Chapter 1-17: Grinding for Karma? Not Really... (1/2)

He looked at me seriously, and then at my Darts... which had attracted a lot of interested attention from those around before I flicked them off. “<I’m not doubting you hit hard with those... what’s the damage rating?>”

“5d6+7 each, or 6d6+10 combined right now.” And maybe more in a few minutes, depending on what he decided.

“<Whoa! From a Cantrip?>” he exclaimed, definitely impressed. He looked like he was figuring something in his head, and slowly shook it. “<That’s really good, but it won’t work.>”

“Really? Why not?” I inquired calmly.

“<Well, that’s too low to kill a wraith, right? They average over 40 Health once they break the Barrier, which means you can’t one-shot them, and I’m gonna be pulling with a Sieged Shards, only doing 6 points, tops.>”

I eyed him, mentally cursing myself for overestimating his ability. I figured he’d be doing at least 20 on the Siege, using a Baned Staff, a Token, and the like... but he didn’t have any of that. He was probably just tossing out one or two Sieged Shards, getting a paltry +2 damage bonus tops, and each Shard would be doing exactly 2 damage.

“The shadows?” I asked archly.

“<Oh, those.>” His expression was both knowing and peculiar. “<You don’t know about the shadows around here, right?>”

“Nope,” I agreed, keeping his eyes. “Only saw them passing by, didn’t have to fight them.”

He nodded after a moment, seeing how serious I was, and remembering how I got here. “<Right, right. Well, the shadows here are tough. The Shroudlord is a Greater Shadow, we’ve heard tell, although he never comes out to be shot at. He’s buffed all his shadows up so they’re as hard to take down as a wraith! The Clerics say they’ve got maximum Health, and they get the Lord’s Shroud bonus everywhere under the Shroud, to boot! So they’re hitting nearly 50 Health if a lesser Boss is nearby giving ‘em flames, too!>”

Sylune, I’d need to spend a Valence to kill one of the bastards. I closed my eyes and pinched my nose, cursing to myself. I’d need two shots to kill them, maybe three. Shadows were slow and I could probably do that solo, but wraiths were not.

Well, I could spend Valences, pop some wraiths or spectres, and call it a night. Wow, wouldn’t that be quick. Four, five shots, and done?

That said, I was a One. That would be enough for another Level... even if I wasn’t guaranteed a Level already. It would feed Einz, too.

The people around were smirking that I’d made a newbie judgement, overestimating my own power, when I’d actually overestimated his. I knew precisely how strong I was not.

“Okay, I know what I have to do now.” Dammit, getting bumped again! I’d have to take Spellwarp Mastery/1, so I could turn my Darts into a spell with decent range. That way I could reach out and touch something outside the Barrier, and at least be able to provide some overwatch.

I couldn’t just start trying to kill the stuff solo. I didn’t have the range. What if I popped something, and it just flew off? It would be able to break the Barrier as it pleased, but that didn’t mean others would know it... so it could gang up with another one or two undead, come through in a cluster, and really send stuff pear-shaped somewhere else.

That kind of solo play would just get people killed, and they’d throw me over the side of the Wall if I did it.

A puller hopefully pulled their target in through the Barrier. Doing so instantly deprived the incorps of their Desecrated buff, and their bonus from the local Dark Minister, so instant -10 to -15 Health, and so easier to kill.

If the target didn’t come in, it still had to be killed, it was just harder to do so. You had extra shots ready for overkill just in case that happened.

Yeah, with two shots I could still kill one, but who says it would be in range for the second shot?

So annoying...

“<If you like, I can introduce you to the clan. You might be able to help out there...>” he offered uncertainly.

“They’re probably killing with mass Sieged Shards in Ritual, right?” He nodded after a moment. “I’ve had my magic for two days now. I don’t have reps in to Siege anything.”

Which meant... no sharing the Caster Level bonus for the Sieging and so short range. I could probably still match the damage, but they’d be using auto-hit Shards, and I’d be using a Ray, which could miss.

I’d just be on overwatch in case something was impolite enough not to die instantly.

“<Well, if you like, I can spend my Lightning Rays with you,>” he offered. “<I’ll get another one next level, but they should be strong enough to combine up?>”

Sure, with any kind of Foe Slayer bonus, he...

He was a Five. Next level?

“You’ve a Reserve?” I had to ask, guessing.

He was delighted I’d realized it. “<Lightning Reserve!>” he boasted proudly, and fired off a short, sharp discharge out over the area inside the Wall, making a few of the jumpier people look over sharply.

As if reacting to a provocation, Casters and shooters suddenly started shooting off multicolored lights and spheres, accented by windfire shafts. The gunmen simply watched the show with flat eyes, as the Casters and Archers warmed up and practiced their teamwork.

I glanced at his Reserve, and my eyes narrowed. “Helix, and I ask this with only the best of intentions, what is your other Valence III Spell Known?”

Something in my tone made his smile falter. “” he replied hesitantly.

I stared at him for a long moment, making him fidget. “You’re not an Elemental bloodline, you’re a Djinn-blood,” I told him. “And you picked a Fly spell at Five, right?”

“<Well, sure! Ever since I started practicing magic, I’ve wanted to fly! Of course I picked it at Five!>” He trailed off uncertainly. “” he had to ask.

“Because the Bloodline spell of a pure Air Elemental Bloodline at Valence III is Protection from Elemental Energy, like all Elemental Bloodlines. And you should know that you get your Bloodline spell as soon as you reach a new Valence... and you don’t even have Lightning Bolt, which I’m sure was going to be your next choice.” His mouth opened, closed, and he decided to look confused that I could read that his Reserve was only shooting at II, not the III it would if he had Lightning Bolt as a Spell Known.

“Helix, I’d like your permission to Deep Assay you.” He scrunched up his face in confusion. “It’s a spell designed to help with visualizing yourself and your abilities, plan where to go, see where you are weak. Most people cast it on themselves... but you don’t have it as a Cantrip, do you?”

“<No...>” he admitted warily. “<Like, is this invasive? Does it read my mind, or something?>”

“If you are wondering if it’s going to find where your stash of nude women photos is, no.” His mouth dropped in astonishment, closing a bit too slowly. I had to shake my head slightly. “It compares you to every other human being out there, and sees where you fit on the scale, then assigns you ratings so you can tell exactly where you are in comparison to everyone else.”

He frowned a little. “<That sounds like the rating machines those wizards like to use. I never liked them.>”

Oh, Sylune... “Do you dislike them enough to not gain another level for fifteen years?” I asked.

“<What?>” he yelped. “<No way! I should be reaching Six within a month, easy!>” he boasted.

“Should. You’re not sure. I just told you that you should have two spells at Valence III, and you don’t, but you think you’re a Five. I have a feeling you’ve made a mistake it’s going to take fifteen years to recover from.”

He stared at me, slowly working that through, and grimacing slowly at the implications. Fifteen years was a lot of time! “<Okay, sure,>” he grumbled. “<Let me see what this has to say.>”

I didn’t want to blow a Valence I on Assay, but I was just too responsible an idiot. Assay auto-Raised when Cast out of a higher Valence, part of its design. I Cast it for a Deep Assay, and he didn’t resist as it swept through him, although he yipped and looked around as if someone had goosed him.

“<That went right through me!>” he complained, but I was looking at the data, not at him.

I frowned deeply. “Helix,” I said softly, “you know that Charisma is required for Sorcerers to get stronger, right?”

“<Oh, sure!>” he replied proudly. “<I’m a Five, so I have a 15! I’ve been putting my Karma towards my Charisma Mastery so it goes up one and I can make Six!>” He grinned at me confidently.

I gestured for him to turn, and flicked up the first page of the Deep Assay.

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Helix, CG Human/2

Classes: Sorcerer/4, Djinn Bloodline

Strength: 12 +1

Dexterity: 15 +2

Constitution: 16 +3