New approach to rulership, for better or worse?
As I skimmed the article that Thalia had handed me, my eyes drifted over to where Jax, Sir Oinks-a-lot, and I laid on a line of towels on the lakeshore. We were each in sets of swim shorts that Thalia had made, letting the sun warm and tan us as down the beach we could hear Liora, Selene and Beatrice playing in the shallow surf.
At least it started as playing, with each splashing the other and running around, but by this point the three were using skills to launch frankly overkill amounts of water at each other with sounds of war cries and occasional shaking of the ground from impacts.
"What's this about?"
I asked as I sat up and looked over at Thalia who was standing with us from where she had probably been sent flying by the aquatic warzone's casualty zone.
"It's an article about the new government that was set up in Frigund, apparently it's leading to a bunch of innovations."
Thalia said, her monotone voice showing no lean one way or the other on the matter.
"Huh, good for them I guess."
I said shrugging as I snuggled back into my towel to continue suntanning.
"You don't seem very invested in such big news events."
Thalia said leaning in as if concerned by my nonchalance.
"Hey, last time we were concerned about big events like that, we found out grandpa somehow banged a sword."
Will said in my head as next to him Thrive nodded with his arms crossed.
"Just thinking about it hurts."
An uncomfortable squirming moved through all 3 of us as I shifted on my towel before turning back again and looking at Thalia.
"It's another country we haven't even been to, while It's probably got some big stuff happening, I can only get but so invested."
Thalia stared with a disgruntled look before turning away and walking back towards the ATV's trailer and shutting the door, hanging the changing within sign out the small window before drawing the small drapes.
She had been oddly particular about big things, and from what everyone could tell, she had become enthralled and fascinated by stuff pertaining to the fateless as of late.
It's been almost 3 months since the Zilla attack on Bearreach, as we had been traveling along the coast of Alucan on our trip to Selene's home in Tessegog, and while we had conflicts here and there, for the most part the journey had been mostly uneventful aside from some small gathering quests.
I mumbled the word system as the familiar screen appeared and the newer, more annoying one also popped up.
Aiden Hallowcreek
Age: 23
Class: Alchemist - LV.20 (Locked until evolution)
XP: 24,811/55,000
HP: 83/83
MP: 107/107
Stats:
Str: 23
Dex: 32
Con: 25
Int: 39
Wis: 21
Cha: 0
Skills:
You have reached level 20
You have achieved something grand(Favor of The Scion of Pride)
Your class is ready to evolve
Catalyst Crafter(D)
Toxicologist(D)
Ancient Physician(B)
It had unlocked after I reached level 20, though it seems out of all the others, I'm the only one that got my choices ready right after reaching level 20. We have no Idea who the Scion of Pride is, but apparently, they are why I have my class evo available.
We all talked and everyone came to the agreement that I should wait for them to get their evos, that way we all power up together, but its like making a kid watch presents being slowly brought out a week before their birthday and telling them to wait.
I have been patient, but I won't lie and say I haven't read over the descriptions of each time and time again
Catalyst Crafter(D)
While finding their origins in the production of potions, the Catalyst Crafter steps away from potions with the goal of refining ingredients to be better.
Unlocking condition: ingest 50 raw ingredients
Toxicologist(D)
While potions can lean towards help and harm, toxicologists lean towards harm more than help. From paralytics, laxatives, suppressants, and more. The darker sides of alchemy and its processes will give you an edge
Unlock condition: ingest 10 different poisons
Ancient Physician(B)
Alchemy like any study is prone to change and alteration over time, yet as quantity became the focus over quality, much is lost. Ancient Physician is one who turns to the past for solutions in the present
Unlock condition: brew a potion not brewed again in 10,000 years
In all honesty, the choice was in many ways obvious, and yet, it was because I have been forced to wait that it feels more like a trap.
"Oh gods, he's going down this tangent again"
Thrive grumbled despite his original interest in the topic, he became annoyed at its mention by the 200th time or so.
Both will and thrive seemed to quickly make their way to a small corner of the mind space as I continued my thought process.
On one hand, the rank alone would be a good reason to select ancient physician, but it could also be a trap requiring a bunch of uber expensive and fancy materials we just do not have access to.
Toxicologist could be good, especially with the testing I have done on my world will technique, but if it limited my options for medical applications, our party would go from 1/3 of a healer, to zero of a healer.
Though the personal weakest of the three in terms of what kinds of stuff it could allow me to do, practically the catalyst crafter could make a lot of sense. We could develop and sell alchemical parts for extra money, and using the parts I made could maybe even push potions to a point beyond their normal capacity.
Jax noisily sipped his drink from beside his towel with a straw as my thoughts paused for a moment and I nuzzled in, just happy to be relaxing, laying on a towel instead of the sand, and just enjoying the sun.
"ACK, Be careful Liora, you knocked Selene's top off."
......
Ok, on second thought, the towel also works great as a blanket.