Early the next morning, Bastion and the girls gathered for breakfast, with Ariel joining them as their guest.
"So, Ariel, what are your plans for today?" Bastion asked.
"I was thinking of reaching Rank 1 as quickly as possible, so I should probably head back to the troll dungeon at Brightstone," she replied excitedly.
"May I make a suggestion?"
"Of course, Your Grace."
"I strongly recommend thinking about what kind of combatant you want to become in the future."
"I want to be an archer, Your Grace."
"Purely long-range for team play with a focus on stamina and mana regeneration? Solo, adding a bit of close combat requiring stamina and health regeneration? Scouting that requires enhanced senses? Stealth that requires a stifled presence? Or a combination that allows for a bit of everything?"
"I… I haven't really thought that far ahead," she said, losing a bit of her enthusiasm.
"That's exactly why I asked. Reaching Rank 1 without a clear goal for the kind of fighter you want to become won't do you any favors in the long run."
Ariel looked down like a scolded child who was about to make a big mistake.
"I'm not saying this to put you down, Ariel. I'm simply letting you know your options," Bastion said, his tone gentle as he prepared to explain in detail. "You see, the most important aspect of classes isn't the consistency of titles like Archer, Knight, or Mage, it's the abilities they grant. For example, as a Knight, I'm expected by my party to tank and take the brunt of the damage. That requires very high health, stamina, and mana regeneration. I have to sacrifice other aspects of combat to prioritize survival, because when I die, my party dies with me."
"I'm a Mage," Seraphina added. "Beyond having a production class to bring in money for the party, I'm also a damage dealer who relies on my teammates' support. That requires me to fight unhindered in order to deal the maximum damage possible. My classes, therefore, must always prioritize mana regeneration."
"I'm a Wizard," Lilia continued. "In addition to serving as an enchanter to help Bastion produce products for sale, I'm also a supporter who ensures my teammates can fight at their best while our enemies are hindered. With me around, my teammates don't have to worry about healing or coordinated enemy strikes. I can cover the field in mist, trap foes in ice, or slow them with frost. Like Seraphina, my classes require high mana regeneration."
"I'm an Assassin," Elyra said. "Besides being Master's shadow, I'm a duelist tasked with taking out the most dangerous enemies alone. That means my abilities must focus on stealth."
"Once we put all of our abilities together, we are able to take on enemies far greater than the sum of our individual capabilities. That's the advantage of hyperfocusing on a specific aspect of our potential. If you want to join us, you'll need to do the same to maximize our effectiveness as a team," Bastion concluded. "Take some time to consider what kind of combatant you want to become and which classes will best enhance our group's strengths. Of course, if you prefer to be a solo archer, you are completely free to do so."
"Is… is there a way to become both?" Ariel asked naively.
"Jack of all trades?" Seraphina asked.
"Master of none, though," Lilia answered.
"Would you mind sharing your status with us?" Bastion asked. "It would help us give you advice on which aspect to focus on."
"Alright. Status."
[Name]: Ariel
[Age]: 36
[Class]: Archer (Apprentice Rank)
[Ability]: Eagle Eyes
[Rank]: Apprentice Rank
[Level]: 45
[Health]: 60/60
[Mana]: 40/40
[Strength]: 75
[Dexterity]: 80
[Vitality]: 60
[Intelligence]: 40
[Wisdom]: 40
[Charm]: 50
[Status Points]: 0
[Arts]: Bow 3
[Skills:]: Take Aim 1, Strafing Run 1, Dodge 1, Dash 1, Jump 1
[Skill Points]: 20
Eagle Eyes enhanced her eyesight, allowing her to see far. Take Aim allowed her next shot to have greater accuracy than she was currently capable of. Strafing Run allowed her to shoot with the stability of standing while running.
Her stats were as strong as Elyra's as a subspecies of Hawkmen, which was great, but there was something missing that revealed a glaring weakness.
"You don't have Wind Magic?" Lilia asked, shocked.
"No…" Ariel said dejectedly.
Hawkmen were capable of flight not because they had wings, but because their Wind Magic allowed them to fly. Their wings only allowed them to steer with greater ease without using mana. This was the greatest advantage of demi-humans in general, allowing them to innately have magic and to grow as sorcerers.
Elyra, as a Shadow Wolfkin, for instance, has Dark Magic with a focus on shadows. Emberlyn, the Lizardwoman under Cyrus, has Fire Magic that allows her to breathe fire. And Dwarves, in general, have an innate talent for smithing because of their Earth Magic.
Without Wind Magic, Ariel's wings were nothing more than decoration.
"Is this why you're in such a hurry to reach Rank 1 and even defy your father once you were capable enough?" Seraphina asked softly.
"Yes," Ariel admitted, tears forming in her eyes.
"Aww, you poor thing. Come here," Seraphina said, rushing to her and giving her a comforting hug. "It's okay. It's not a problem at all. We don't mind, do we, guys?"
"Nope," Bastion replied instantly.
"No," Lilia agreed.
"See? No problem at all. I'm sure you'll be able to fly once you reach Rank 1. It'll only take a few days at most."
"I still don't think it's a good idea to rush," Bastion interjected. "It's better to focus on her classes moving forward rather than prioritizing Wind Magic. That will come with time, but her foundation needs to be stable to allow her to attain greater classes in the future."
"What—sniff—what do you recommend?" Ariel asked, trying to keep herself together.
"Focus on your senses, with a bit of stealth," Bastion recommended.
"So, a scout?" Lilia asked. "I thought we already had Elyra for that."
"Elyra is an infiltrator, a specialized scout who focuses on gathering information from the shadows. Her problem is that she doesn't work well as a sentry. If we had a better early warning system than my Whispering Owl, Zephy, we would sleep better at night. Not to mention, with a scout who can more easily map terrain, we wouldn't get lost while traveling. Additionally, Ariel would personally benefit as a solo scout, since it would guarantee she never runs into an ambush. Her sustainability would suffer as a result, but as long as she has a perfect grasp of her environment and enemies, she could immediately tell whether to run or fight."
"What's the stealth for?" Seraphina asked. "Wouldn't a pure scout be better?"
"If her presence is naturally low, she could safely scout from anywhere. As long as she isn't up against an opponent with superior scouting abilities, she can fully grasp her surroundings without revealing herself accidentally. Besides, if she were invisible while flying, wouldn't that be better than standing out like a sore thumb?"
"Would I become weaker in combat?" she asked.
"Not necessarily. Your combat ability would primarily rely on your weapons rather than your abilities. How were the guns?"
"They were powerful. I never thought it was possible to kill so many enemies who were significantly stronger than me. I didn't even have to do much."
"You didn't run out of mana or stamina?"
"My stamina lowered because we had to run through the dungeon, but it doesn't drain much while aiming and firing."
"There you go. As long as you have my weapons, you can focus on being a full scout. You're already on the right path with Eagle Eyes, so you just need to build your senses moving forward."
"What if I choose to leave? Will you take these weapons from me?"
"It's not that we'll take them, Ariel," Seraphina answered. "You'll just run out of bullets."
"Bullets?"
"Arrows for the weapons. Each time you shoot, you're consuming ammunition that needs to be made and loaded into the weapon. Your hand cannons probably have a few thousand left, while your autocannon should still be good, judging by your level."
"So, if I leave, I'll have to return to using the bow and arrow?" Ariel asked.
"Yes," Bastion answered. "As a scout, your leveling speed would decrease, but you'd only need to pick off the strong ones before retreating to safety. Ambushing and kiting are solid strategies for solo combatants, so you'll likely be fine."
"Since it allows me to do both, I'll follow your advice, Your Grace. I'd like to focus on scouting and enhancing my senses in the future."
"Good. Now that you've decided your path, all you need is proper training, and you'll be set."
"Training?"
"Stealth and scout training," Elyra replied. "I'll handle it, Master."
"Thank you, Eli."
"My pleasure."
"Um… what's happening?" Ariel asked.
"You're going to be trained to maximize the use of your eyesight," Seraphina explained. "You need to learn to focus on multiple things at once when taking in the surroundings. Without that training, you'll still be blind no matter how sharp your vision is."
"What about my levels?"
"Reaching Rank 1 is no longer the priority," Bastion answered. "Your new focus is securing a good class once you get there. With high levels in Stealth Arts and Scouting Arts, you'll hopefully qualify for a class that enhances your senses when you rank up."
Ariel didn't like that option. It meant she wouldn't be gaining Wind Magic any time soon. Still, she would have to endure it if she wanted to become powerful and useful in the future. Either way, she just had to grit her teeth and try her best. Surely, it was better than being stuck in a room, made to paint, dance, or practice etiquette.
It couldn't be that bad… right?
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath