his tail, while the third was trapped in his wing against his side.
The 'roaring contest' continued between the four dragons as each struggled to either hold the others down or break free. Kilgara's red scales flared brightly as his roars grew more and more aggressive.
Eventually, the three black dragons submitted, ceasing to struggle. Kilgara let them all loose, and as each one rose, they bowed their heads to the larger black dragon.
Kilgara spread his wings and roared, victorious in his dominance as his status as 'alpha' was reestablished.
"What the hell just happened!" Natsu exclaimed after a moment.
I nearly forgot he was standing there. But I ignored him in favor of growling slightly at Thorn, Saphira, and Alva. These three punks. I'll admit, I'm pretty proud they were able to work so well as a team together. Apparently, they've been 'terrorizing' this side of the country by attacking fisherman and farms for food the last few years.
They all gave cheeky smiles as their teeth retracted.
"Head back to Hakobe," I said in Draconic as I rolled my eyes at the three of them, pointing up at the sky, "Luxion is waiting. Ymir and I will visit soon."
The three of them roared in acknowledgement. They braced their wings and took off. One of Luxion's drones, which he was controlling, was waiting for them in the night sky.
"Sorry about that," I said as I turned to Natsu, "They slipped away in my absence. Those three are…I suppose you could call them my children."
"Wait, you're a dad!?" Natsu exclaimed as his eyes bugged out, "So am I a gramps!?"
Happy flew over and set Lucy down.
"You have kids!?" Lucy shrieked as she registered what I said.
"Who's the momma!?" Happy blurted as he suppressed a strained grin behind his paws.
"I'm not their literal father," I clarified; also, a 'gramps?' Does Natsu think of me as his kid? "I found their eggs and hatched them. Ymir and I have been raising them, but when we got sealed in the Fairy Sphere, they wandered off. I've been tracking them down ever since we got back."
"Oh," Lucy blinked, "Wait, you and Ymir?"
"So she's the momma!" Happy giggled behind his paws as his eyes gave a mirthful look.
"No, she's-" I grit my fangs before sighing, "Ya know what, nevermind. Let's just get back to Magnolia. I wanted to speak with you all."
"Hold on, I've got questions!" Natsu demanded, "Where'd you find their eggs?"
"In the East Forest," It's technically not a lie; that is where I got them, "And no, there was no evidence of Igneel or any other dragons nearby. I'm assuming that's where your line of questioning was leading to?"
"..." Natsu looked down, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips.
"I'm sorry about your father, Natsu," I said with genuine empathy, "He may be closer than you think. You'll find him one day."
"One day," Natsu clenched his fists before folding his arms, "So what do ya wanna talk about?" He looked up at me.
I smirked, "Have you heard of the Grand Magic Games yet?"
"So this thing kicks off in four months?" Gray clarified.
A few days have passed since Natsu, Happy, Lucy and Kilgara got back from Akane and their encounter with the Night Furys. The last few days had been busy, as the guild started to take up more jobs in an effort to restore their reputation. Only now had all the members been able to gather, and it was at this time that the Grand Magic Games was brought up before them as a whole.
All of Fairy Tail was at the guildhall right now. Ymir was also there. Romeo had just finished explaining what the Grand Magic Games entailed, which was followed by an explanation of how all the wizard guilds currently ranked in the country.
"Yep!" Romeo continued explaining with excitement, "Every guild in Fiore will be there! It's the perfect opportunity to bring Fairy Tail back to the top!"
"Slow down, boy!" Macao interrupted, "We decided we'd have nothing to do with that forsaken tournament anymore!"
"You're not the master anymore, dad!" Romeo argued back, "And we've got the Tenrou team with us! We'll be unstoppable now!"
"Be that as it may, they're seven years behind the entire world," Max stated, "That's a pretty big training gap, even for Fairy Tail."
"So? You saw Natsu and Kilgara fight!" Romeo exclaimed, "They can totally do this! We can do this! We have a dragon for crying out loud!"
"Were you not paying attention?" Warren asked, "Natsu collapsed after one big attack! I'm not saying the spell wasn't impressive, but the point still stands."
"You've all made excellent points," Erza stepped up, "But I say we join the tournament anyway. You say it starts in four months? That's plenty of time for us to train!"
"I agree with Erza!" Natsu smirked as flames began dancing at his fists, "Let's go show the world Fairy Tail's back with a vengeance!"
"This is a bad idea, trust me," Macao folded his arms as he turned to Makarov, "Master? You can see this isn't a good idea, right?"
"I can see both perspectives, but the decision is no longer up to me," Makarov stated, "I'm glad everyone's here. Apologies for changing the subject, but I've got an announcement to make."
The entire guild turned their attention to him. With interest and confusion on their faces as he spoke, Makarov announced "Everyone, allow me to introduce you to the fifth guildmaster of Fairy Tail," He held out his hand, "Gildarts Clive!"
Kilgara just smirked as Makarov gestured to an empty space.
"Wha…where the hell is Gildarts!?" He asked Mira, who was standing next to him.
"I'm not sure," She smiled, "But he left this letter…"
Makarov's face fell as he read off the letter. Guildarts explained how being guildmaster isn't his style, he reinstated Laxus as a member, and then he dubbed Makarov the 'new' guildmaster.
"What does he mean, 'my final task as master!?'" Makarov demanded as he threw the letter to the ground, "After the stunt he pulled I'll never pass the title to anyone! I'll be this damn guild's master 'til the day I die! Someone pour me a drink, that's an order!"
"Of course, sir," Mira giggled as the rest of the guild burst out laughing.
"Looks like the decision will fall to you after all," Kilgara's deep voice resonated as he chuckled.
"Shut up, lizard!" Makarov shouted as he downed his cup, before his voice took on a more serious note, "That being said…I'm not sure joining a kingdom-wide tournament is in our best interest right now…"
"But its the perfect opportunity to advertise the guild so we can get more work!" Romeo argued, "And the winner gets thirty million jewel!"
"We're in!" Makarov immediately declared, with absolutely no hesitation.
"What!?" Macao exclaimed.
"This really isn't a good idea…" Wakaba trailed off.
Max and Warren sighed, "This is gonna be hell…"
"We've got four months to train," Natsu smirked as his fist lit on fire, "That's plenty of time!"
"How are we supposed to catch up to seven years in just four months?" Lucy voiced her concerns, "It's like Max said, that's a pretty substantial training gap…"
"Hard work," Kilgara smirked, showing off white fangs.
"We'll train our hearts out!" Erza declared, "It'll be hell on earth, so prepare yourselves!"
"We didn't live this long just to die from a workout…" Gray grimaced.
"Ah yeah!" Natsu grinned as his body started smoking, "Let's get all fired up!"
"Okay then…" Lucy stood up, a smile blooming on her face, "How do we wanna do it?"
"It'd get pretty hectic if everyone in the guild went to the same place," Wendy stated.
"More like down right chaotic…" Charla rolled her eyes, "If all these brutes train in one place, it'll be worse than a warzone."
"In that case everyone can split into teams, and find their own places to train," Levy smiled.
"Not a bad idea!" Natsu grinned, "That way we can have our own tournament to see who gets stronger!"
"Now you're speaking my language," Gajeel spoke up for the first time as a malicious smile curled at his lips, "I'm lookin' forward to makin' you eat dirt, Salamander!"
"Just try it, rusty!" Natsu smirked as his fist lit on fire; they banged their foreheads together, "I'm gonna turn you into scrap metal!"
"Save that enthusiasm for the tournament," Laxus intervened from his seat, "If you two start going at it, we won't have a guild hall to come back to."
"It's settled then!" Erza grinned, "We'll all set out to train, and meet back here in four months!"
"Aye sir!" The guild cheered as several grinned and pumped their fists. And though they were less enthusiastic, the members who endured the world for seven years smiled as well.
In the corner of the guild, Ymir tugged on Kilgara's shoulder. At his inquisitive look, the young blonde gestured outside, and the two slipped out as people got together to form their teams and plan their training.
"So what's up?" I asked Ymir as she shut the guild doors behind us, "Everything okay?"
"I…have a request," She said slowly, "I want…to join Fairy Tail…"
"You want to join the guild?" I tilted my head at her, "What brought this on?"
"Seeing the way they interact…I've never seen anything like it," She gazed back at the shabby guild hall, "They have trust, they're loyal, and despite how often they get into fights, they always go home smiling…"
"And you want to be a part of that?" I asked.
"I…want to understand it," Ymir looked back at me, "Their bond is so…different…" She trailed off.
"Ymir…" I gave her a piercing stare, "Are you still…?"
"...I think so…" She looked down, pain in her eyes as tears stung them, "I'm still in love with Fritz…" She clutched her chest as she continued.
"It's so messed up…I know that, now," She grimaced as she wiped at her eyes, "You and Luxion have taught me so much, and I know how horrible Fritz is…was. But I can't get rid of this feeling! I have to know…is this actually love? Am I really so obsessed with him? Is it impossible for me to move on?"
"Ymir, look at me," I stood, arching my neck to bring my eyes to her level, "You are not obsessed with that man. You desire something far greater than anything Fritz was capable of, yet he gave you a hollow shell of that desire, which your inexperience told you was love. He only ever used you, and while you loved him, he only loved your power."
"What I desire…?" She asked as she stared at my red eyes, "What do you mean?"
"You desire connection, compassion, and intimacy," I told her, "It's something all humans want. You desire that which only true love can give."
"Connection and…intimacy?" She asked. Those words seemed to resonate with her.
"Yes," I nodded, "Fritz gave you three children, did he not?"
She nodded; all her attention was focused on me in a surprisingly intense manner.
"When a human is physically intimate with another," I explained, "An emotional connection is formed alongside the physical one. Because he made you a concubine and had you birth children, you gained powerful emotions that can only be brought out as a mother and a lover. But he did not reciprocate those emotions, leaving you confused, lost, and hurt."
"A mother and a lover…" Ymir repeated, "So…because he and I had children, I loved him?"
"Essentially, yes," I nodded, "You had sex, and the feelings that were brought up from that, along with the wonder of becoming a mother, were mixed in with the horrors of being that king's concubine and sword. It's given you what I'd call emotional schizophrenia, which has given rise to your confusion."
She looked down, a hollow smile on her face, "So I'm broken, huh?"
"No one is ever broken," I nearly snarled, "I've seen people, children included, climb out of the darkest of places and find joy in life," I stared her dead in the eye, "You can and will overcome this. Once you do, you will find joy that you've never felt before. You will become truly free, and a power unlike any other will permeate your soul."
I lifted my head, staring down at her as she looked up at me, "You will find what it is you seek, and joining Fairy Tail will only bring you closer to those answers."
"So…how do I join?" She asked.
"You must become a wizard to join a wizard's guild," I smirked, "I will teach you to wield magic. And in a few months, you will be able to join our guild."
"...Thank you, Kilgara," She wiped her eyes once again, "It still hurts, but I feel like I understand…"
"You've changed a lot," I smiled, "Now go join Lucy and the others. I'll be in shortly."
She turned and walked back to the guild hall. As she opened the doors, she spared me a glance, giving me a small smile as she walked back in. I smiled back, giving her a slight nod.
As soon as she was gone, and the doors to the building shut, my smile vanished, "Luxion," He appeared next to me instantly.
"Sir?"
"Scan Ymir's soul," I ordered.
"Her spirit is still fragme-"
"Not her spirit," I interrupted, "I know the state of her spirit. I want details on her soul."
"Master, you know better than I that the soul of a person is the union of their spirit and body, so what exactly are you looking for?" He asked.
"Analyze her body, her spirit, the union between the two, and show me everything," I clarified for him.
"Understood, master," A white light waved through the black line making up his hemisphere as he carried out my orders.
It was several minutes before he spoke again.
"I'm not sure what these findings mean…" He reported as he displayed a holographic diagram written in draconic. The diagram detailed a complete analysis of Ymir's anatomical structure, physical and spiritual, along with the esoteric bond that binds a spirit to its body; her mind.
Seems Luxion has been evolving as well; he used to only be able to do that with me.
"Bring up the diagram of my own soul," I said aloud.
He did so.
Comparing the two, aside from the obvious differences between a dragon and a human, I could finally spot what was wrong.
Luxion's lens turned to me, "You suspected this," It was a statement, not a question, "What happened to her? How is this possible?"
"Ymir's spirit has been more than just 'fragmented,'" I snarled, "Her body seems unaffected, but her spirit and mind were not so lucky."
"What do you mean? Affected by what?"
"It's as if her soul has been split down the middle," I stood on my hind legs as I folded my arms, still looking at the diagrams, "It's a miracle she's even alive…"
"Split?" Luxion asked.
"Just like…" I trailed off as my eyes narrowed, "How? This shouldn't be possible…"
"Sir?"
"Continue to monitor her health," I ordered, "I want you to pay careful attention to her over the next few months especially."
"The next few months, sir?"
"I'll be teaching her to use magic," I answered, "Who knows…maybe she'll become the next Arcane Dragon Slayer."
"It's settled then!" Erza declared as all of Team Natsu burst out of the guild hall, "Tomorrow, we'll head to the beach!"
"Awesome!" Natsu yelled, "Let's go pack, Happy!"
"Aye sir!"
"Man, there's so much to do!" Lucy had stars in her eyes, "C'mon, Ymir!"
"Okay."
"I'll have to get a new swimsuit…" Gray mused to himself.
"Swimsuits…" Juvia swooned under her breath.
"This is gonna be so much fun!" Levy cheered.
"Don't slack off just 'cause it's the beach!" Jet grinned.
"Can't forget to have fun, either, though!" Droy said as he chewed on some chicken.
"Let's go Carla!" An excited Wendy giggled as she dragged her white, feline partner behind her.
"Slow down, child!" Carla had a smile on her face as well.
I watched them all leave from the height of the mountain near the guild hall. They settled for training at the beach, just as they did in canon. I could've influenced their chosen destination, but I think training at the beach for at least a month or two will be just fine.
Though if Virgo shows up, I'm banging some celestial heads together.
I stood away from everyone right now mostly so I could take time to finish what I couldn't on Tenrou. I need to make this time, or it won't get done.
Select a new Class:
Fighter, Mage, Rogue, Support
I've been able to take another Class for a while, but haven't gotten the chance to yet. I've been thinking about this decision for a while.
I've got one fighter class, one rogue class, two mage classes, and a support class. I could choose another from any category and still be a pretty well-rounded fighter. For the more immediate future, however, Mage would be the most beneficial. Gotta play to my strengths for upcoming events.
Select a Subclass!
Elementalist, Druid, Illusionist, Necromancer, Sorcerer, Summoner, Theurgist
Oh? Sorcerer is new. Theurgist must be a Special Class after Warlock…if memory serves, they're a magic caster that contracts spirits and other such entities, similar to Lucy's magic. Not really what I'm looking for right now.
I was going to choose another element from Elementalist, but let's look into this first.
Sorcerer
A class of magic-caster on par with Wizards, the Sorcerer class excels in wielding esoteric magics.
They are well known for incantationless magic, as their power comes from within rather than external sources, be it an ancient bloodline, wild magic, or other variations.
This seems like it would complement my Affinity perfectly! I'll take this one. I can learn elemental magic other ways now, regardless.
Extra XP Transferred!
Sorcerer - LVL 10/100, 35%
Gain 4 INT and 2 CHA every level up.
So it is a Special Class. Usually the stat gains are two and two, but this one gives four and two.
Select your Sorcerous Origin:
Aberrant Mind, Clockwork Soul, Divine Soul △, Draconic Bloodline △△, Elvish Ancestry, Leyline Birth, Lunar Sorcery, Shadow Magic, Sorcerous Ancestry, Storm Sorcery, Wild Magic, … ,
The list went on and on. It seems a lot of different scenarios can cause a being to gain innate magic...
Divine Soul and Draconic Bloodline seem like the best choices for me. They'd likely be highly complimented thanks to my heritage and race. But I could use the other options to diversify myself…
After reading through Draconic Bloodline, I concluded that I should choose something else, seeing as to how a lot of the benefits it provided could be obtained through my own Racial Skill Tree. It honestly wasn't terribly different from DnD's version.
After reading through various descriptions though, I chose this Origin:
Leyline Birth
When one is born or conceived near Leylines of ancient power, there's a chance that the being in question gains innate magical power as a result of the ancient magic swirling within the world itself.
While this Sorcerous Origin does grant you an innate ability for utilizing mana in general, its true power lies in its ability to absorb magic from other realms through a Leyline Connection.
This class will help compliment my other Class abilities quite a bit. After I finished choosing and equipped the Class, I received this notification.
Trait Gained!
Leyline Connection
You have an innate connection to Leylines, granting you a 10% boost to MP regeneration. Your spells cost 30% less MP to cast.
Your connection to Leylines grants you a connection to ethereal realms; this enables you to utilize magic in worlds, dimensions, or other such realms that contain no innate magic.
The closer you are to great sources of natural power the more powerful you become.
Satisfied, I nodded as I dismissed the System Windows.
Next up, I summoned Katie with an Info Token.
"Hello there!" She beamed at me, "What can I do for my favorite reptile today?"
"I want you to bring up the System Shop," I told her. This is where I purchased my mini-map a while back with Gacha Tokens.
"Ah, looking to improve your System, huh?" She smiled, "No problem!" She snapped her fingers, causing said shop to appear in a system panel.
"Exactly," I nodded. I'm going to see how I can improve the System to increase my abilities as a Gamer. I've been saving all my Gacha for this purpose.
The first thing I purchased was Mini-Map Tier 2.
Mini-Map Tier 2
Your Mini-Map now has the ability to be displayed in 3D.
This'll be helpful when I need to see if something is underground or on a mountain or something. Plus, it looks so cool! The detail the 3D map gives me is identical to a real-life miniature replica of the landscape. Definitely worth five Gacha, and enough to give any gps a serious run for its money.
With that done, I perused the shop for a minute; most of the features it offered were nice, but there was nothing else that really stood out to me, until I found this:
Merging Tier 1
Integrating this into your system enables you to combine certain skills into new ones, without losing the skills that are merged. They must be at least somewhat related to each other. (Ex: Karate merged with Kung Fu into Asian Martial Arts, Pistol Shooting and Rifle Shooting into a general Shooting skill, etc.)
This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for! There are a number of skills I can combine! But while merging certain ones could prove fruitful, there's also a risk involved. What if the new skill doesn't enable me to perform certain feats the original ones let me? I know it says I won't lose skills that get merged, but still…
Screw it. I purchased it for ten Gacha. And when I saw what Tier 2 could accomplish, I couldn't pass it up either.
Merging Tier 2
You can now merge Classes with other Classes or Skills to unlock new Classes. Merged Classes have a chance for higher stat gains per level up and offer new Class Skill Trees. Merging in this manner will penalize the current Class level by -50% to -75%.
I purchased this one for fifteen Gacha. That's an even thirty gone already.
Merging Classes in this manner will drop my stats and level, but this solves my problem of leveling up too early. Now that I get racial stat gains, I can gain all the stats I lose from merging Classes and more!
First up, I'll merge my crafting skills to test it out. These are all skills I know I can get back later if something goes wrong.
Notice!
Alchemy, Wandlore, Construction, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, Leatherworking and Enchanting have been merged.
Unique Skill Gained!
Arcane Crafting, LVL 90/150, 56%
This skill enables you to craft anything so long as you have the materials and skill.
Due to your nature as an Arcane Dragon, you are also able to utilize your innate magic to create items, objects, and structures near instantaneously.
Your creations are improved upon by 90%.
It worked more beautifully than I could have imagined. It became a unique skill! Even the level cap increased! I expected it to just become a general crafting skill, but it turned into a skill that can use magic to create items…
Is that because of Wandlore and Enchanting? When creating wands and staffs, I did have to use magic to put materials together. It also looks like my status as an arcane dragon influenced it. Let's see…
Focusing, I envisioned a potion, willing my magic to create one. My MP drained, and in the palm of my hand I formed a blue mana potion, one that would restore the same amount of MP I put into it, plus the bonus of 90%. I tried the same thing with a health potion and got the same result.
Using my Metallurgy skill, I conjured a round ingot of pure vibranium, then used Arcane Creation to fashion together a basic sword with a simple fire enchantment. The metal forged itself into a sword then took on an orange hue.
I smirked. I'm gonna have a field day making armor for Erza. I can also finally put the finishing touches on my lair with this. But more on that later.
Next up is something I'm more anxious about.
Notice!
You are about to merge Geomancer (Class), Fire Magic (Skill), Water Magic (Skill), and Sky Magic (Skill).
Do you wish to proceed?
Y/N
I took a deep breath, before tapping yes.
Notice!
Geomancer (Class), Fire Magic (Skill), and Sky Magic (Skill), have merged.
Unique Class Gained!
Elementalist - LVL 25/125, 0%
Gain 4 INT, 4 WIS, and 2 CHA every level up.
It worked! Definitely a higher level penalty, but I can gain that all back and more!
Select a specialization for an increase in ability!
Geomancy - 20%
Pyromancy - 20%
Hydromancy - 20%
Aeromancy - 20%
Jack of all Elements - 10%
So I can select one element to get a twenty percent increase in effectiveness for that specific element, or I can choose to get a ten percent increase in all of them.
Is this even a question? I'm going to specialize in all of them!
Jack of all Elements
All elemental magic and spells you cast receive a 10% boost in power.
I tapped on the newly equipped class; doing so pulled up a brand new skill tree. This one had Geomancer, Hydromancer, Pyromancer, and Aeromancer all in one. All of my skills purchased from Geomancer were still there, and now I have options for all four branches of elemental magic! Thanks to Metallurgy, I even had Ferromancy (which is basically metal magic) unlocked!
Unlocking this class even gave me access to Hydromancy and Water Magic, though I only have the bare-basics there. I wasn't sure that would work.
Further down the tree I could unlock more special elements, like lightning, ice, magma, etc. Even light and shadow magic were unlockable.
Hm…ya know, I have quite a few magic related Classes now…What'll happen if I do this?
Notice!
You are about to merge Runecaster (Class), Warlock (Class), Elementalist (Class), Sorcerer (Class), and Holy Magic (Skill).
Do you wish to proceed?
Y/N
When I tapped yes, I was not prepared for the number of notifications I received.
Notice!
Runecaster (Class), Warlock (Class), Elementalist (Class), Sorcerer (Class), and Holy Magic (Skill), have been merged.
Ultimate Class Gained!
Archmage - LVL 75/250, 0%
Gain 6 INT, 4 WIS, 4 CHA, and 2 DEX every level up.
Perks gained due to unlocking the Ultimate Class, Archmage:
Magical Might
The pinnacle of a magic user, the Archmage Class grants you at least Adept ability in all basic branches of magic. All magic you cast is multiplied by an appropriate modifier based on the number of skills you possess in that specific category of magic, along with INT, WIS, and CHA modifiers, and the amount of MP used.
With this, even the most basic of spells can be magnified to epic proportions.
(EX: With enough MP, a simple fireball spell has the potential to level cities.)
Gifted Mystic
You are able to learn new magic and mystic arts at an accelerated pace. All magic related skills, abilities, and Classes level up 4x as fast.
All magic is boosted by 25% in effect.
It is significantly easier to obtain new magical skills.
Notice!
Due to obtaining the Archmage Class, and having prerequisite skills, you have been granted immediate access to the following masteries and skill trees:
Abjuration, LVL 40/100
Alteration, LVL 40/100
Arcanomancy, LVL 50/100
Conjuration, LVL 40/100
Chronomancy, LVL 40/100
Divination, LVL 40/100
Elementalism, LVL 65/100
Holy Magic, LVL 55/100
Illusion Magic, LVL 40/100
Dark Magic, LVL 40/100
Restoration, LVL 40/100
Necromancy, LVL 40/100
Runic Magic, LVL 100/100
An Ultimate Class…?
I pulled up the Skill Tree for Archmage. All the skills and perks I obtained from my earlier magic-related classes were still there, but sorted differently. Each branch of magic listed in the last notification was unlocked, and there were still more options that I could unlock later.
The Elementalism category still branched out into the same skills as before; I had Geomancer, Hydromancer, Pyromancer, Aeromancer, and Ferromancer unlocked in that category, along with the Jack of All Elements perk.
This is definitely an Ultimate Class! Every single branch of magic I could think of was unlockable through this Class' Skill Tree alone. Paired with my Arcane Manipulation, there's now no limit to the kind of magic I can learn. Or even create…
Of course, I only have adept abilities in all my newly obtained skills, save for ones I obtained from previous Classes. But that naivety won't last long!
"Wow," Katie said, causing me to jump slightly; I nearly forgot she was there, "I didn't expect you to get an Ultimate Class this early. Congrats!"
"Thanks…" I responded slowly as I took it all in, "So Unique and Ultimate Classes exist, huh?"
"Yep," She smiled softly, "So do Unique and Ultimate Skills."
"I noticed…" I said as I thought back to Arcane Crafting.
I opened my mouth to speak again, but another notification appeared.
Achievement Unlocked!
Gain an Ultimate Class.
Select a reward:
500 Stat Points
Unique Skill
10 Gacha Tokens
I choose the reward for this achievement? That's quite a few stat points…exactly fifty levels worth. The Gacha I'm not too concerned with; I can get those through dungeons. But a Unique Skill…
I can obtain the other rewards on my own overtime. I'll take the skill; it won't hurt to have another Unique one.
Unique Skill Gained!
Dragon Spirit Haki, LVL 1, 0%
A powerful Haki, or will, that allows the user to imbue their aura with various magical and physical properties. It is unique to True Dragons, and has a lesser variant known as Draconic Presence.
It allows one to exert a powerful spiritual pressure over their targets, inflict them with potentially lethal magical effects and cause them physical damage; this includes (and is not limited to) causing a mass knockout, rending flesh, or afflicting various debuffs.
When used to its fullest potential, the user's aura has the potential to shred anything it comes into contact with.
True Dragons are all unaffected by this skill's effects, as they have the potential to use it themselves, which means they have a natural immunity to it.
This skill is insane…and there's no level cap. An evolved form of Draconic Presence, known as Dragon Spirit Haki…
Is it at all related to the kind I've heard about in One Piece? It seems to have similar effects, but I guess I can't compare the two too quickly…the word "haki" means will, and actually has Germanic and Norse origins, if I remember correctly. Or was it just some Norse guy with that name?
Either way, on the surface, this seems to be an evolved form of a Draconic Presence skill.
Notice!
Hidden Objective complete for the quest:
"Become the Grand Archwizard!"
Hidden Objective:
Obtain a mage-related Ultimate Class
Reward:
100 Stat Points
3 Spell Tomes of Tier 3 rank
Okay, hold the phone! Does every quest I get have hidden objectives? And holy crap, three Spell Skills at Tier 3!? Tier 3 spells are absolutely broken!
I love it, which ones did I get? I pulled all three tomes out and immediately consumed them.
Spell Skills gained!
Elemental Form Tier 3
This spell enables you to attune and transfigure your current form to an element, making you deal elemental damage with natural attacks. Different elements grant different buffs (ex: a lightning form grants enhanced speed and reflexes). Receiving an attack or effect of the same elemental nature restores MP and HP equal to the damage that would've been dealt.
Nothing can physically harm you while in an elemental form, save for that element's opposing element (ex: a fire form would take damage from water attacks).
This vulnerability overrides any Elemental Resistances. MP Constantly drains while active.
Elemental Blast Tier 3
This spell allows you to shoot a bolt/stream/blast/aura of elemental energy of your choice (element type determines MP cost) as a projectile attack.
Whenever this spell deals damage, the target (living or nonliving) becomes 20% more vulnerable to that form of elemental damage, no matter their resistances. The effect lasts for 30 seconds, refreshes after each hit, and stacks with itself.
Spirit Fyre Tier 3
This spell summons wisps of spirit fyre that will float around your body. At current level [275, Youngling] you can summon up to six.
If the wisps make contact with anyone you consider an enemy, they will set them on fire and disappear.
Spirit fire is harder to put out than regular fire and is only harmful toward the individual the wisp set ablaze. Those burning cannot be healed in any way while on fire.
You are able to direct the wisps with mental commands. They will fly intelligently, and maneuver and hone in on targets.
Wow…those are some pretty powerful spells. That Elemental Blast is especially useful.
This has been a lot to go over at once. My overall level has dropped significantly, but I spared checking it until I was done merging these:
Notice!
You are about to merge Assassin (Class) and Martial Artist (Class).
Do you wish to proceed?
Y/N
I nearly jumped at the 'Yes' button, before something made me pause.
I'm high on adrenaline from gaining an Ultimate Class and several new abilities, but maybe I should wait to merge these until after I've gained another fighter Class and other related skills…If I do, I could potentially unlock another Ultimate Class…
Reigning in my excitement and feeling a sense of calm and reason overtake me, I tapped 'No.'
Now to see the damage done to my stats.
Name: Kilgara
Age: 15
Race: Arcane Royal Dragon
Rank: Youngling
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Level: 275
Class: Archmage - LVL 75/250, 0%
HP: 34,960 [Regens 13,110/min]
MP: 287,700 [Regens 90,024/min]
SP: 43,700 [Regens 13,110/min]
STR: 550
END: 874
DEX: 558
INT: 822
WIS: 682
CHA: 506
LUK: 500
Points: 265
The decrease actually wasn't as bad as I anticipated. It seems the Points I gained from previous levels weren't taken away; only the stat gains from level ups themselves were penalized. STR took the biggest hit; I lost about two hundred levels, so that took away over four-hundred from STR.
Ouch.
I'll gain it all back and then some. With the Archmage Class and my racial modifiers, I'll gain 10 INT, 8 WIS, 6 CHA, 2 DEX, and 2 END every level up now! Not to mention the 2 STR from Corded Muscle.
Once I reach the max level for Archmage, I have no doubt that even as a youngling, I'll number among the most powerful wizards in this world.
"Say, Katie," I turned my attention from the System windows to her.
"What's up?" She smiled at me.
"What level do I have to be to select a new Class here?" I asked.
"When a Class reaches 50% completion, you can select a new one," She answered, "In this case, you'll have to reach level 125 with Archmage before you can choose a new Class."
"Well, I have all night to myself," I rose to my feet as I shook out my wings, "Been a while since I hunted for dungeons."
I need to prepare. Tomorrow, Natsu and the others will head to the beach. I'll let them train on their own for a week or two as a warm up. I'll also use that time to teach Ymir.
After that…I'll be abducting some dragon slayers.
And after that, it'll be off to the Grand Magic Games.