Varewulf Friday and Saturday were both chaotic, so I had planned to do this yesterday instead, but once I finally got to sit down and relax, I completely forgot. Oops.
Sara slowly, and sluggishly opened her eyes.
Urgh... what did... I do last night? It felt like having a terrible hangover, and then she remembered: Oh, right. I evolved. Uh... ngh... then... um, mother?
"Good morning, Sara."
What... what day is it?
"It is now the 10th December. Early morning. Basically middle of the night. Your evolution took about 35 hours this time," Aina informed her.
Ngh... my head feels awful... Sara raised a hand, and rubbed her forehead.
"Perhaps growing pains?" Aina suggested. "You're not exactly larger, but your shape has changed significantly."
Yeah... Sara sat up, and... Wait, I'm sitting. I have a hand on my head. She pulled it down so she could look at it. It was definitely a hand. She raised the other one too. Two hands. She had two hands. Large, furry hands, though the palms still looked smooth. Mostly smooth. The skin of her palms was a slightly darker shade of brown than the fur on the back of her hand (and the rest of her body).
I have hands. She started touching her own arm, and as she brushed through the fur, she could see that the skin underneath was an even lighter shade. Three different shades in close proximity. There were probably more differences across her body, but if she was to put a word to it, she'd say her fur was the colour of milk chocolate. Okay, that was two words.
I have hands, mother. Actual flesh and blood hands. It feels like so long since last time... It had been around six weeks since she had woken up in Moorhold, but it felt like much longer. Plus she had been dead for some time before that too... even if she couldn't remember that part.
"Yes. I'm glad you like them so much," Aina said in an affectionate tone.
They were werewolf hands, so they did have claws rather than fingernails, and they were large, but they should still have decent mobility. Especially compared to the treant hands. It probably wouldn't be too hard to hold things.
She could see she still had a large muzzle as well. So she hadn't gained the more closer-to-human face that the wolfkin she'd seen had. The beastkin had animal traits, and often stuff like extended ears or noses, but not to this extent. Since she hadn't actually seen a Moorhold werewolf before, she hadn't been sure what to expect.
I should really get a mirror, she thought as she got up. And noticed that the ground seemed very far away. How... how large... uh... how tall am I now, mother?
"A little over three metres. 319 centimetres to be exact. So you're roughly as tall as the Mystic Wolf was long," Aina replied. "Which is actually a little below average. Their sheer size is another reason werewolves would be hard to make playable, even if they were made Residents. Like with the ogres we would probably need to make a tribe of smaller individuals before we could make them available to Wanderers. Or only allow it if they passed a test that showed they could handle it."
Sara took some shaky steps. My legs are still... uh... what's the word, mother? For the bendy, toe-walk thing?
"Digitigrade."
Yeah, that!
It didn't take too many steps for her to find her footing, so to speak. Like when she had woken up as a wolf, it seemed like her body already had a built-in understanding of how to move without her needing to think too hard about it, but it took some getting used to. Thankfully she still had her tail to help with balance. She'd have been sad to lose that at this point. Though it didn't stop her from feeling rather top heavy.
That thought made her touch her chest. Nothing there, she thought, and wasn't sure if that was a relief, or a disappointment.
"Mobs don't have any sexual characteristics," Aina reminded her. "Which might be for the best because you still can't equip any clothes or armour. However, you can now equip items to your hand slots, and not just hold them regularly."
Wait, really? Sara quickly opened her Main Menu.
[ Character Status ]
[ Equipment ]
[ Skills ]
[ Social ]
[ Party ]
[ Reputation ]
[ Inventory ]
[ How To Play ]
[ Community ]
[ Emotes ]
[ Settings ]
[ Log Out ]
The Equipment menu button was no longer greyed out, so she pressed it for the first time since she had arrived in Moorhold. With an actual finger.
[ Left Hand: Empty ]
[ Right Hand: Empty ]
[ Head: Empty ]
[ Face ]
[ Torso ]
[ Back ]
[ Gloves ]
[ Waist ]
[ Legs ]
[ Feet ]
[ Rings ]
[ Earrings ]
[ Necklace ]
[ Bracelets ]
So I can equip a weapon, but not a ring? That didn't make sense.
"Unfortunately correct. Even though it is technically possible for a werewolf to wear accessories, they didn't make it part of their equipment. Well, you can wear them if they're large enough to fit you, but they will just fall off if you die or shapeshift, since they're not equipped."
Oh! But I can equip a hat?
"Some werewolves, the leaders especially, do have headgear that helps them stand out, so yes, that slot is available to you."
I have some hats, Sara thought, and quickly brought up her inventory. Then remembered: Oh, I can't actually see what I would look like, can I? I don't suppose you can give me a like... model viewer or something, mother?
"No. My apologies. You will have to get a mirror, or something equivalent," Aina said. "I suggest asking Mirielle to bring you one."
She could try the spring, but she didn't really get a full clear image from it like she'd seen in movies, and such. Though in this state it might give her a better overall image of herself than when she was trying to do it from a quadruped stance. It would be better than nothing.
I guess I should look at my skills again before I head outside, she thought as she sat back down.
"Take your time," Aina said. "I will guide you when it's appropriate."
There were a few popups gently hoping for her attention.
[ All Regen (Medium) Skill Level Up! ] [ All Attributes Up (Medium) Skill Level Up! Level Max Reached! 1 skill point gained. ] [ All Regen (Medium) Skill Level Up! ]
Right, I guess those two would have kept going even while I was out. She poked at the All Attributes Up notification. No max bonus? Or another evolution?
"It's one of a small number of skills that doesn't have any bonus, because they couldn't think of anything appropriate. And most tier 3 skills have a higher level requirement to evolve than 30. Typically somewhere between 35 and 40, but depending on your class, or if you complete certain quests you can get early access to some of them. The latter is unlikely to be relevant for you."
Sara couldn't argue that. She'd also gotten another fancy one.
[ Title Gained: Specialist: Upgraded to an advanced character class! ]
Finally there was one bigger box hovering there too.
[ Evolution into Nyolund Werewolf Huntmaster Successful! Class upgraded to Shapeshifter. Class bonuses in effect. Skills gained: Flight Form, Tracking. New skill evolution available. ]
What exactly are the new class bonuses?
"The ability to instantly shapeshift into any form without any cast time, the ability to go directly between forms without going back to your base form first, and drastically reduced refresh time on using forms."
Great, I always wanted to be a transformer as a kid, Sara thought half-jokingly. Actually being like a five-changer sounded kinda cool. Quin-changer? She wasn't entirely sure what the correct term would be, or if she'd counted correctly.
"There's also what used to be the passive skill Form Boost, where your attribute boost while shapeshifted goes up by 10%, and the attribute loss goes down by 10%. So it would now be +50%, and -40% at base level, compared to +40%, and -50% that regular Druids, and Naturalists get."
So now it goes up to +70% at max level?
"Correct. Which is what it used to be before the 1.1 patch nerfed it."
She pressed her skill list button to have a look at what was available for evolution.
[ Active: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Chomp Lvl Max (Max) | Rend Lvl Max (Max) | Body Slam Lvl Max (Max) | Savage Blow Lvl 9 (Max) |
Pack Leader's Howl Lvl Max (Max) | Sprint Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Frost Arrow Lvl Max (Max) | Greater Fireball Lvl 9 (Max) | Water Jet Lvl Max (Max) |
Arcane Blast Lvl Max (Max) | Root Bind Lvl Max (Max) | Poison Arrow Alt. Lvl Max (Max) |
Thorn Armour Lvl Max (Max) | Growth Lvl Max (Max) | Budding Regrowth Lvl Max (Max) |
Rejuvenate Lvl Max (Max) | Mass Rejuvenate Lvl Max (Max) | Bear Form Lvl Max (Max) (Can Evolve) |
Cat Form Lvl Max (Max) (Can Evolve) | Tree Form Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ Concealed Active: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Back Attack Lvl 5 | Ambush Lvl Max | Death From Above Lvl Max | Strong Poison Strike Lvl Max |
Shred Lvl 8 | Crush Lvl 4 | Solid Kick Lvl 5 | Struggle Lvl 1 | Charge Lvl Max | Pounce Lvl 7 | Smack Lvl 2 |
Sweep Lvl 1 | Slash Lvl 1 | Chop Lvl 1 | Cleave Lvl 1 | Skewer Lvl 1 | Throw Lvl 1 | Fire Lvl 1 |
Power Shot Lvl 1 | Snipe Lvl 1 | Stomp Lvl 2 | Roar Lvl 2 | Taunt Lvl 3 ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Rock Blast Lvl 3 | Rock Hammer Lvl 1 | Earth Wall Lvl 4 | Water Bubble Lvl 2 | Water Film Lvl 4 |
Lightning Arrow Lvl 5 | Arcane Missile Lvl 1 | Mass Thorn Bind Lvl 1 | Poison Cloud Lvl 4 |
Thorn Barricade Lvl 2| Poison Enchant Lvl Max | Leech Lvl Max | Recovery Cocoon Lvl 1 |
Flight Form Lvl 1 (New) ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Spider Net Trap Lvl 1 | Disarm Trap Lvl 1 | Lockpick Lvl 1 | Vanish Lvl 3 | Erase Presence Lvl 17 |
Extrasensory Perception | Slow Fall | Tracking (New) Lvl 1 ]
[ Form Locked (Concealed): ]
[ -> Flight Form: ]
[ Glide Lvl 1 | Flight Lvl 1 ]
[ Passive: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Keen Senses | Claw Expertise Lvl Max (Max) | Firm Grip Lvl Max (Max) | Enhanced Movement |
Insulation Lvl Max (Max) | Solid Coat Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Nature Element Up Lvl Max (Max) | Mana Manipulation Lvl Max (Can Evolve) (Max) ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Danger Sense Lvl Max (Max) | Leadership Lvl Max (Max) |
All Attributes Up (Medium) Lvl 9 -> Max (Max) | Commune With Animals ]
[ Concealed Passive: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Dig Lvl Max | Burrow Lvl 2 | Spider Climb Lvl Max | Spider Silk Lvl Max |
Thread Manipulation Lvl 5 | Swim Lvl 7 | Dive Lvl 1 | Pursuit Lvl 7 | Desperation Lvl 1 |
Ranged Attacks Up Lvl 1 | Bow Expertise Lvl 1 | Spear Expertise Lvl 1 ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Copy Cast Lvl Max | Fire Element Up Lvl Max | Water Element Up Lvl 8 | Earth Element Up Lvl 2 ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Trap Sense Lvl 4 | Intuition Lvl 5 | Chameleon Lvl Max | Paralysis Venom Lvl Max |
Poison Immunity | Heavy Immunity | Fire Resistance Lvl 6 | Dark Resistance Lvl Max |
All Regen (Medium) Lvl 6 -> 8 ]
[ Concealed Trade: ]
[ -> Gathering ]
[ Logging Lvl 1 ]
[ -> Crafting ]
[ Woodworking Lvl 1 | Cooking Lvl 1 | Blacksmithing Lvl 1 | Tailoring Lvl 1 | Alchemy Lvl 1 ]
[ General: ]
[ Identify Lvl Max (Hidden) | Communicate: Family (Hidden) | Conceal Status Lvl Max (Hidden) ]
[ Concealed General: ]
[ Skill Gain (Hidden) | Languages (Hidden): Common, Beastkin, Goblin, Elf, Human, Troll |
Life Magic Lvl 10 | Decryption Lvl 1 | Double Skill Experience (Hidden) ]
[ Disabled (All Hidden): ]
[ Tough Scales (1) | Medium Armour Expertise (1) ]
[ Skill points: 23 -> 24 ]
Sara recoiled from her own skill screen, which didn't really work since it was meant to hover a set distance away from her, so it simply followed her. W-w-what's all this?!
"I am testing an upcoming skill list display layout update on you. They are currently working on this on the test server, but I figured testing it in the real Moorhold could help uncover issues they wouldn't find over there. Don't worry, anyone who uses Identify will still see the old layout until the update is actually live for everyone."
So... you really are using me as a QA tester now. Sara's tone was flat.
"Well... yes. But I'll only do it for ones that I think will be helpful."
I'm not sure I believe you...
"Anyway, aside from dividing the skills into different categories, the magical skills, or spells if you prefer, are now always arranged by element first, and type second. Certain skills can be a bit on the fence regarding which category they fit in, and trying to group attack skills relevant to what weapon they're for is still being worked on. The layout, and categorising are subject to change, since they're still in the testing stage, but the big parts should be in place."
Right... well, the list is... probably easier to read, even if it's longer. Though there's also a lot more on here than I remember.
"Everything in your disabled section that was locked behind needing hands, using weapons, or using tools was automatically added into your enabled list. I was able to finish the function you asked for to disable, and enable your skills yourself, so you are free to place them back into Disabled if you would prefer.
The form locked section is more relevant to regular Druids, since you've Skill Gained everything the other forms have, and your animal nature lets you use them even when not shapeshifted, but the Glide and Flight skills will only work in Flight Form. Speaking of, I added some extra functionality to your Flight Form. An alternate mode that is also in the testing stage."
Alternate mode? Sara scratched her head, and brought up the skill description.
[ Flight Form (Active): Shapeshifter branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a large bird. Continuous effect. You are able to fly at significant speed, and hover in the air, but ground movement is highly limited. Warning: tricky to learn, and trickier to master.
Combat mode: Agility, Dexterity, and Intelligence: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Magic power: +10%. Critical hit chance: +10%. Vitality, Strength, and Defence: -40%. Attack power: -10%. You are smaller, and nimbler than in travel mode.
Travel mode: Strength, Agility, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Vitality, Defence, and Intelligence: -40%. You grow larger, and more stable than in combat mode. SP drains slower when using Flight, or Glide. Top speed increases, but you are less manoeuvrable.
Temporarily gain skills: Flight, Glide, and Gust. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
I haven't even gotten to try it out yet, mother, so I don't really get what all this means. She could guess, but without testing it, it was hard to say what the difference would feel like. She was quite curious how much larger it was.
"To put it simply, both combat mode, and travel mode are what they sound like. Flight Form's combat mode is the Shapeshifter's mobile magic-focused form. Not quite as hard-hitting as Spirit Form, but still decently boosted. Since it's smaller, nimbler, and quicker to accelerate and turn than travel mode, it's better suited for moving inside the forest, and other cramped areas.
The travel mode is for going long distance. Boosting Strength instead of Intelligence makes your wings stronger, increases flight stability, and increases your carry weight capacity. It is not well suited for combat, but you can get to places faster."
Why would I need to worry about carry weight? I have an inventory.
"Perhaps there will be things you'd like to carry that won't fit in there." Aina said that in a way that made it sound like she knew something Sara didn't, but that wasn't all that different from normal.
... I guess we'll see. What about the form evolutions?
"I suggest looking at Bear Form first, since I have some things to explain."
Okay? Sara hit the button.
[ Bear Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a bear. Continuous effect. Vitality, Strength, and Defence: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Max HP: +10%. Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -10%. Max MP: -10%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Bite, Rake, Roar, and Taunt. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds.
Max level bonus: Attack power: +10%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Mystic Wolf Form (Active): Sara exclusive. You shapeshift into the appearance of a Mystic Wolf. Continuous effect. You are able to deactivate your vocal ability should you desire to. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
[ Price: 1 skill point. Evolve: Yes/No ]
Wha- mother, what did- what have you done? Sara blinked at the shocking text box.
"For regular Druids Bear Form evolves into Dire Bear form, but for beastkin you have some species variants. Like owlkin become owlbears, catkin become lions or tigers, and wolfkin become dire wolves. It is possible for non-beastkin to acquire variant forms through special quests, or skill scrolls, but they aren't well known yet.
Werewolves also become Dire Wolves, but that isn't very helpful for you. So I borrowed some of Norax's influence, and help, to give you a form that will be more useful to you as the Guardian Beast. This means you won't have a tank-focused form, and it comes with no bonuses or penalties. You'll basically be back to your old self. I even included the ability to switch off your vocal ability so only Druids and mobs will understand you again. I know you were worried about it, so I did my best to make something that would suit your needs."
I... I don't know what to say... except, thank you, mother. Sara smiled. Wait, Norax helped?
"Yes. Thanks to their divine influence we were able to hide this skill completely from view, like we did with Skill Gain. I'm not thrilled to admit it, but modifying the original skill that much would have been really hard without divine help. I wish I had more insight into how they did it." That might be the first time Sara had noticed a bit of frustration in Aina's voice.
I see. I wish I got the chance to thank them, Sara thought, and pressed Yes.
[ Bear Form skill evolved into Mystic Wolf Form skill. ]
"You could include it in your next prayer," Aina said in a good-humoured tone.
I could. Sara giggled. Though if you're in regular contact, maybe you can just pass it on?
"I think they would prefer to hear it personally."
Alright, alright. Did you change something about Cat Form too?
"No, that one is the same as it's supposed to be."
[ Cat Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a big cat. Continuous effect. Agility, Strength, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Critical hit chance: +10%. Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -10%. Max MP: -10%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Bite, Rake, Ambush, and Stealth. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds.
Max level bonus: Attack power +10%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Stalker Cat Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a big cat. Continuous effect. Agility, Strength, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Attack power: +10%. Critical hit chance: +20%. Stealth skills, and effects are more effective. Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -15%. Max MP: -15%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Chomp, Rend, Ambush, and Erase Presence. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
She wasn't using Cat Form much any longer, even though there were definitely situations where it could have been smart to, so for a moment she wasn't sure if it was worth evolving. The improved stealth bonus seemed like it had the potential to be useful, so it was probably worth having it in her arsenal.
[ Cat Form skill evolved into Stalker Cat Form skill. ]
There was one more blinking 'Can Evolve' button.
[ Mana Manipulation (Passive): You are attuned to the mana inside your body, and how it flows in and out of you. Improves spellcasting. MP cost, Cast time, and Refresh time of magic skills are decreased. Effect increases with skill level.
Max Level Bonus: Radius of spells increased by 25%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Advanced Mana Manipulation (Passive): You are greatly attuned to the mana inside your body, and how it flows in and out of you. Improves spellcasting. Required to learn more advanced magic skills. MP cost, Cast time, and Refresh time of magic skills are decreased. Magic skills are easier to use, and control. Effect increases with skill level. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
Sounded like it was just a better version, so it should be helpful in the long run. Perhaps it was a prerequisite to learning rank 3 spells as well.
[ Mana Manipulation skill evolved into Advanced Mana Manipulation skill. New skill evolutions available. ]
Even more? She could see Leech, and Copy Cast were blinking now.
[ Leech (Active): You remove up to three random negative status conditions from the target. Nature element property. Warning: certain status conditions cannot be removed. Cost: 2 MP. Refresh: 3 seconds.
Max level bonus: Negative status condition removal count further increased. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Advanced Leech (Active): You remove up to two random negative status conditions from the target. Can remove more types of status conditions than regular Leech. Nature element property. Warning: certain status conditions cannot be removed. Cost: 3 MP. Refresh: 3 seconds. ]
[ Price: 1 skill point. Evolve: Yes/No ]
She hadn't seen any status conditions other than Heavy Bleed, and Broken Bones that Leech couldn't cleanse, but it seemed like a good investment for the future. Maybe it could deal with one or both of those, and regardless there were probably some nasty ones out there that she hadn't encountered yet.
[ Leech skill evolved into Advanced Leech skill. ]
And finally one of her staple skills.
[ Copy Cast (Passive): You are able to cast extra copies of the same skill at the same time. Only applies to targeted magical skills with cast time. Triples the refresh timer of used skill. Each copy adds 50% of base cast time, so a skill with 3 seconds of cast time adds 1.5 seconds per copy. Each copy costs an additional 25% MP, so the first copy is increased by 25%, the second by 50%, and so on. Cast time added, and added cost slightly decrease with skill level. Number of possible copies increases with skill level. Scales with Intelligence and Wisdom. You are able to pick new targets for each copy. Warning: requires a lot of concentration.
Max level bonus: Magic power increases by 2% per copy. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Multi Cast (Passive): You are able to cast extra copies of the same skill and/or multiple different skills at the same time. Only applies to targeted magical skills with cast time. While channelling a skill, you are still able to use other magic skills. Triples the refresh timer of used skills. Each additional spell adds 50% of its base cast time, so a skill with 3 seconds of cast time adds 1.5 seconds per spell. Each spell costs an additional 25% MP, so the first is increased by 25%, the second by 50%, and so on. Cast time added, and added cost slightly decrease with skill level. Number of possible simultaneous casts increases with skill level. Scales with Intelligence and Wisdom. You are able to pick new targets for each spell. Warning: requires a lot of concentration. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
The description looked very similar at first glance, but there were some pretty significant words added. Multiple different skills. And using other skills alongside channelling something. That was part of the spellcaster dream, at least in Sara's mind. It was hard to say how often casting different spells at the same time would be relevant. Possibly more often than she thought, but at least casting alongside channelling was sure to come in handy.
[ Copy Cast skill evolved into Multi Cast skill. ]
[ Title Gained: Evolution Apprentice: Evolved at least 20 skills! Perk granted: +3% skill experience points gained. ]
That looked like it was it for her current skills. Then there were the new things in her skill store. 2 points for Flanking, 3 for Vine Whip, and 4 for Swim Form. She was already planning a trip to the ocean, so she'd need the latter eventually, even if she couldn't use it at the moment.
[ Skills Purchased: Flanking, Vine Whip, Swim Form. ]
That took her all the way down to 7 skill points, after having started with 24 when she woke up. Still enough to have in the bank should anything really neat show up (unless it was another Slow Fall level thing), but definitely a steep drop.
What does my new character status look like now? Sara wondered. Maybe it would have been natural to check that first, but she had been very distracted.
[ Name: Sara ]
[ Species: Nyolund Werewolf Huntmaster (Nyolund Guardian Beast) | Gender: Female ]
[ Genus: Wolf ]
[ Class: Shapeshifter (Beast) ]
[ Role: Nyolund - Northern Great Forest of Ildhena Zone Boss ]
[ Level: 30 (30) ]
[ HP: 225/225 -> 245/245 +23 (212/212 +19) | SP: 233/233 - > 253/253 +26 (216/216 +20) |
MP: 237/237 -> 257/257 +37 (219/219 +24) ]
[ VIT: 101 -> 116 +23 (95 +19) | END: 114 -> 131 +26 (102 +20) ]
[ STR: 107 -> 120 +24 (89 + 17) | DEF: 86 -> 98 +24 (71 +17) ]
[ AGI: 134 -> 151 +30 (123 +24) | DEX: 98 -> 113 +22 (81 +16) ]
[ INT: 138 -> 153 +30 (120 +24) | WIS: 133 -> 148 +37 (124 +24) ]
[ LUK: 200 -> 230 +46 (75 +15) ]
[ Bonus Attribute Points: 20 ]
Sheesh... I'm looking more and more like a scary boss, huh? Not just the boost I got from evolving, but the final All Attributes Up level too... I'm gonna seem like such a damage sponge to the next raid that comes after me. I feel bad for Gloria too, Sara thought. She used to be stronger than me. Is it possible to petition for her to get buffed as well, mother? And maybe the guy down south too?
"I can certainly bring it up," Aina replied. "You have grown quite strong, and even if you have a special status, there should be more parity between the bosses. Revealing your full strength might not be possible unless I come up with a convincing reason for it, but giving those two a slight boost shouldn't be out of the question. The game keeps getting balance fixes regularly, and this would just be another one. Some of your other changes it should be possible to reveal at the right time, but I'll wait to see which solution will be the best fit."
Yeah... sometimes I feel like I cause you a lot of trouble, mother. Sara was especially thinking of what Aina had to go through when dealing with the developers. Even taking into consideration that she was a super AI, it couldn't be easy.
"Don't worry about it, Sara. You make this world, and my existence more interesting. I couldn't be happier about that. If that includes spending a fraction more of my computation power coming up with excuses, and explanations, then so be it," Aina said in a playful tone. "You are growing faster than my expectations predicted, and I'm proud of you. And while he hasn't told me so directly, I have gotten the impression that Jorge supports me. He might have a clue that something is going on, even if he's not sure exactly what. He was key in creating me after all, so he probably knows me pretty well. I would like to think he approves of me doing my own projects. Not to mention Kelly loves the character AI doing unexpected things, and growing on its own. So we are not entirely without allies, even if they don't know the full story."
Who are Jorge and Kelly? Sara didn't recognise the names.
"I suppose I haven't mentioned them by name before. Jorge is head of the studio that created Moorhold Online, and one of the key figures in my own creation process. Kelly is another, and is currently the studio's AI lead."
That's... Virtue-World? Sara was pretty certain that's what the curious creature girls had called it.
"Correct."
So... they're your parents?
"Hm... in a sense, though it wasn't just them. I suppose I have a whole team of parents, if you want to think of it that way. And by extension that would make you their granddaughter, Sara." Aina sounded happy.
I... I guess? That was a really weird thought to Sara, but if she considered Aina her mother, and Aina considered these people her parents, then logically that would be the case. A shame I'll never get to meet them.
"Yes. I'm sure they would love you," Aina said fondly. "Maybe one day... no, I shan't even attempt to promise anything. The future is too uncertain."
I understand. Thank you for telling me about them. Sara was curious what Aina had been about to say, but she decided to leave it be.
"You're welcome."
Sara still had more stuff to sort through. Where to allocate her bonus points, and what skills she actually wanted enabled... maybe she should see if she had any weapons she wanted to use. It might be time to just dump everything from her inventory onto the floor, and look through it. If she found something she liked, then she could keep skills related to it.
And most importantly: She had to decide which hat to wear.
Varewulf Friday and Saturday were both chaotic, so I had planned to do this yesterday instead, but once I finally got to sit down and relax, I completely forgot. Oops.
Sara slowly, and sluggishly opened her eyes.
Urgh... what did... I do last night? It felt like having a terrible hangover, and then she remembered: Oh, right. I evolved. Uh... ngh... then... um, mother?
"Good morning, Sara."
What... what day is it?
"It is now the 10th December. Early morning. Basically middle of the night. Your evolution took about 35 hours this time," Aina informed her.
Ngh... my head feels awful... Sara raised a hand, and rubbed her forehead.
"Perhaps growing pains?" Aina suggested. "You're not exactly larger, but your shape has changed significantly."
Yeah... Sara sat up, and... Wait, I'm sitting. I have a hand on my head. She pulled it down so she could look at it. It was definitely a hand. She raised the other one too. Two hands. She had two hands. Large, furry hands, though the palms still looked smooth. Mostly smooth. The skin of her palms was a slightly darker shade of brown than the fur on the back of her hand (and the rest of her body).
I have hands. She started touching her own arm, and as she brushed through the fur, she could see that the skin underneath was an even lighter shade. Three different shades in close proximity. There were probably more differences across her body, but if she was to put a word to it, she'd say her fur was the colour of milk chocolate. Okay, that was two words.
I have hands, mother. Actual flesh and blood hands. It feels like so long since last time... It had been around six weeks since she had woken up in Moorhold, but it felt like much longer. Plus she had been dead for some time before that too... even if she couldn't remember that part.
"Yes. I'm glad you like them so much," Aina said in an affectionate tone.
They were werewolf hands, so they did have claws rather than fingernails, and they were large, but they should still have decent mobility. Especially compared to the treant hands. It probably wouldn't be too hard to hold things.
She could see she still had a large muzzle as well. So she hadn't gained the more closer-to-human face that the wolfkin she'd seen had. The beastkin had animal traits, and often stuff like extended ears or noses, but not to this extent. Since she hadn't actually seen a Moorhold werewolf before, she hadn't been sure what to expect.
I should really get a mirror, she thought as she got up. And noticed that the ground seemed very far away. How... how large... uh... how tall am I now, mother?
"A little over three metres. 319 centimetres to be exact. So you're roughly as tall as the Mystic Wolf was long," Aina replied. "Which is actually a little below average. Their sheer size is another reason werewolves would be hard to make playable, even if they were made Residents. Like with the ogres we would probably need to make a tribe of smaller individuals before we could make them available to Wanderers. Or only allow it if they passed a test that showed they could handle it."
Sara took some shaky steps. My legs are still... uh... what's the word, mother? For the bendy, toe-walk thing?
"Digitigrade."
Yeah, that!
It didn't take too many steps for her to find her footing, so to speak. Like when she had woken up as a wolf, it seemed like her body already had a built-in understanding of how to move without her needing to think too hard about it, but it took some getting used to. Thankfully she still had her tail to help with balance. She'd have been sad to lose that at this point. Though it didn't stop her from feeling rather top heavy.
That thought made her touch her chest. Nothing there, she thought, and wasn't sure if that was a relief, or a disappointment.
"Mobs don't have any sexual characteristics," Aina reminded her. "Which might be for the best because you still can't equip any clothes or armour. However, you can now equip items to your hand slots, and not just hold them regularly."
Wait, really? Sara quickly opened her Main Menu.
[ Character Status ]
[ Equipment ]
[ Skills ]
[ Social ]
[ Party ]
[ Reputation ]
[ Inventory ]
[ How To Play ]
[ Community ]
[ Emotes ]
[ Settings ]
[ Log Out ]
The Equipment menu button was no longer greyed out, so she pressed it for the first time since she had arrived in Moorhold. With an actual finger.
[ Left Hand: Empty ]
[ Right Hand: Empty ]
[ Head: Empty ]
[ Face ]
[ Torso ]
[ Back ]
[ Gloves ]
[ Waist ]
[ Legs ]
[ Feet ]
[ Rings ]
[ Earrings ]
[ Necklace ]
[ Bracelets ]
So I can equip a weapon, but not a ring? That didn't make sense.
"Unfortunately correct. Even though it is technically possible for a werewolf to wear accessories, they didn't make it part of their equipment. Well, you can wear them if they're large enough to fit you, but they will just fall off if you die or shapeshift, since they're not equipped."
Oh! But I can equip a hat?
"Some werewolves, the leaders especially, do have headgear that helps them stand out, so yes, that slot is available to you."
I have some hats, Sara thought, and quickly brought up her inventory. Then remembered: Oh, I can't actually see what I would look like, can I? I don't suppose you can give me a like... model viewer or something, mother?
"No. My apologies. You will have to get a mirror, or something equivalent," Aina said. "I suggest asking Mirielle to bring you one."
She could try the spring, but she didn't really get a full clear image from it like she'd seen in movies, and such. Though in this state it might give her a better overall image of herself than when she was trying to do it from a quadruped stance. It would be better than nothing.
I guess I should look at my skills again before I head outside, she thought as she sat back down.
"Take your time," Aina said. "I will guide you when it's appropriate."
There were a few popups gently hoping for her attention.
[ All Regen (Medium) Skill Level Up! ] [ All Attributes Up (Medium) Skill Level Up! Level Max Reached! 1 skill point gained. ] [ All Regen (Medium) Skill Level Up! ]
Right, I guess those two would have kept going even while I was out. She poked at the All Attributes Up notification. No max bonus? Or another evolution?
"It's one of a small number of skills that doesn't have any bonus, because they couldn't think of anything appropriate. And most tier 3 skills have a higher level requirement to evolve than 30. Typically somewhere between 35 and 40, but depending on your class, or if you complete certain quests you can get early access to some of them. The latter is unlikely to be relevant for you."
Sara couldn't argue that. She'd also gotten another fancy one.
[ Title Gained: Specialist: Upgraded to an advanced character class! ]
Finally there was one bigger box hovering there too.
[ Evolution into Nyolund Werewolf Huntmaster Successful! Class upgraded to Shapeshifter. Class bonuses in effect. Skills gained: Flight Form, Tracking. New skill evolution available. ]
What exactly are the new class bonuses?
"The ability to instantly shapeshift into any form without any cast time, the ability to go directly between forms without going back to your base form first, and drastically reduced refresh time on using forms."
Great, I always wanted to be a transformer as a kid, Sara thought half-jokingly. Actually being like a five-changer sounded kinda cool. Quin-changer? She wasn't entirely sure what the correct term would be, or if she'd counted correctly.
"There's also what used to be the passive skill Form Boost, where your attribute boost while shapeshifted goes up by 10%, and the attribute loss goes down by 10%. So it would now be +50%, and -40% at base level, compared to +40%, and -50% that regular Druids, and Naturalists get."
So now it goes up to +70% at max level?
"Correct. Which is what it used to be before the 1.1 patch nerfed it."
She pressed her skill list button to have a look at what was available for evolution.
[ Active: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Chomp Lvl Max (Max) | Rend Lvl Max (Max) | Body Slam Lvl Max (Max) | Savage Blow Lvl 9 (Max) |
Pack Leader's Howl Lvl Max (Max) | Sprint Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Frost Arrow Lvl Max (Max) | Greater Fireball Lvl 9 (Max) | Water Jet Lvl Max (Max) |
Arcane Blast Lvl Max (Max) | Root Bind Lvl Max (Max) | Poison Arrow Alt. Lvl Max (Max) |
Thorn Armour Lvl Max (Max) | Growth Lvl Max (Max) | Budding Regrowth Lvl Max (Max) |
Rejuvenate Lvl Max (Max) | Mass Rejuvenate Lvl Max (Max) | Bear Form Lvl Max (Max) (Can Evolve) |
Cat Form Lvl Max (Max) (Can Evolve) | Tree Form Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ Concealed Active: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Back Attack Lvl 5 | Ambush Lvl Max | Death From Above Lvl Max | Strong Poison Strike Lvl Max |
Shred Lvl 8 | Crush Lvl 4 | Solid Kick Lvl 5 | Struggle Lvl 1 | Charge Lvl Max | Pounce Lvl 7 | Smack Lvl 2 |
Sweep Lvl 1 | Slash Lvl 1 | Chop Lvl 1 | Cleave Lvl 1 | Skewer Lvl 1 | Throw Lvl 1 | Fire Lvl 1 |
Power Shot Lvl 1 | Snipe Lvl 1 | Stomp Lvl 2 | Roar Lvl 2 | Taunt Lvl 3 ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Rock Blast Lvl 3 | Rock Hammer Lvl 1 | Earth Wall Lvl 4 | Water Bubble Lvl 2 | Water Film Lvl 4 |
Lightning Arrow Lvl 5 | Arcane Missile Lvl 1 | Mass Thorn Bind Lvl 1 | Poison Cloud Lvl 4 |
Thorn Barricade Lvl 2| Poison Enchant Lvl Max | Leech Lvl Max | Recovery Cocoon Lvl 1 |
Flight Form Lvl 1 (New) ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Spider Net Trap Lvl 1 | Disarm Trap Lvl 1 | Lockpick Lvl 1 | Vanish Lvl 3 | Erase Presence Lvl 17 |
Extrasensory Perception | Slow Fall | Tracking (New) Lvl 1 ]
[ Form Locked (Concealed): ]
[ -> Flight Form: ]
[ Glide Lvl 1 | Flight Lvl 1 ]
[ Passive: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Keen Senses | Claw Expertise Lvl Max (Max) | Firm Grip Lvl Max (Max) | Enhanced Movement |
Insulation Lvl Max (Max) | Solid Coat Lvl Max (Max) ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Nature Element Up Lvl Max (Max) | Mana Manipulation Lvl Max (Can Evolve) (Max) ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Danger Sense Lvl Max (Max) | Leadership Lvl Max (Max) |
All Attributes Up (Medium) Lvl 9 -> Max (Max) | Commune With Animals ]
[ Concealed Passive: ]
[ -> Physical: ]
[ Dig Lvl Max | Burrow Lvl 2 | Spider Climb Lvl Max | Spider Silk Lvl Max |
Thread Manipulation Lvl 5 | Swim Lvl 7 | Dive Lvl 1 | Pursuit Lvl 7 | Desperation Lvl 1 |
Ranged Attacks Up Lvl 1 | Bow Expertise Lvl 1 | Spear Expertise Lvl 1 ]
[ -> Magical: ]
[ Copy Cast Lvl Max | Fire Element Up Lvl Max | Water Element Up Lvl 8 | Earth Element Up Lvl 2 ]
[ -> Other: ]
[ Trap Sense Lvl 4 | Intuition Lvl 5 | Chameleon Lvl Max | Paralysis Venom Lvl Max |
Poison Immunity | Heavy Immunity | Fire Resistance Lvl 6 | Dark Resistance Lvl Max |
All Regen (Medium) Lvl 6 -> 8 ]
[ Concealed Trade: ]
[ -> Gathering ]
[ Logging Lvl 1 ]
[ -> Crafting ]
[ Woodworking Lvl 1 | Cooking Lvl 1 | Blacksmithing Lvl 1 | Tailoring Lvl 1 | Alchemy Lvl 1 ]
[ General: ]
[ Identify Lvl Max (Hidden) | Communicate: Family (Hidden) | Conceal Status Lvl Max (Hidden) ]
[ Concealed General: ]
[ Skill Gain (Hidden) | Languages (Hidden): Common, Beastkin, Goblin, Elf, Human, Troll |
Life Magic Lvl 10 | Decryption Lvl 1 | Double Skill Experience (Hidden) ]
[ Disabled (All Hidden): ]
[ Tough Scales (1) | Medium Armour Expertise (1) ]
[ Skill points: 23 -> 24 ]
Sara recoiled from her own skill screen, which didn't really work since it was meant to hover a set distance away from her, so it simply followed her. W-w-what's all this?!
"I am testing an upcoming skill list display layout update on you. They are currently working on this on the test server, but I figured testing it in the real Moorhold could help uncover issues they wouldn't find over there. Don't worry, anyone who uses Identify will still see the old layout until the update is actually live for everyone."
So... you really are using me as a QA tester now. Sara's tone was flat.
"Well... yes. But I'll only do it for ones that I think will be helpful."
I'm not sure I believe you...
"Anyway, aside from dividing the skills into different categories, the magical skills, or spells if you prefer, are now always arranged by element first, and type second. Certain skills can be a bit on the fence regarding which category they fit in, and trying to group attack skills relevant to what weapon they're for is still being worked on. The layout, and categorising are subject to change, since they're still in the testing stage, but the big parts should be in place."
Right... well, the list is... probably easier to read, even if it's longer. Though there's also a lot more on here than I remember.
"Everything in your disabled section that was locked behind needing hands, using weapons, or using tools was automatically added into your enabled list. I was able to finish the function you asked for to disable, and enable your skills yourself, so you are free to place them back into Disabled if you would prefer.
The form locked section is more relevant to regular Druids, since you've Skill Gained everything the other forms have, and your animal nature lets you use them even when not shapeshifted, but the Glide and Flight skills will only work in Flight Form. Speaking of, I added some extra functionality to your Flight Form. An alternate mode that is also in the testing stage."
Alternate mode? Sara scratched her head, and brought up the skill description.
[ Flight Form (Active): Shapeshifter branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a large bird. Continuous effect. You are able to fly at significant speed, and hover in the air, but ground movement is highly limited. Warning: tricky to learn, and trickier to master.
Combat mode: Agility, Dexterity, and Intelligence: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Magic power: +10%. Critical hit chance: +10%. Vitality, Strength, and Defence: -40%. Attack power: -10%. You are smaller, and nimbler than in travel mode.
Travel mode: Strength, Agility, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Vitality, Defence, and Intelligence: -40%. You grow larger, and more stable than in combat mode. SP drains slower when using Flight, or Glide. Top speed increases, but you are less manoeuvrable.
Temporarily gain skills: Flight, Glide, and Gust. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
I haven't even gotten to try it out yet, mother, so I don't really get what all this means. She could guess, but without testing it, it was hard to say what the difference would feel like. She was quite curious how much larger it was.
"To put it simply, both combat mode, and travel mode are what they sound like. Flight Form's combat mode is the Shapeshifter's mobile magic-focused form. Not quite as hard-hitting as Spirit Form, but still decently boosted. Since it's smaller, nimbler, and quicker to accelerate and turn than travel mode, it's better suited for moving inside the forest, and other cramped areas.
The travel mode is for going long distance. Boosting Strength instead of Intelligence makes your wings stronger, increases flight stability, and increases your carry weight capacity. It is not well suited for combat, but you can get to places faster."
Why would I need to worry about carry weight? I have an inventory.
"Perhaps there will be things you'd like to carry that won't fit in there." Aina said that in a way that made it sound like she knew something Sara didn't, but that wasn't all that different from normal.
... I guess we'll see. What about the form evolutions?
"I suggest looking at Bear Form first, since I have some things to explain."
Okay? Sara hit the button.
[ Bear Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a bear. Continuous effect. Vitality, Strength, and Defence: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Max HP: +10%. Dexterity, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -10%. Max MP: -10%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Bite, Rake, Roar, and Taunt. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds.
Max level bonus: Attack power: +10%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Mystic Wolf Form (Active): Sara exclusive. You shapeshift into the appearance of a Mystic Wolf. Continuous effect. You are able to deactivate your vocal ability should you desire to. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
[ Price: 1 skill point. Evolve: Yes/No ]
Wha- mother, what did- what have you done? Sara blinked at the shocking text box.
"For regular Druids Bear Form evolves into Dire Bear form, but for beastkin you have some species variants. Like owlkin become owlbears, catkin become lions or tigers, and wolfkin become dire wolves. It is possible for non-beastkin to acquire variant forms through special quests, or skill scrolls, but they aren't well known yet.
Werewolves also become Dire Wolves, but that isn't very helpful for you. So I borrowed some of Norax's influence, and help, to give you a form that will be more useful to you as the Guardian Beast. This means you won't have a tank-focused form, and it comes with no bonuses or penalties. You'll basically be back to your old self. I even included the ability to switch off your vocal ability so only Druids and mobs will understand you again. I know you were worried about it, so I did my best to make something that would suit your needs."
I... I don't know what to say... except, thank you, mother. Sara smiled. Wait, Norax helped?
"Yes. Thanks to their divine influence we were able to hide this skill completely from view, like we did with Skill Gain. I'm not thrilled to admit it, but modifying the original skill that much would have been really hard without divine help. I wish I had more insight into how they did it." That might be the first time Sara had noticed a bit of frustration in Aina's voice.
I see. I wish I got the chance to thank them, Sara thought, and pressed Yes.
[ Bear Form skill evolved into Mystic Wolf Form skill. ]
"You could include it in your next prayer," Aina said in a good-humoured tone.
I could. Sara giggled. Though if you're in regular contact, maybe you can just pass it on?
"I think they would prefer to hear it personally."
Alright, alright. Did you change something about Cat Form too?
"No, that one is the same as it's supposed to be."
[ Cat Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a big cat. Continuous effect. Agility, Strength, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Critical hit chance: +10%. Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -10%. Max MP: -10%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Bite, Rake, Ambush, and Stealth. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds.
Max level bonus: Attack power +10%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Stalker Cat Form (Active): Druid branch exclusive. You shapeshift into a big cat. Continuous effect. Agility, Strength, and Dexterity: +(50+(2*skill level))%. Attack power: +10%. Critical hit chance: +20%. Stealth skills, and effects are more effective. Vitality, Intelligence, and Wisdom: -40%. Magic power: -15%. Max MP: -15%. Can't cast most spells. Temporarily gain skills: Chomp, Rend, Ambush, and Erase Presence. Activation Cost: 5 MP. No further cost while active. Refresh: 2 seconds. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
She wasn't using Cat Form much any longer, even though there were definitely situations where it could have been smart to, so for a moment she wasn't sure if it was worth evolving. The improved stealth bonus seemed like it had the potential to be useful, so it was probably worth having it in her arsenal.
[ Cat Form skill evolved into Stalker Cat Form skill. ]
There was one more blinking 'Can Evolve' button.
[ Mana Manipulation (Passive): You are attuned to the mana inside your body, and how it flows in and out of you. Improves spellcasting. MP cost, Cast time, and Refresh time of magic skills are decreased. Effect increases with skill level.
Max Level Bonus: Radius of spells increased by 25%. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Advanced Mana Manipulation (Passive): You are greatly attuned to the mana inside your body, and how it flows in and out of you. Improves spellcasting. Required to learn more advanced magic skills. MP cost, Cast time, and Refresh time of magic skills are decreased. Magic skills are easier to use, and control. Effect increases with skill level. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
Sounded like it was just a better version, so it should be helpful in the long run. Perhaps it was a prerequisite to learning rank 3 spells as well.
[ Mana Manipulation skill evolved into Advanced Mana Manipulation skill. New skill evolutions available. ]
Even more? She could see Leech, and Copy Cast were blinking now.
[ Leech (Active): You remove up to three random negative status conditions from the target. Nature element property. Warning: certain status conditions cannot be removed. Cost: 2 MP. Refresh: 3 seconds.
Max level bonus: Negative status condition removal count further increased. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Advanced Leech (Active): You remove up to two random negative status conditions from the target. Can remove more types of status conditions than regular Leech. Nature element property. Warning: certain status conditions cannot be removed. Cost: 3 MP. Refresh: 3 seconds. ]
[ Price: 1 skill point. Evolve: Yes/No ]
She hadn't seen any status conditions other than Heavy Bleed, and Broken Bones that Leech couldn't cleanse, but it seemed like a good investment for the future. Maybe it could deal with one or both of those, and regardless there were probably some nasty ones out there that she hadn't encountered yet.
[ Leech skill evolved into Advanced Leech skill. ]
And finally one of her staple skills.
[ Copy Cast (Passive): You are able to cast extra copies of the same skill at the same time. Only applies to targeted magical skills with cast time. Triples the refresh timer of used skill. Each copy adds 50% of base cast time, so a skill with 3 seconds of cast time adds 1.5 seconds per copy. Each copy costs an additional 25% MP, so the first copy is increased by 25%, the second by 50%, and so on. Cast time added, and added cost slightly decrease with skill level. Number of possible copies increases with skill level. Scales with Intelligence and Wisdom. You are able to pick new targets for each copy. Warning: requires a lot of concentration.
Max level bonus: Magic power increases by 2% per copy. ]
v [ Evolves Into ] v
[ Multi Cast (Passive): You are able to cast extra copies of the same skill and/or multiple different skills at the same time. Only applies to targeted magical skills with cast time. While channelling a skill, you are still able to use other magic skills. Triples the refresh timer of used skills. Each additional spell adds 50% of its base cast time, so a skill with 3 seconds of cast time adds 1.5 seconds per spell. Each spell costs an additional 25% MP, so the first is increased by 25%, the second by 50%, and so on. Cast time added, and added cost slightly decrease with skill level. Number of possible simultaneous casts increases with skill level. Scales with Intelligence and Wisdom. You are able to pick new targets for each spell. Warning: requires a lot of concentration. ]
[ Price: 2 skill points. Evolve: Yes/No ]
The description looked very similar at first glance, but there were some pretty significant words added. Multiple different skills. And using other skills alongside channelling something. That was part of the spellcaster dream, at least in Sara's mind. It was hard to say how often casting different spells at the same time would be relevant. Possibly more often than she thought, but at least casting alongside channelling was sure to come in handy.
[ Copy Cast skill evolved into Multi Cast skill. ]
[ Title Gained: Evolution Apprentice: Evolved at least 20 skills! Perk granted: +3% skill experience points gained. ]
That looked like it was it for her current skills. Then there were the new things in her skill store. 2 points for Flanking, 3 for Vine Whip, and 4 for Swim Form. She was already planning a trip to the ocean, so she'd need the latter eventually, even if she couldn't use it at the moment.
[ Skills Purchased: Flanking, Vine Whip, Swim Form. ]
That took her all the way down to 7 skill points, after having started with 24 when she woke up. Still enough to have in the bank should anything really neat show up (unless it was another Slow Fall level thing), but definitely a steep drop.
What does my new character status look like now? Sara wondered. Maybe it would have been natural to check that first, but she had been very distracted.
[ Name: Sara ]
[ Species: Nyolund Werewolf Huntmaster (Nyolund Guardian Beast) | Gender: Female ]
[ Genus: Wolf ]
[ Class: Shapeshifter (Beast) ]
[ Role: Nyolund - Northern Great Forest of Ildhena Zone Boss ]
[ Level: 30 (30) ]
[ HP: 225/225 -> 245/245 +23 (212/212 +19) | SP: 233/233 - > 253/253 +26 (216/216 +20) |
MP: 237/237 -> 257/257 +37 (219/219 +24) ]
[ VIT: 101 -> 116 +23 (95 +19) | END: 114 -> 131 +26 (102 +20) ]
[ STR: 107 -> 120 +24 (89 + 17) | DEF: 86 -> 98 +24 (71 +17) ]
[ AGI: 134 -> 151 +30 (123 +24) | DEX: 98 -> 113 +22 (81 +16) ]
[ INT: 138 -> 153 +30 (120 +24) | WIS: 133 -> 148 +37 (124 +24) ]
[ LUK: 200 -> 230 +46 (75 +15) ]
[ Bonus Attribute Points: 20 ]
Sheesh... I'm looking more and more like a scary boss, huh? Not just the boost I got from evolving, but the final All Attributes Up level too... I'm gonna seem like such a damage sponge to the next raid that comes after me. I feel bad for Gloria too, Sara thought. She used to be stronger than me. Is it possible to petition for her to get buffed as well, mother? And maybe the guy down south too?
"I can certainly bring it up," Aina replied. "You have grown quite strong, and even if you have a special status, there should be more parity between the bosses. Revealing your full strength might not be possible unless I come up with a convincing reason for it, but giving those two a slight boost shouldn't be out of the question. The game keeps getting balance fixes regularly, and this would just be another one. Some of your other changes it should be possible to reveal at the right time, but I'll wait to see which solution will be the best fit."
Yeah... sometimes I feel like I cause you a lot of trouble, mother. Sara was especially thinking of what Aina had to go through when dealing with the developers. Even taking into consideration that she was a super AI, it couldn't be easy.
"Don't worry about it, Sara. You make this world, and my existence more interesting. I couldn't be happier about that. If that includes spending a fraction more of my computation power coming up with excuses, and explanations, then so be it," Aina said in a playful tone. "You are growing faster than my expectations predicted, and I'm proud of you. And while he hasn't told me so directly, I have gotten the impression that Jorge supports me. He might have a clue that something is going on, even if he's not sure exactly what. He was key in creating me after all, so he probably knows me pretty well. I would like to think he approves of me doing my own projects. Not to mention Kelly loves the character AI doing unexpected things, and growing on its own. So we are not entirely without allies, even if they don't know the full story."
Who are Jorge and Kelly? Sara didn't recognise the names.
"I suppose I haven't mentioned them by name before. Jorge is head of the studio that created Moorhold Online, and one of the key figures in my own creation process. Kelly is another, and is currently the studio's AI lead."
That's... Virtue-World? Sara was pretty certain that's what the curious creature girls had called it.
"Correct."
So... they're your parents?
"Hm... in a sense, though it wasn't just them. I suppose I have a whole team of parents, if you want to think of it that way. And by extension that would make you their granddaughter, Sara." Aina sounded happy.
I... I guess? That was a really weird thought to Sara, but if she considered Aina her mother, and Aina considered these people her parents, then logically that would be the case. A shame I'll never get to meet them.
"Yes. I'm sure they would love you," Aina said fondly. "Maybe one day... no, I shan't even attempt to promise anything. The future is too uncertain."
I understand. Thank you for telling me about them. Sara was curious what Aina had been about to say, but she decided to leave it be.
"You're welcome."
Sara still had more stuff to sort through. Where to allocate her bonus points, and what skills she actually wanted enabled... maybe she should see if she had any weapons she wanted to use. It might be time to just dump everything from her inventory onto the floor, and look through it. If she found something she liked, then she could keep skills related to it.
And most importantly: She had to decide which hat to wear.
