13 – Reality Check.

I looked down and, lo and behold, a little catgirl was staring at me, the army of kids gathering behind her. A few adults looking over at us. The sight was slightly uncanny. Her ears were on top of her head and her short hair revealing the empty sides of her head. She had feline eyes like amber and a cute little tail poking from under her skirt.

[Shishi Tigea Child, Lvl 8]

[Urkila Tigea Child, Lvl 5]

[Faeton Elf Child, Lvl 8]

[Domi Elf Child, Lvl 6]

[Lupum Child, Lvl 7]

No race? The other children were mostly the same level, all above five, but under ten.

The Lupum all had snow white hair, same as their skin, and violet eyes. Tall ears shifting every few seconds.

“Hello, there.” I said back.

I guess at that age, if you see long hair you’ll immediately think of a woman.

“What are you?” she spat at me with the ruthlessness of an innocent child.

“If it’s not too much to ask?” a middle aged woman asked me. She was standing behind the army of kids and smiling. A silky green dress with a blue apron on top covered her body. Brownish hair in a side ponytail.

[Tilen Human, Lvl 241 Paladin]

HOLY SHIT! I get protection of children is top priority, but damn!

The other adults had the same class and clothes. All above two hundred.

“No problem at all.” I nodded.

I chuckled while dismounting and squatted down, looking at the kids.

“I’m a Halve, we glow with the suns.” I took out a gauntlet and the leather one beneath, showing her my golden skin.

She did not hesitate to take my hand, her smaller one grabbing it with furry, chubby little fingers.

“Whoaa!” the kids behind opened their eyes wide.

“Can I see your face?” she smiled while playing with my fingers.

My helmet disappeared and we stared at each other for a few seconds.

“You have weird eyes, lady. Get a healer to check on you.” a boy said.

I giggled and he blushed.

“She’s so pretty!” another girl said. “You know nothing, Gil!”

“Are you strong?” a girl asked.

“What is the beast you’re riding?” another asked.

“What’s your name?” “How old are you?” “Can I play with your hair?” “Can I climb on your mount?” “Do you want to play with us?” “Give me your lunch money!”

They bombarded me with questions. I laughed and answered one by one.

“My name is Natasha. I am very young and strong. Yes, you can play with my hair. She’s a Ratnak, and no, I don’t want you to get hurt. What do you want to play? I won’t give you money.” I relaxed and sat on the ground, Sonya imitating me.

An older girl and two boys sat behind me and undid my braid. The rest in front of me.

“Let’s play Sword, Shield, and E’er!” the girl that called to me said. Apparently she was the leader, the rest of the kids nodding.

“I don’t know the rules, can you explain them to me?” I smiled at her.

“Are you stupid? Everyone know how to play!” I received a burn right away.

“Don’t be rude! I’ll tell your mamma.” another kid stood up for me.

“Sword beats E’er, E’er beats Shield, and Shield beats Sword.” the leader explained, making gestures with her hands.

So rock, paper, scissors? I nodded.

“Got it.” I said and we started playing.

The kids were pretty strong. Some cheated and got called out, losing by default.

I refrained from abusing my high dexterity and, after hard battles, reached the finals against the leader.

She smirked as she raised her hand. “I’ve never lost.” she warned me. “You are pretty fast, but not enough to beat me!”

“We’ll see about that.” I raised my hand.

“You have to win, Pola!” “Avenge us, leader!” “Ah, she’s gonna lose.” “If you win, I’ll give you my toy sword!” “Beat her, teach her not to mess with us kids!” “I’ll take her lunch money!” “I’ll give her to my mamma!” “If you win, I’ll be your wife!”

I heard some concerning things, but chose to ignore them.

Pola was focused on me, not breaking eye contact.

“Go, go, Sword, E’er, Shield!” they chanted and we both moved.

The world slowed in front of me to a crawl, her hand slowly stretching two fingers.

Sword! Do I lose or do I win? I contemplated.

I chose to loose. Being a kid was all about having fun anyway.

My hand took the gesture for E’er, stretching my index and pinkie.

“Gaah!” I grabbed my chest and writhed in mock pain. “You beat me!”

""""""WOOOOAAAHH!!!""""""

The kids exploded in cheers. Pola stood up and fell back, the horde of children received her and lifted her above their heads. She looked down on me with a cheeky smile and wide open arms.

“Leader is the strongest!” “I’ll be your wife, Pola!” “Take her lunch money!” “I’ll give you my toy sword later!”

They circled around me, laughing and cheering. The kids behind me had finished playing with my hair and giggled at the girl’s victory.

I noticed the adults a few meters away from us smiling and giving me a thumbs up. Probably their caretakers.

I nodded to them and stood up.

“Had your fun?” Lapia’s voice made me turn.

Next to her, Alyssa was holding back laughter, covering her mouth and shaking.

“Yeah, was pretty fun.” I smiled and walked to them.

“Kids! Play time is over. Thank you, Your Excellency!” a handsome man called and smiled at me. I waved at him.

The children whined and protested but followed the man down the street, still carrying Pola.

"How did it go with the Me'ik?" Lapia asked.

"Pretty good, Sonya leveled up quite a bit." I patted her flank. "Weird animals."

"They move in large herds and are incredibly aggressive. They send their weak to scout ahead. If they die, they let the herd know. The stampede usually tramples everything in their path." Alyssa explained.

"Pretty much what happened." I sighed. "I didn't gain a single level."

"You need more than a herd of Me'ik to level up." the Luzo giggled. "They're around level two hundred to five hundred, that's nothing for you."

I hummed. "I see. Anyway, I met an interesting woman earlier.” I said as we walked towards the parking lot space.

“I heard.” Lapia nodded. “Yolanda, the accountant, told me when we left.”

“Who was she?” Alyssa asked.

“Tay, an alchemist. Said she worked for Lady Dabark, or something.” we got to the parking area and Sonya stood in front of Lapia.

“She’s huge.” she said, apprehension in her voice.

“I got you.” Alyssa patted her back.

A bright, white halo floated above the Elf’s head. They locked eyes and the Ratnak reared her head back.

Lapia almost closed her eyes, balling her hands.

The impact was softer than the previous two. Sonya reeling back nonetheless, quickly nodding her head. I laughed and rubbed the massive head.

“Good girl!” her eyes looked into mine and gave a short growl. She laid down and drank from the water through.

“Lady Dabrak. What did she want?” the Elf asked as she rubbed her forehead.

“She wants to meet me.” I took the saddle off and stored it. “Let’s go inside.”

I changed clothes to my blouse, skirt, and leather boots. Running a hand through my hair, I undid the poorly done braids the kids made.

“Mhm. That sounds like something she would do.” Lapia sighed.

“That woman is so troublesome.” Alyssa shook her head.

“You know her?” I looked at them.

That was a surprise.

“Only heard of her.” the Luzo said as I opened the door and held it for them. “Thank you.”

“Met her because of work.” the Elf scowled. “She's a woman of tradition, set in the old ways.”

We walked to the stairs and I noticed the first floor almost empty. Three merchants behind desks the only people.

What time is it? I looked at the wall and squinted at the clock. One?

“Why would she want to meet me, then?” I positioned myself behind Lapia as we went up the stairs. Her butt jiggling with the sway of her hips.

“I can think of a few reasons.” she chuckled. “Most likely, she just wants to chat. Welcome you to the city and all that. She’s a pain to deal with, but she’s not unreasonable.”

“What was your answer?” Alyssa asked, staring at Lapia’s behind as well.

“I told her to tell her employer to drop by tonight.” I shrugged.

“Haha!” the Elf’s laugh echoed. “How did she react?”

“Oddly relieved, for some reason.” I answered.

“I can imagine.” Alyssa took my hand.

We reached the tenth floor after speculating about the Noble’s intentions.

“We’ll see tonight.” Lapia opened the door to her office. “We have lessons to worry about.”

Here we go.

We entered the apartment and walked over to the table. Lapia sat down with Alyssa next to her.

“Take a seat, Your Excellency.” the Elf motioned for me to sit in front of them.

“Why, thank you.” I sat down.

She summoned a few linen bags and placed them on the table. Polupis, peaches, and a wide assortment of other fruits I didn’t know.

“We should snack while we talk.” she pushed the cherry tomatoes in my direction.

I took them and ate one. Delicious. I took out some dumplings.

“Alright. Where do we start?” I asked.

I rested my elbows on the table, supporting my chin.

“Okay, first.” Lapia extended a hand, a spark flying off. “Let’s start with the basics. Sensing E’er.”

“Okay. How do I do that?” I winced.

“You already do, you just have to actively become aware of it.” Alyssa comforted me.

“You are a Halve, so the process is different.” Lapia thought for a second. “Yeah, he did say it like that.” she muttered to herself. “When you first woke up, did you sense something other than with your five senses?” she asked me.

I racked my brain, trying to remember.

The smell of the forest, the sight of the trees, the temperature, the sounds, the clean taste of the air. I tilted my head. And something clean, other than the air.

“I felt something clean, like a smell, but different. It wasn’t water.” I said after remembering.

“Alright. That right there is E’er. It can be something like a smell, or a taste, of outstanding cleanliness. Almost of nothingness.” she smiled.

“Yeah, like that.” I nodded. It fit the description.

“Now try and feel it again. From around. Become one with it.” Alyssa said.

I closed my eyes and focused. Darkness welcomed me. I took a deep breath, then let it out.

Cleanliness, I remember the smell. Come to Mommy. I continued taking deep breaths. Zoning out the world in my focus.

I remembered anger management. I am in control. The body is a vessel. I let the air in my lungs leave and my senses numbed.

‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.’

I thought back on what my counselor had said. The man taught me yoga and how to clear anger off my mind.

‘Unless you realize who you truly are, it won’t matter what you do.’

I am a Halve. A being born of the energy of this world.

I am a warrior, a protector. I will fight to my last breath.

I am E’er, E’er is within me. E’er is nothingness. I am nothingness. Formless.

I felt a lid open inside me. A soft and gentle warmth spread from my skin into my core.

I opened my eyes and the smell of something very clean tickled my nose.

“That was easier than I thought.” I tilted my head.

“You did it.” Alyssa’s deep voice reached me. The sound rich and gentle.

“Being of E’er, I tell you.” Lapia’s silky voice tickled my ears. “Well done.”

I smiled.

“Do you see now that it all comes from within?” Alyssa asked, a gentle smile on her face.

I nodded. “It does.”

“Now, absorb E’er.” Lapia continued the lesson. “Pull it inside you.”

I did as told and it surprisingly came easy. I breathed in slowly, the energy around seeping into me. Nothing changed, I noticed.

“Every time you kill something, the E’er within their bodies will be released, you have to absorb it in order to grow in power.” Lapia explained. “I’m researching this very phenomena.”

“Have people not explored it?” I asked after calming a weird feeling. It was strangely personal.

“They have, but not in the way I am doing it.” she smirked. “Now that you have sensed and absorbed E’er, you will slowly understand the mechanics behind it.”

“With that understanding, you might see what you want to become.” Alyssa said.

“Is that how it went with you?” I looked a them.

Both nodded. I ate another polupis.

“Now that you have done the basics, we can go deeper.” Lapia smiled. “I said before that E’er is a particle. Before that, however, I have to explain a little. Natasha, the world is made up of very small things.” she explained slowly.

“Atoms?” I interrupted her, raising an eyebrow.

Her eyes widened a little, then relaxed into a satisfied smile.

“Well, that saves us a lot of time.” she served juice in glasses and took a sip from one. “E’er is smaller than an atom. Subatomic particles are the size of a planet in comparison. When we absorb it, untold amounts of E’er merge with us, becoming our source of might. Our ‘wisdom’ represent the amount of E’er at our disposal times twenty, but it’s not the exact amount of particles. One 'point' of E’er is actually around a cubic meter in size in its free state. E’er compresses within us. When we spend it, it expands and we transform it with the knowledge we possess. I studied Pyromancy and its thermal laws of E’er transformation. I can control a flame’s temperature, size, lifespan, and more.” she took another sip.

“To study Pyromancy, a person must first learn to detach expelled E’er from their body. Otherwise they’d burn to ashes with the first spell cast. Most Wizard classes do the same. Warriors, however, don’t do that. The Way of the Warrior works in a completely different manner. E’er within you is not expelled, but directed to your body.”

She took a bite of a small apple-looking fruit. I did too, it was sweet but felt sandy.

“However, The Rhak’Math View is the basis for all skills that have Aura effects. A lot of classes benefit from it. It is a very ancient method that influences living beings in various ways. Do you have any?” her eyes sparkled.

“Uh… yeah.” my voice barely came out. “I have Initiation, Prevention, and Monster Hunter.” I said after checking my skills.

“Mhm. I haven’t heard of Monster Hunter.” she took another bite. “When you use an aura, it travels through the Bond. A Warrior bolsters their allies this way. Warcries are a different beast. You empower your vocal cords with E’er and it travels along with your voice. Do you have any?” I nodded. “The sound wave enters the target’s thorax and shakes their core, disrupting their internal flow of Life Energy. The other way is to shake their brains through the ear canal. Then, a wide field surrounds you, keeping the effect active.”

“Okay.” I nodded. I understood things so far.

“So, how does one learn a skill with an Aura effect?” she asked, I shrugged. “You first give E’er purpose, and then ‘link’ transformed E’er through the Bond. When we give E’er purpose, we can bring about a variety of effects. I learned a skill called ‘Solar Epitaph’, it has an Aura effect. I can summon a miniature sun that bolsters allies and inflicts enemies with different effects.”

“You know that one?” Alyssa sounded impressed. “As expected of a master Wizard.”

“Thank you.” she took her hand and locked fingers, then turned back to me. “Do you understand so far?”

“Yeah. Kind of.” I scratched my jaw.

“Warriors don’t deal with concrete Laws like Wizards or Clerics.” Alyssa said while playing with Lapia’s fingers. “Your skills are mostly effects that influence your own bodies, knowledge of combat techniques, Auras, and Warcries.”

“What about the Laws of Life?” I looked at the Luzo with a drop of hope.

“Hmm.” she tapped her chin, her claws scratching softly. “Once we are transformed by E’er, it’s not E’er anymore. We call it Life Energy. We clerics study how to sense it and then manipulate it. Healing is just the tip of the dungeon.” she nodded.

“Huh. That’s easy to understand.” I nodded. “So, outer energies.” I pointed at Lapia, she nodded. “And inner energies.” I pointed at Alyssa, she nodded as well.

“That’s an extremely simple way to put it, but yeah.” the Elf chuckled.

“First time hearing it like that.” Alyssa smiled.

There we go. Oversimplifying things is useful sometimes. I smiled. Can’t be harder to understand than E’er.

“What was that halo that was floating over Lapia’s head earlier?” I asked, confident in being able to understand.

“That’s True Significance, it’s a buff with a variable duration based on the E’er I spend and the Level of the user. It’s a pulse of Life Energy targeting the various systems within a person. It increases their overall vigor using the body’s maximum limit of strain as reference.” she said as if she was talking about the weather.

Eh? Pardon?

“Joy’s Law?” Lapia was impressed and turned to Alyssa. “I knew you were a high profile Cleric, but didn’t think it was to that extent.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” I raised a hand. “Why not just say it increases toughness?”

They both turned to me with expressions as if I grew legs instead of eyes.

“That’s not what it does.” Alyssa giggled. “It increases all your stats, not your defenses alone.”

“Okay. So, how did you learn that?” I tentatively asked.

“First, I studied the anatomy of all sapient species, except Halves, and Gods. Their inner energy circulation system, the maximum levels of strain before they suffer injury, and how every system works in harmony with one another. Then, the proper formula to transform E’er into manipulable Life Energy required to bring the effect to action.” she slowly said.

“Holy shit!” my voice came out louder than I intended. “I just swing a stick around…”

“Don’t put yourself down.” Lapia shook her head. “Sure, you didn’t learn The Rhak’Math View from scratch, but you still know it.”

My shoulders slumped. “I must look like an idiot to you two.”

“Not at all.” Alyssa said with a gentle tone. “The process of learning things is essential, sure. But understanding your skills is equally, if not more important in the end.”

“Did you go to University, too?” I received a hard reality check.

Magic sounds like quantum physics. And to be a Cleric you need to study so much anatomy... Fuck yourself, E’er!

“No, I studied at the Church in a country close to where I grew up.” she smiled. “I spent thirty five years studying and got my first class. I wanted to be more than just a Priestess.”

“That sounds reasonable.” I sighed. “Where did you grow up?”

I need a break already!

Lapia smiled and nodded, relaxing and eating more fruit.

“I come from a country to the south. O’lu Keer Ren is the name in Dragon Tongue, roughly meaning ‘Where our Scales Rest’. A chain of volcanoes surround the land.” she smiled as I took her free hand, running my fingers on her scales. “A council formed by each clan head serves as government. An ancient Storm Dragon sleeps in the biggest volcano, so we’ve enjoyed relative peace with neighboring countries.” she sighed. “Monsters don’t care about that, however, so invasions are a common occurrence at the borders.”

“That’s amazing.” I sighed with wonder. “I’d love to go there some day.”

“We just may.” she locked her fingers with mine.

“How about you?” I looked at Lapia.

“The Queendom of Maaruhk is a small coastal country to the far east. Sea focused businesses feed the economy. The borders touch with four neighboring countries, with which amiable relations date back thousands of years.” I took her free hand and locked fingers too. “I grew up in a high class home in the port city of Pomkh. One brother and a pair of twin sisters. I left after earning my first degree, becoming independent quickly after.”

“Nice. I’d love to eat some seafood there.” I turned back to Alyssa. “How about your family?”

“It’s massive.” she smiled. “Around sixty thousand Luzo.”

“What?” my voice came out a whisper.

“We’re evenly distributed between aristi, females, and males. My great grandparents are still producing offspring, after all.” she giggled. “There are three hundred clans, so around twenty million Luzo in total. They’re pretty strict with outsiders. Only Krystaali Luzo and demi live there.”

“That’s a lot.” I sighed. “I’m glad I met you two.”

I felt a warm feeling spreading in my chest.

“Now, about the rest of the stats.” Lapia announced. “Strength is the potential energy your muscles can put out, and is strictly related to constitution. You cannot hit harder than what your body can handle. Every class that increases strength also increases constitution, at at least half the rate.”

I took a glass and enjoyed the blue apple-like juice as it went down my throat.

“Conversely, classes that increase constitution also contribute to strength. If your body is resilient, it stands to reason that your muscles would be powerful to some extent. Dexterity increases both reflexes and fine motor skills, such as drawing, sewing, aiming, etc. Intelligence influences how powerful your spells are, I will explain why later.” she produced a thin textbook and opened it, letting go of my hand.

Alyssa stood up and walked to the living room, where she laid down on a sofa.

Et tu, Alyssa?!

“All the base classes have three stats they focus on. You cannot be a jack of all trades, it would be absolutely useless.” she continued. “These stats can vary depending of the specific class an individual pursues, but generally follow these standards.”

Alright, so far sounds pretty RPG to me.

“To become one of these classes, you follow each of their paths. Laws of E’er for wizards, Laws of Life for clerics, Way of the Warrior for warriors, Path of Cunning for scouts, the Endless Trail for archers, the Way of the Trade for merchants, the Eloquent Whisper for performers, and the Code of Makers for craftsmen.” she flipped a page. “Do you understand so far?”

I nodded. Sounds pretty simple.

“Now, to acquire skills, you need to ‘merge’ knowledge with the E’er within you. This is done by meditation. Your subconscious takes this knowledge and burns it into your unconscious’ dormant memory, which allows for casting spells or using skills without the need to read the formula every time you do. You still need to fully understand it, however. This is what I meant when I told you about the limited amount of skills an individual can integrate. As our lovely Alyssa explained, E’er transforms into Life Energy inside us. This energy grows as we level up, expanding said dormant memory, thus allowing us to integrate more skills.” she looked up at me. “With me?”

My eyes were wide open. Why did it suddenly turn into some Freudian bullshit?

"Wait... so you transform Life Energy back into E'er when using it?" I tilted my head.

"No, no. That is only the E'er that change our bodies. The E'er at your disposal stays E'er."

“How did people come to know about this meditation stuff?” I asked. There was something incredibly uncanny when hearing about tampering with the unconscious.

“Studying the mind.” she answered. “Natasha, people have varying degrees of awareness. You have the subconscious, the unconscious, and the conscious. Once we integrate our first skill, these open and we can influence what our minds can register as a skill.” she put the textbook down. “Do you have any questions?”

I was beginning to feel palpitations. This talk was way above my head. A knot formed on my throat and my chest felt like it was going to implode.

“Give me a minute, please.” I closed my eyes and rested my head on my hands.

I took a deep breath, calming down. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears.

What the fuck is this quantum-pshycology world?

Then, I remembered something. I read my information and did the insightful exercise or peering within me. There, for the third time, I felt the weird knowledge of skills and my storage.

“HAHAHA!” I laughed loudly and shot my head up. “I got it! I’m not that stupid, after all!”

Lapia jerked in surprise. “What happened?” her face was full of worry.

“Nothing.” I whispered, rubbing my eyes and relaxing. “I just got super frustrated. I wasn’t understanding anything, and felt really dumb. Then, I remembered I had already seen the skills in my mind. Or something like that. I’m sorry, Lapia.”

“It’s alright, sunshine.” her voice was gentle. “If there’s something you don’t understand, just tell me. We can go over it however many times you need.”

I looked into her emerald green eyes.

An Elf is teaching me magic, or something like that. I giggled. This is so surreal.

“I’m okay. Let’s continue.” I held her hand.

She smiled and returned her attention to the textbook.

“Intelligence helps turn the formulas in our minds into reality. The higher the intelligence, the faster and stronger. For example. I can produce fire up to one thousand degrees.” she stopped for a second. “Water freezes at zero degrees and boils at one hundred when at sea level. This measurement is called Yiama’s degree and is accompanied by a Y next to it.”

Okay, Celsius. Thank the above. I sighed with a nod.

“The higher my intelligence, the higher the temperature of my flames. A Shade Adept would have the density of the shadows they manipulate increase. Weight for Geomancers, water pressure for Water Weavers, etc. The progression is linear.” she ate a polupi I offered.

“For everyone else, Intelligence influences the speed of skill activation, becoming instant at five hundred.” she closed the textbook. “That would be it for the five stats.” she smiled. “Now onto monsters, creatures, animals, and relative power.”

Another textbook materialized. “Just like people, they level up. Their power is linear, since they don’t possess classes. They grow at the same rate as us, ten ‘status points’ per level.” she did air quotes. “This means that a level one hundred person is equally as powerful as a level one hundred creature. In different measures, of course. A Me’ik is stronger than me by a long shot, for example. However, I can kill a Me’ik before it reaches me, being a wizard. I would be trampled to death by a herd, though.” she chuckled.

“Your should face enemies around your total level to grow in power at a reasonable speed. Hence why you didn’t level up, you are way above.” she smiled. “With me so far?”

“Yes, this is much simpler.” I smiled back.

“The difference between a beast and a monster is their use of E’er. A monster uses E’er, a beast doesn’t. Simple as that. Sonya is considered an E'eral Beast because she has been domesticated.” she closed the textbook and produced another.

“Onto people.” she sighed. “There are many sapient species in the world. The latest being the Lupum. There are five types of species, as stated by Danuva. Short, those who live under five hundred years. Medium, those who live under two thousand years. Long, those who live under five thousand years. Eternal, only one species fits here. You Halves. Up to ten thousand years. Then, Immortals. Divines. They can be slain, however, entering a cycle or reincarnation. Gods are Divines, but not all Divines are Gods. In order for a Divine to become a God, they must teach the sentient species something of irreplaceable value. For example. Yiama became a God when she taught the first tribes the ‘miracle’ of the flame.” she cringed.

I chuckled. “You really don’t like her, do you?”

“I mean… Pyromancy?” she sighed. “Why not Flame Master or Fire Weaver... I would even accept Temperature Controller.” a defeated chuckle left her.

“No way. That sounds worse.” I shook my head. “Pyromancy sounds cool.”

She sighed. “Anyway. The older a species, the longer their lifespan. This also lowers the fertility. Evolution is attempting to imitate Halves.” she looked me directly in the eye.

“Yes.” I nodded. “My species information says that. ‘You are the existence evolution strives to achieve.’ it says.” I read it.

She nodded with a smile.

“Anyway, back to the people.” She leaned back.

She then proceeded to list every single species in Galeia. I almost fell asleep.

Lamia, Harpies, Centaurs, Minotaurs, Merfolk, Dryads, Nymphs, Oni, and much more. The wild ones were too many to mention, and I heard some concerning things like undead and cursed ones.

I learned demi, the offspring between different species, could not reproduce among themselves. If they wanted to have children, they’d have to copulate with an individual from one of the parent species.

I was too embarrassed to ask about my possible future child with Alyssa, me being a Halve, and her species consisting of three genders. Some other time, perhaps. I had yet to fully contemplate on the fact I would eventually become something like a father if time and circumstance allowed it. I was born, raised, and died a woman. I still thought of myself as a woman. My mental gymnastics were not that advanced, yet.

I quickly arrived to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to be casting magic any time soon. Lapia wrote a few equations showing me the basics of E’er manipulation. I felt my soul escape my mouth when she drew a circle with numbers. The entire sheet of paper she was using ended up covered in numbers, symbols and more. What looked like a diagram straight out of the Akashic records was surrounded by smaller pentagrams. Instead of lines, however, numbers and letters formed the shape.

“This is the Pyro formula for the spell I told you a while ago.” the light of the suns descending in the sky painted the apartment with a warm orange color. The light entering through a window in Lapia’s room. “The formula at the center is what I use to summon the orb of fire and keep it going. The one above is what transforms E’er into beneficial effects.” she pointed at the top of the page. “The one below is what makes it damage and influence enemies.” the bottom was equally as confusing for me.

It looked like a Mandala. It was symmetric and her handwriting was surprisingly legible. I read ‘Pyro’ at least twenty times in the drawing-looking formula.

“...It’s really pretty.” was all I could say. I understood none of it.

I picked up another sheet of paper. A much simpler formula written on it. It still looked insane, however. Symbols I had never seen before followed by letters and numbers encircled in what looked like a square root. Instead of a ‘v’, it had an ‘e’.

This woman could easily solve Earth’s Mathematical Dilemmas in her sleep. I looked at Lapia with admiration.

“You two must be incredibly smart.” I put the paper down with a sigh. “This is not for me.”

“Don’t do that, Natasha.” the Elf chastised me. “This is only the first day.”

“It takes a long time.” Alyssa said from the living room.

The Luzo had taken a nap when Lapia went N*il deGr*sse Tys*n on my ass. Now lazying on a couch, she was reading the book I gave her.

“Anyway, that was just to show you how linear the progression of studying E’er is.” Lapia took the papers and stored them. “If you want a Wizard class, you have to prepare yourself to understand formulas similar to these.”

“Couldn’t I just cast spells using a Power Tongue?” I leaned on the table.

“Those only command E’er, they don’t transform it in any way.” she thought for a second. “When you speak Infernal, for example, E’er vibrates. You could use that to disturb spells, barriers, wards, and more. I don’t know a thing about Infernal, however. That’s just my assumption. Also, as I said earlier, you can’t cast a spell if you don’t understand the mechanics behind it.”

“Hmm… I see.” I stretched. “This is way harder than I thought.”

“That’s good, in a way. It discourages those who want power for the sake of power. There is no easy way.” she chuckled. “You should also start thinking of what class you want next. You’re level four hundred and fifty on three classes.”

“Another Warrior class, I don’t think I can handle E’er.” I whined. “Maybe related to spears, too.”

“How about the Halve specific classes?” Alyssa commented from the living room.

I whipped my head around. “What?”

“Right!” the Elf’s voice was loud. “I forgot about those.”

“There have been Halves who founded new classes.” Alyssa explained. “As beings born of E’er you influence it the most, so it behaves differently in that particular case. The Shorvanna Records mention them a few times.” she stood up and walked over to the table, sitting down. “It’s mentioned that they were all above level one thousand five hundred in total. There are classes that require a base level of power to acquire. I first got Arch Bishop. Then, when I got to level one hundred I went for Cardinal. You can’t be a Cardinal before that. Some classes function that way, their skills too powerful to handle at lower levels. I believe those classes work like that.”

“And these classes, what are they?” my heart was beating fast.

“Nobody really knows, unfortunately.” she gave me an apologetic smile. “Shorvanna described them as incredibly powerful.”

“Who’s Shorvanna?” I tilted my head.

“A Goddess.” the Elf replied. “She taught the first tribes the Way of the Warrior.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “Is there a spear oriented one?” I asked, my fingers itching with the idea of a class specific for my species.

“You may be it.” Alyssa smirked. “The Shorvanna Records tell of shields and swords. None with spears.”

“How? Aren’t classes founded by groups of individuals sharing their knowledge?” I turned to Lapia.

“Well, a group of Halves gathered and founded new classes. Specific and attainable enough. For your species, at least.” the Elf smirked. “You may turn its skills into spear related ones, who knows.”

“Okay, that sounds good.” I smiled. “How do I get them?”

They both shrugged.

“You’d have to meet Shorvanna.” the Luzo took my hand to her cheek and closed her eyes. “You have to reach five hundred in your classes first. Unless you jump into a nest of Blood Fiends, it’ll take a while.” she smiled.

“Right…” I nodded. “How about you? What class are you going for?”

“That’ll be a surprise.” the Elf said, Alyssa giggled.

I smiled at them and relaxed on the table. Blood Fiends? Nest? Like a dungeon?

“You’ve mentioned dungeons before. What are those?” I took a cherry tomato, and ate it!

“Hmm… Think of one hundred Riverfields on top of each other, going down.” Alyssa said as if she was talking about a vacation spot. “Filled with monsters, dangerous environments, and the occasional group of criminals. There are usually a couple monsters stronger than the rest guarding each floor.”

“That’s massive. How have monsters not just gone outside and fuck shit up?” I wondered.

“Various factors.” the Luzo raised a clawed finger. “E’er density, monsters are stronger the deeper the dungeon goes, so leaving would be like starving for most of them.” another finger went up. “People enter and kill them for various personal benefits.” she raised a third. “Dungeons hold many treasures. Resources, materials, monsters to tame, the list goes on. Plundering dungeons is very profitable for a nation.”

“And how long do people need to clear a dungeon?” I asked.

A few weeks? Months at best? I wondered.

“Years.” the Elf shattered my expectations. “Taking into account what you gave us, we could clear a dungeon in a few months. I have never entered one, though.” she turned to the more experienced woman.

“Four, five months tops.” Alyssa smiled. “Without you, Natasha. You alone could clear an entire floor in minutes. Perhaps even destroy the dungeon itself and make it collapse, killing everything inside in a matter of hours, including other people.”

It seems they're overestimating me. I thought back on the Me'ik, it took me quite a while to kill them all. Well... I didn't use my most powerful skills.

I scratched my forehead in confusion. “And the three of us going full power? With me attracting monsters and keeping them away from you?”

“Maybe a month.” she giggled at my confused face. “We need to sleep.”

Right. I have slept only once since I woke up.

“Makes sense.” I nodded. “And how profitable would it be in terms of levels and such?”

“Depends on the dungeon. The nearest ones are pretty mid tier, the strongest monster at level eight hundred.” she explained.

“Hmm…” I rubbed my chin. “They’d be pretty useful to you two.”

“Yes.” Lapia nodded. “I think we could get a third class if we go.”

“How come I haven’t seen anyone above two fifty?” I asked, remembering the last few days.

“Most people in Riverfield are young. While it takes time to grow in power, it’s also dangerous.” Alyssa said. “The best way is to get a solid group, and then take your time clearing dungeons or hunting monsters in the wild. Usually a tank or two, a wizard, a cleric, a scout, an archer, and a warrior. But you’re a Halve.” she gave me a smile.

“I see.” I nodded.

Yeah, it would be stupid to go unprepared.

“There seems to be a lot of leeway given to us Halves.” I commented.

“You’re born with incredible might. Add that to all the things in your storage. You have elixirs and equipment of the highest quality.” Lapia shrugged.

“Elixirs?” Alyssa perked up. “Can I see one?”

I summoned an Elixir of Rejuvenation and gave it to her.

Her eyes widened, then squinted.

“This is extremely potent.” she took the cork off and sniffed its contents. She put the cork back on and returned the thing. “But it can’t compare to me.” she gave me a wink.

I laughed and stored it.

“I bet.” Lapia said, standing up. “Bathroom break.”

“It got pretty late.” Alyssa looked at the clock. “It’s almost eight.”

“Sonya!” I stood up. “I’ll be right back.”

I gave the Luzo a wet, juicy kiss, and walked to the door leading to Lapia’s office.

Going down the stairs, I took the booklet and the feed.

Hmm… Sonya is twelve years old. Looks ancient, though.

I read the information and walked out of the building. Sonya was drinking water and turned to me when I approached.

“Hey, Sonya.” I rubbed her head. “Have you been a good girl?”

She nodded, her ice blue eyes locked with mine.

“You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?” I fed her and petted her red scales. “Such a good girl.”

She growled and licked my face, the smell of metal invading my nose.

I admired the fantasy creature for a while, her scales hard and cold.

Such an amazing thing. Even while talking to an Elf and a Luzo I tend to forget how fantastic this world truly is. Barely five days have passed. It feels like months. I chuckled.

“Hey, Sonya.” I grabbed her head and put my forehead against hers. “You’re amazing.”

She growled and laid down.

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning, we’ll go run to the east.” I turned and left, storing the feed and booklet.

As I walked back to the building, I noticed a really nice carriage parked at the front gate. It screamed high class. Two ostrich-like creatures pulling it, and a very well dressed lady holding the reins at the front.

[Tateli, Lvl 147]

[Tateli, Lvl 196]

The lady turned to me and gave me a nod. Her skin was white as processed paper. Her eyes a dull silver. She had long ears like Lapia, and hair darker than Alyssa’s scales done in a bun.

[Elmari Elf, Lvl 101 Stalker]

Ohh! A new one.

I nodded back and entered the building.

Going up the stairs, I whistled a tune and advanced with a light step as I cleaned my face with a towel. Reaching the top floor, I walked over to Lapia’s office and opened the door.

The office looked comfy. The light of the suns bathing it in warm light.

I walked to the door and knocked.

“Is anyone home? I’m selling a brand new product.” I called. “My company deals with high quality silk bed-sheets. We guarantee one hundred percent customer satisfaction.” I waited.

I heard footsteps and the door opened.

There, a man of color stood. Wavy brown hair to his shoulders. A suit hugged his body. Hazel eyes stared at me and slowly widened. He was handsome and well built.

[Amal Human, Lvl 192 Duelist]

Who? I tilted my head.