With the pressure gone, Greg and I spent some more relaxing time polishing up the last few skills and lessons. I also ensured access to a few other good inscriptions, like resizing, stealth, and, of course, mental resistance. I paid what felt like an arm and a leg for the entire set of mental resistance runes all the way up to rank ten. Sylvester''s pockets were practically empty, but I could always do some work or make a donation as Syl if I was truly desperate.
Greg also bragged nonstop about the unicorn horn and his plans for it. I was a little surprised at how happy it made him, and I hoped that if I returned as Sylvester, I could see the final result in the future.
I also finally took the plunge to fully enchant my cores; after much trial and error on Kappa, I came up with the final results. For my [Sub-Cores], I engraved them with durability and self-repair. The synergy between the two couldn''t be overstated, and I hoped that it would save me a lot of slime mass in the future from repairs. However, I went with mental and magic resistance for my own core, which also had a synergy bonus. Being mentally controlled again was still one of my biggest fears, and while the slow regeneration of self-repair was tempting for my own core, I''d rather have the extra safety.
Using the tool on my own core was... An experience. I was extremely grateful I could borrow [Pain Suppression] from the orcs. Otherwise, I don''t think I could have completed it. I guess I could have ordered my [Sub-Cores] to do it, but even though I trusted and relied on them, I felt compelled to do this myself. It had the added benefit of seeing more of what [Core Collective] offered me; I could freely and instantly switch my vision between all my cores, far greater than before, and even have multiple perspectives simultaneously.
I still couldn''t separate my [Sub-Cores] from myself, going completely inert when losing a direct slime connection to myself, so I wasn''t entirely sure how useful having numerous perspectives at once was. Perhaps that restriction would go away if I uncapped [Core Collective]? Or maybe another slime or trait held that ability?
''Maybe my next evolution will be the Chimeric Range Cluster Slime... Heh.''
I also finally let Kappa join the [Sub-Core] experience network. The time for rapid trial and error was gone, and now I could hopefully practice with [Rune Tracing] alone. Hopefully, Kappa would be power-leveled to five in no time.
Now that I didn''t need to spend every waking moment breathing enchanting, I finally returned to [Arcane Magic]. I was now armed with a higher level in both [Mana Manipulation] and [Mana Conception], and I wanted to finish that debuff. It took two evenings to wrestle the mana into cooperating until I finalized the spell, and after casting it, I was rewarded.
<Spell [Hex] discovered.>
<[Arcane Magic LV 3] spell [Aegis] learned.>
The debuff [Hexed] inflicted magic weakness; I had my suspicions and was beyond speechless when they were confirmed. How deadly would a [Fireball] be if they were double debuffed? Or a [Lightning Bolt]? If I had to take a guess, assuming both debuffs were at an equal level, [Hexed] would be less effective than [Flammable] or any other specifically targeted debuff. When I asked Thern for magic resistance on my armor, he mentioned that the more effective option was focusing on a specific defense rather than having broad, generalized protection. So, I could only assume the same applied offensively.
Now for my new spell, [Aegis] instantly created a small shield that, from what I understood, was highly effective against spells. It could also block physical attacks, but it seemed more of a side benefit and wasn''t nearly as effective as its primary purpose. Interestingly, the spell didn''t cost a lot of mana to cast unless you maintained it where it had an almost exponentially increasing cost. Block an attack and let it go as soon as possible was the clear impression I got. Once the [Aegis] was in place, it couldn''t be moved, and interestingly enough, it could even support my weight. If I didn''t already have wings, I could make "steps" by cycling between two [Aegis] spells.
My goals were accomplished, and my time likely completely ran out. It was time to say goodbye to Sylvester for now, anyway. I looked over my profile at my final results and smiled happily. The only thing that shocked me was the fact that despite all the Engraving I did, it was still level one!
Name: Sylvester [Apprentice]
Race: Chimeric Cluster Slime (Blue) LV 1 (-8)
Class: Runecrafter LV 18
Status: Healthy
Mana: Overflowing
Emblems:
[Experiment]
[Apex Hunter]
[Elven Legacy]
[Dungeoneer]
[Nature''s Bane]
[Manhunter]
[Apprentice]*
Traits:
Slime:
[Mana Slime LV 11]
[Acid Slime LV 7]
[Poison Slime LV 6]
[Blaze Slime LV 6]
[Cryo Slime LV 5]
[Voltaic Slime LV 6]
[Morph Slime LV 7]
[Pseudopod LV 7]
[Slime Shot LV 7]
[Slime Burst LV 6]
[Vaporize Slime]
Core:
[Core Collective LV 8]
[Core Storage LV 6]
[Sub-Core Alpha LV 5] [Sub-Core Zeta LV 5]
[Sub-Core Beta LV 5]
[Sub-Core Gamma LV 5] [Sub-Core Eta LV 5]
[Sub-Core Delta LV 5] [Sub-Core Theta LV 5]
[Sub-Core Epsilon LV 5] [Sub-Core Iota LV 5]
[Sub-Core Kappa LV 1]
Mimic:
[Chimeric Mimicry LV 7]
[Chroma Shift LV MAX]
[Consuming Osmosis LV MAX]
Mana:
[Mana Circulation LV 7]
[Mana Reinforcement LV 7]
[Mana Infusion]
Attributes/Other:
[Soul Mastery LV 7]
[Enhanced Vitality LV 5]
[Magic Resistance (Lesser) LV 5]
[Curse Resistance LV 1]
[Illusion Resistance LV 1]
[Prodigy]
Senses:
[Olfactory Sense]
[Dark Vision LV MAX]
[Mana Conception LV 6]
[Life Sight LV 4]
[Thermal Vision LV MAX]
[Eagle Vision LV 3]
[Electro-Magnetic Sense LV 3]
Trait Points remaining: 2
The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Skills:
General:
[Universal Language]
[Equipment Swap]
[Dissection LV 6]
[Mapping LV 5]
[Tracking LV 2]
[Identify LV 5]
[Multitasking LV 5]
[Perception LV 4]
[Aerial Finesse LV 4]
Combat:
[Tranquil Flow LV 5]
[Attack Mastery (Lesser) LV 7]
[Affliction Mastery LV 5]
[Exploit Weakness LV 3]
Magic:
[Water Magic LV 5]
[Fire Magic LV 5]
[Corrosion Magic LV 5]
[Ice Magic LV 5]
[Arcane Magic LV 3]
[Lightning Magic LV 3]
[Mana Manipulation LV 6]
[Magic Efficiency LV 5]
[Counter Magic LV 3]
[Elemental Shift LV 5]
[Elemental Adaptation]
[Ritual Casting]
[Mana Suppression]
[Meditate]
Sneaky:
[Vanish LV 6]
[Sneak Attack LV 6]
[Identity Fabrication LV 6]
[Acting LV 5]
[Rogue Expertise LV 4]
[Magical Subterfuge LV 3]
[Subtle Afflictions]
Skill Points remaining: 15
Profession:
Enchanting:
[Rune Reading LV 6]
[Rune Engraving LV 1]
[Rune Framework LV 7]
[Rune Tracing LV 5]
[Rune Design LV 3]
[Runecrafting LV 2]
[Rune Inspection LV 5]
[Rune Filigree LV 3]
[Rune Repair LV 2]
[Brand]
Profession Points Remaining: 0
Since I was leaving and traveling, I had a good excuse to swap back to my combat class. I was a little worried about changing my class, but when I asked if I could do so privately, James nodded as if it was the most common request in the world. Without fanfare or complications, I switched to Elementalist and changed Sylvester''s profile to show Cryomancer.
I had almost expected Johnathan to make an appearance, but instead, I just got a nicely written letter thanking me for my services and to not hesitate if I wished to sell my services to the Green estate in the future.
On the other hand, Greg looked proud and handed me a card that showed me as a licensed enchanter, authorized by the Kaerlin Merchant''s Guild and directly apprenticed under Gregory. My guild tag was also updated with these credentials, but the physical object was useful when dealing with someone who couldn''t access it.
"And with that. I believe you''ve graduated from your [Apprenticeship]." Greg said, giving a nod.
<[Apprentice] emblem has been removed.>
<[Apprenticeship] criteria has been met. Results finalized.>
''Well, that''s a relief. I would have hated to lose some of my levels after all that effort...''
Greg took in a deep breath. He looked like he was about to pass out.
"I gained three levels..." Greg murmured as if not believing it himself.
Thern woke him from shock with a signature slap on the back. "You lucky bastard!"
From what I understood, the skill levels gained by his [Apprenticeship] were based on multiple factors: speed, efficiency, lesson quality, satisfaction from the target, and final results. Greg had heard [Prodigy] would likely give him an extra level by default, and Thern had confirmed that rumor. Either Greg truly went above and beyond, or another factor was at play. I had two theories, but I obviously couldn''t voice them. One was that he had effectively trained me and all of my [Sub-Cores], so he was accidentally rewarded for "extra" students. The other theory was that he had taught a monster; how many people could honestly say that accomplishment?
''Well... Not that Greg could brag about that, unfortunately.''
I said goodbye to Thern and James at the guild, but Greg walked me to the gate. Thern told me to visit the dwarves sometime, which I couldn''t help but find hilariously ironic. James simply thanked me and hoped to do business together in the future. I probably should have interacted with him more, but it seemed this guild''s handlers were a bit more hands-off than the Adventurer''s Guild. Or perhaps Sylvester just wasn''t as high-profile as to warrant additional attention.
"Send letters if you can. And please come visit again." Greg said.
"Thanks for everything, Mas-"
"No! Just Greg now." He interrupted with a chuckle.
"Thanks, Greg. I''ll try to stop by if I get an opportunity, or at least send a letter or two through the guild branches," I said.
We exchanged a solid handshake and said our final farewell. Then Sylvester left the gate. Unfortunately, I had to keep up appearances, so I walked quite a distance before finding an appropriate opportunity to head off the road and shift. I took some time to blob out for a bit before finally assuming my Syl persona. I also equipped my [Dungeoneer] emblem and ensured my profile reflected everything correctly.
Then, I casually strolled back to the city while openly practicing my magic again as I began shifting all my cores into different elements. I was returning to my two of each type, except I would keep Alpha and Beta unaligned and on [Corrosion Magic] or [Arcane Magic] duty. I had Kappa join Zeta to fill the missing gap for Water.
When I reached the gate, I was immediately set upon by one of the guards. At first, I was cautious, but then he bowed before me.
"Miss Syl, it''s so good to see you back! Can you please report to the Adventurer''s Guild directly?" He asked politely.
"Sure? Is there a problem?" I asked curiously.
"Quite a few people have asked if you''ve returned." He said with a chuckle.
I nodded, and after flashing my adventurer tag, I headed in. I had grown used to walking about the city as Sylvester and being just another head in the crowd, but unfortunately, that time had ended. Assuming I hadn''t lost my chances with Thern, I hoped the dwarves would be less unabashed about staring and talking about the elf.
I hadn''t even reached the guild yet when I saw a familiar figure rapidly approaching me. Clearly, someone had already told the guild I was back. I braced myself for impact as she flung herself at me.
"Syl! You''re back!" Whitney exclaimed as she practically hung from my neck.
"H-hey..." I struggled out. "Good to see you again."
"I can''t believe you were gone for so long! We knew you were still alive but thought you''d be back long ago."
"Well..."
"Some said you got lost in a dungeon!"
"Actually-"
"Others said you went back to the elves!"
"..."
"People were worried you might have been kidnapped. Or the orcs came to take revenge on you. Or-"
"Stop!" I said, placing a hand over her mouth. "I''m fine. I was on Glimmerock for longer than I expected..."
"So you actually got up there?" Whitney said as if not believing me.
"I got countless griffon and pegasus feathers, beaks and claws, and even unicorn horns to prove it," I said with a hesitant chuckle.
"You really don''t hold back, huh..."
"I guess not. I learned a bunch, killed a bunch, leveled up a bunch, and now I''m back."
Whitney looked at me up and down, likely with [Identify] too. "What class even is that? I don''t think I''ve ever heard of an Elementalist before."
"It''s pretty rare. Think Dewi''s Pyromancer class specialized except for Water, Fire, Ice, and Lightning." I answered. "For now, anyway."
"You actually got Lightning? Holy shit, Syl!" Whitney gasped.
"I got something else, too," I said with a wink and tried to subtly show her the [Eagle Vision] trait.
Whitney''s eyes went wide; there was a brief pause followed by another impromptu hug. If she wasn''t trying to strangle me before, now she was clearly trying to finish the job.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She said excitedly. You''d think I just gave her a pink slime core or something with how excited she was.
"I''m glad you like it," I eventually said when she started to calm down. "I hope this makes up for my absence."
"Well, you''ve certainly bought me off. I''ll put in a good word with the others." Whitney said with a giggle.
"Hmm... I didn''t realize my absence would be taken so badly." I replied, scratching my cheek.
"Thern was quite upset. Apparently, you''ve delayed something or other. But lately, he''s stopped complaining and has been pretty cheery. Lisa thought you were the reason pegasi went wild. Luke has just been plain worried."
"Hmm... The pegasi might be my fault." I answered honestly.
"Well... I hope it was worth it because you know how much Lisa hates paperwork!" Whitney said teasingly.
I rolled my fingers in a small flourish, letting a little bit of Lightning Mana crackle and spark between them.
"Definitely worth it," I said with a grin.