The Pinnacle Warrior

She decided to start with Conqueror’s Aura, which she might have considered over the rest, if it hadn’t been Bronze tier. After all, it could go up to Steel before she finished with Steel, a whole two tiers higher than what was already offered, so she couldn’t say just how much of a boost to damage it would provide at Steel. If it climbed as high as 50%, that would be more than worth taking, especially considering that she had the Boon of the Hero which reduced the cost of any aura by 20% while strengthening it by 20%.

Regardless, with the Skill being offered a tier lower than every other one, it wasn’t really in consideration for her. She wasn’t going to be able to qualify for a boon, but she still needed to get higher tier Skills when possible. Thus, for the rest, they were all iron tier so the difference in tier wasn’t going to enter the conversation, and she would have to choose entirely based off of the merits of each Skill.

Going from the top, Pristine Mind couldn’t be counted out. Even without counting the 25% bonus to two of her lower attributes, actually, her two lowest, doubling the effect of Self-Mastery-aligned mana would be huge. Self-Mastery was how somebody resisted any mental effects, and Astrid had encountered plenty of monsters that had used that kind of Skill against her. More to the point, some of the monsters that did weren’t spawned by the Dungeon, either.

As Pristine Mind grew in tier, it would definitely more than double her resistance, meaning that even if her Self-Mastery growth remained far behind her other attributes, she’d be able to protect herself, between it and Heroic Aura. She nodded to herself as she pulled up the Skill’s description and reread it.

Heroic Aura: For a Heavy mana and Moderate stamina cost, activate an aura that spreads for 15 meters from the holder for 30 minutes. Within that aura, all friendly creatures gain near immunity to any terror, confusion, and mind-altering Skills of the same tier as the holder.

The party hadn’t really had a whole lot of opportunities to actually test what “near immunity to Skills of the same tier as the holder” exactly meant, given that the monsters they’d fought for the past near year since exiting the Wandering Trials hadn’t had any mind-altering Skills to have to pit Astrid’s Skill against. Now, though, there would be plenty of opportunities for them to explore more freely, even in the Dungeon proper, which would surely have plenty of different kinds of monsters to experiment with.

Refocusing herself, Astrid didn’t feel that Pristine Mind needed to be taken right away, given that she retained her aura, and the rest of the party had their own Skills and resistances as well, and though it would help her, it wouldn’t be important straightaway. Regardless, she mentally added it to a short list to potentially take later.

Destructive Wave sounded interesting. She could understand somewhat of what it could do, especially as she thought of what the two headed ogre Boss had done in the Trials. Of course, compared to what the ogre had done, Destructive Wave was more of a killing Skill than a disruptive one. So far as she could understand, Destructive Wave was much like what she’d been doing while trying to complete her evolutionary quest.

Regardless of any familiarity she felt, she didn’t feel the need to take the Skill. After all, regardless of how many other things she was becoming capable of, she was a finisher, and that was her job within the party, not to do wide area damage. Skandr was the king of wider area damage, and though she liked the idea of being more flexible, she’d already spread herself thin enough. As such, Destructive Wave was off the table.

Gravity’s Grasp was an even more attractive Skill to her than Destructive Wave. After all, it wasn’t just a control Skill, which is what she had first thought it was when reading its description. With a second reading and her intrinsic understanding of what the Great One offered, she could tell that Gravity Grasp could also be a movement Skill for herself. If she wanted to yank herself out of danger or towards an enemy that was causing trouble, she could designate herself to be the person to be yanked. Then, if there was a monster that was avoiding the party’s grasp, she could pull it down into range or yank a worm out of the ground before it could escape. As far as movement Skills went, it wasn’t as amazing as Shadow Leap was for Muti, but it was amazingly versatile in being able to be used offensively as well as defensively.

Then, finally, there was Body Surge. She stretched her mind for a moment, trying to remember what exactly the parameters were of Warrior’s Awakening when it’d been offered to her. It was a much broader increase, and when it was untied, she thought it gave a 10% bonus to her physical attributes, then a 5% one to her mental? That felt about right, and Body Surge was two tiers higher than that. Was it actually worth it to take this Skill over Warrior’s Awakening, a Skill she had very quickly dismissed once she’d crossed 100 in some of her attributes?

Going off of how many of the attribute percent bonuses worked through different Skills, Astrid figured that Body Surge was about at the same percent bonus as the rest, though instead of being spread out like Warrior’s Awakening, it was a pure boost to power and alacrity. Effectively, it was a finishing Skill, just instead of being a boost to a single, or several attacks, it made her faster and stronger for that short window of time. Of course, she could still amplify whatever attacks she made in that minute with Power-aligned mana, which would further make it a move to use to clear out enemies or finish off a Boss as fast as she could.

Then, as a difference from Warrior’s Awakening, this boost wasn’t something that she could replicate just by using her mana. Yes, if she had Warrior’s Awakening, then it would be a more mana-efficient way to strengthen herself while it also lasted for a longer time, if she remembered correctly. However, she could absolutely replicate that Skill’s effect as soon as she crossed baseline 100s in all of her attributes. As for Body Surge, she absolutely could not replicate that. Doubling her Power and Alacrity for a minute? Totally out of reach.

As such, she considered Body Surge as another frontrunner. After all, though she hadn’t had time to fully experiment with the replacement Skill, Spectre Burst had been replaced by Spectral Graviton, and she wasn’t sure how much of a boost to a single attack that would provide, compared to what it was before. She hadn’t really begun to consider the need to change her approach as her Skills were changed by evolution. After all, she hadn’t known much about evolution before she started delving, as she’d been told that was something to worry about when she got there. In truth, she agreed with how others withheld that information, as allowing the path she naturally walked to dictate what the Great One offered to her when she reached the peak of a Class was an effective path so far. Regardless, she’d known nothing until it was time to evolve, and she didn’t regret making the choice to become a Champion, even though it had taken away the Skills she had spent so much time familiarizing herself with.

Regardless, her Skills had changed, and she needed to learn how best to use them. In fact, she was pretty surprised to see that there weren’t any Skills offered to her that were more traditional finishing Skills already. Of course, Conqueror’s Aura and Destructive Wave would help with killing things, but they weren’t finishing Skills in a typical sense.

Astrid patted her cheeks, trying to refocus on the matter at hand. After all, she was trying to narrow down the decision already. Of the four Iron tier Skills, Destructive Wave was straight out while Pristine Mind, frankly, was just less exciting than the other two, and Astrid figured she could take it later.

“I suppose I can be the most mature of us all,” Astrid said, once she’d mentally narrowed down her selection to choosing between Gravity’s Grasp and Body Surge. “I can speak with the rest of you about my options and work with you to come to a decision.”

“You don’t have to act that way, obviously you want advice, so don’t act like it’s some superior moral highground you’re taking,” Benedict laughed. “That said, the whole ‘not sharing the options with each other’ thing has been really petty and y’all need to grow up.”

“Y’all?” Skandr said, raising his eyebrows at the Bard. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say that. Did you slip back into an old accent out of frustration?”

“That’s what you’re going to focus on?” Benedict raised his eyebrows right back at the Wizard. “I don’t really say y’all all that often. I don’t think it’s so much a deliberate choice so much as I’m not around people who say it very much anymore. Do you have any other questions before you recognize that all four of you—”

Felix cleared his throat.

“—three of you,” Benedict amended, nodding his head, “are being petty?”

Skandr chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “You’re right, we are all being a bit silly. If I’m honest, I think we are all just enjoying taking the piss at each other now that we’re finally seeing some progress. Even so, we mighta pushed it a little too far. Getting advice is good.”

Benedict grinned in victory and looked at Muti and Astrid.

“There is nothing for me to apologize for, I made the correct decision when it was presented to me,” Muti declared.

“For my part,” Astrid acquiesced, “I shouldn’t have thrown more fuel to the flames. That said, we’re having good fun, and you are the last person that I can think of who I think has any room to talk about the foolishness of what we’re doing and saying.”

“I think I’m the first person who should talk about it, because I’m the person who knows the most about it, because that’s my job,” Benedict said, laughing. “But, now that that’s settled and I have gotten you all to admit that you’re being silly, talk to us Astrid, what were you wanting advice with?”

“I don’t know if I’d really call it needing advice,” she hedged, “but I was wanting to talk about the pros and cons with all of you about the two Skills I am choosing between. See if maybe there’s anything about either of them that I’m missing.”

“That sounds suspiciously like getting advice,” Benedict rolled his eyes and hand through the air, urging her to continue, “but go ahead.”

“Well, one is called Gravity’s Grasp, it lets me reposition anybody by ten meters in any direction.”

“Friendly or foe?” Skandr clarified.

“Yup.“

“Does it specify how to resist it if they’re unwilling?” He asked again.

“Nope. Doesn’t even say with how much force they are being moved.”

Nobody else offered any other questions, so Astrid continued, “The other one’s called Body Surge. Gives a 100% boost to my Power and Alacrity for one minute. So, basically a finishing Skill, but not a single hit, but a one minute boost.”

“And you’ll still be able to use Skills during that time, right?” Felix asked.

Astrid nodded and Muti was the first to speak up. “Body Surge. It is far and away the superior option.”

“You say that so easily,” Astrid responded, a bit taken aback. “You jumped right on taking Shadow Leap when it was offered to you, why are you so against Gravity‘s Grasp?”

“Shadow Leap is a more limited skill,” Muti replied instantly. “Its strength comes from it being able to do exactly what I wanted to do. It then formed my current Class, and it is because of its singular focus: providing me the opportunity to move myself within a battlefield as I wish and open opportunities to strike killing blows. Gravity’s Grasp is not that. It is a very flexible Skill, but a large part of its flexibility is already found within another of your Skills. I do not recall the name of your new Skill that you used against the lizards, but part of what one may wish to do with Gravity’s Grasp is what one may do with your other new Skill.”

“Yes, Spectral Graviton does have some overlap,” Astrid said. “But if I need to get up in the air, if I need to move myself to support somebody or pull them out of danger, Gravity’s Grasp will be a perfect addition to my Skill list.”

“Are you a Gravity Warrior?” Muti asked, distaste obvious in her tone. She didn’t wait for Astrid’s response as she continued, “Was it foolish to believe that you spoke truthfully when you said you have become more willing to accept your place as a Warrior? Or are you truly willing to accept one of the best Classes that exists?”

“No!” Astrid snapped back. “I was telling the truth then and now. I didn’t take Spellblade when it was offered to me, and though it was tempting, it only was for a couple seconds before I discounted it. If you ask me now, I know who I am and what I am going to be moving forward, just like I said before.”

“Then why have you desired the ‘exciting’ Skill that does not work as well for you?” Muti asked while keeping her eyes staring straight at Astrid. “Yes, Gravity Grasp will allow you to move in ways that would otherwise be impossible for you. Why do you not think that Body Surge can do the same? If your Power and your Alacrity have been doubled, will you not be able to move much faster? Will you not be able to get to yourself out of situations that would have trapped you otherwise? Can you not rush to another’s aid more quickly?”

Astrid forced herself to be quiet at that, letting the anger from the argument settle as she tried to be logical about what Muti was saying. Her friend wasn’t attacking Astrid personally, she was calling attention to a blindspot, one that she had openly admitted she wanted help with. And, as soon as she put any critical thought into it, Astrid could tell that Muti was right. She’d already felt the overwhelming difference in trying to control herself after she evolved and gained an extra +15% to her Alacrity from Steady Load evolving to Steel. What she was talking about now was getting basically six times that for a minute, whenever she wanted. She’d been able to leave her entire party behind without much effort earlier today, and what would she be able to do with over 1000 Power and nearly as much Alacrity?

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Astrid said, nodding her thanks to Muti. “Does anyone else have anything to add?”

“I think she got the long and short of it,” Skandr said. “For what it’s worth, I was going to say something pretty similar, though not quite so directly.”

“Thanks,” Astrid said dryly. “Anybody else got some snark to give me?”

“Is that to refer to the regular teasing that Benedict engages in?” Muti asked. “Because I would like to—”

Even as she spoke, Muti suddenly disappeared as her tattoo puffed in smoke and surrounded Astrid. Astrid flared Indomitability as Muti appeared behind her, but what Astrid hadn’t prepared for was the chokehold that she sunk in deep under her chin before Astrid could prepare for it. Astrid flared Unconquerable Aura for the first time, and felt the groaning in her throat reduce as Muti sunk her hold in deeper.

Astrid’s hands both grabbed one of Muti’s wrists and twisted it hard. Regardless, the Lethal Shadow was proving just how literal her Class’s title was as Astrid was unable to escape for that easily. Her competitive nature surged, and she selected Body Surge and activated it with a thought as Muti pulled even harder on her chokehold. Then, Astrid placed both of her hands on Muti’s two wrists and twisted them out.

The cracking of bone sounded out, directly next to Astrid‘s ears, and Muti jumped away. Astrid’s vision, darkening from the blood loss and suffocation, lightened up, though she knew she hadn’t been in any real danger for at least a few dozen more seconds.

“Duchess above,” she gasped out. “That hurt. Are you okay?”

Muti didn’t say anything, but she held up both hands in answer, her right wrist hanging limp while her left moved a little.

The entire party’s jaws dropped as they saw that Astrid had accidentally nearly crippled Muti. They all paused for a beat before Muti shrugged. “Perhaps we shall not spar with all of our Skills available to us before we are more familiar with them.”

“I’m sorry, we’re not talking about that right now,” Benedict stepped forward, gesturing for Muti to lower her hands for him to heal. “You are actually insane if you think I care about that right now.”

He continued grumbling and cursing at both Astrid and Muti as he used his boon as well as all of his Skills in tandem to heal Muti’s broken wrists.

“You are so much harder to heal now that you’re a higher tier,” he said to himself as he shook his head. “You need to be more careful if you are going to be getting yourself injured. Yes, I know you don’t wanna call it being injured, but what do you call two broken wrists other than injured? So stop your whining and let me finish.”

The rest of the party stayed uncomfortably quiet while Benedict finished up his ministrations. It wasn’t too long before Muti was back to normal, and she moved her wrists in circles.

“How close to full mobility without pain are you?“ Benedict asked, a question that had been refined over the course of months until they’d come to a specific result that Muti wouldn’t protest.

“Seven,” she reported. “Mobility has all returned, but there is discomfort.”

“Well, that qualified me for my evolution,” he said, groaning, “so if you’ll give me a minute, I should be able to… Wait a minute. I’m glad you didn’t, but Astrid, couldn’t you have healed that pretty easily?”

Astrid blinked slowly, trying to understand the several levels to what the Bard had said. Finally deciding to leave aside his evolution for now, she nodded slowly.

“Yeah,” Astrid answered, “I probably could have healed her with Physique. I guess there’s plenty that we all need to get used to now that we’re all Steel, don’t we?”

As she used a charge of Physique and designated Muti and Benedict as someone else to heal, Astrid recovered completely to full, and she smiled widely. She was about to finally make some quick progress again.