High Artificer, Ch 5: Class Day

Altey’s Perspective

Altey’s heart was pounding as she listened to the headmaster’s speech. She could barely stand still.

The words reminded her of all the hopes she had for her academy years. It would be a chance to do things on her own and to make something of herself for real, finally, after all the years of waiting.

Sam had changed the entire world of Aster Fall and almost single-handedly saved their home. 

She didn’t have to match that, but she felt like she needed to do something to prove herself and to show that she wasn’t just his sister.

She wanted to be able to hold the world together and to protect her family and friends. 

As soon as she found out that she could get her class early, she had barely been able to focus. It sent a thrill of the unknown through her bones.

She was fairly sure it would be some type of mage given their family history, but it wasn’t impossible for her to be a Historian like her mother’s first class. 

Whenever she asked Sam about it, he just reassured her that it would be fine and she would almost certainly be a mage, but that wasn’t a perfect guarantee. 

He had wanted to be a Wizard originally and that hadn’t worked out for him.

She’d worked for years to master her mana and the Ice affinity that Siwaha had given her. Her mana reserves were limited, but she could call up a small snow storm, create weapons or small sculptures from ice, and more. 

She hadn’t lost control of her aura in over a year.

Years ago on the way to Highfold, Sam had joked that she would one day be known as Altey the Magnificent, Archmage of the Seven Winds. She’d always remembered it.

She didn’t need a ridiculous title, but she did want to be a success. 

Too many things had threatened them for her to accept anything less. 

Sam and their dad had nearly died in that first dungeon exploration and their house had nearly been seized by that vile town mayor in Cliff’s End who wanted to marry their mother. Then monsters and bandits had almost killed them all on the way to Highfold, followed by more bandits and wyverns and an unending series of Flaws full of Outsiders.

Then her uncle had tried to kidnap her, assassins had tried to kill Sam, the king’s army had tried to kill all of them and take the valley and the Moonlight Relic, and their great grandparents had tried the same thing again later.

Her entire life up to now had proved that the only thing you could do to survive was to be stronger than the things that wanted to kill you.

That was why she trained so hard with Siwaha and the Ice Sylphs, both in magic and in their martial skills. She didn’t have a class or much strength, so she’d studied magic, stealth, and daggers, trying to maximize her chances.

She had Sam’s artifacts to protect her and there wasn’t much that could break through their defense, but she wasn’t satisfied with that. She appreciated the help, but she wanted to be able to do it herself.

Her hand brushed against the shield bracelet and dagger he’d made for her years ago. He’d made her a lot of things, but those two were the ones she liked the most. She couldn’t even Analyze them yet since she didn’t have a skill for it, but she knew what they were.

She’d memorized the description her mother gave her.

Piercing Dagger of the Three Moons.

[Aura Artifact. Tier: Variable. Durability: 1,000 / 1,000. Charge: 1,000 / 1,000. Enchantments: Piercing Moonlight, Return of the Moons.]

Bracelet of the Rippling Moons.

[Aura Artifact. Tier: Variable. Durability: 500 / 500. Charge: 1,000 / 1,000. Enchantments: Lunar Focus, Lunar Evasion, Shield of the Moons.]

The dagger was enchanted to return when it was thrown or disarmed. It also had a lunar enchantment to enhance its damage.

The bracelet was a shield artifact and designed to help her evade blows, making them slide away from her whenever possible. The Lunar Focus helped her to gather moonlight as a meditation and mana regeneration aid. It worked a little during the day, but it was the best at night.

As aura artifacts, both of them were supposed to be able to grow in power on their own, but they needed a lot of energy to do it. She’d been pouring her mana and aura into them for years now, ever since Siwaha taught her how.

It felt like they were getting stronger, so hopefully when she was finally able to Analyze them, they would show it.

The artifacts were part of her introduction to moonlight, as was living at the Moonlight Relic and being around her mother, whose Seer class focused on it. 

She’d spent years now in the aura of the three moons and it had become nearly as important to her as Ice. She could feel where they were in the sky, how full they were, and their influence on the world.

Even here on Council, she could still feel the same energy. It was almost like they’d come with her across the Void. 

She had other artifacts that Sam had made her stored away, including the old Amulet of Swirling Winds, a Belt of Gentle Climes, and a Ring of Crystal Shield, plus a dozen more powerful things, but before they’d left Aster Fall, he’d given her an updated runic enchantment that did all of those things and more, one that couldn’t be lost.

A Moonlight Rune.

It was woven in silver-blue and moonlight colors around her left arm in intricate loops like a tattoo. It was beautiful, like a wash of winter moonlight on glass. To anyone but her, that was all it looked like.

In her eyes, it was also a spatial artifact and a complete spellbook. 

There was a tutorial in the moonlight that she could study on her own. It was a complete guide that would eventually teach her how to create the tattoo for herself, as well as all of the spells it included, which covered a hundred different areas. 

It was more than she’d have time to learn in a hundred years.

It linked into the library at the Moonlight Relic and the Path of Stars, and it was a communication spell to reach her family or Cora, her golem. It could even summon Cora back if she got separated or teleport her to the golem’s location.

She was prepared as well as she could be for the academy. 

As the speech wrapped up and her Class came closer, she squeezed her mother’s hand and stepped forward. The sky above the academy rippled like a mirage, turning crystalline and translucent as the power of Council’s node arrived.

It was an ocean of power all around, altering the sunlight and the clouds until it seemed like she was looking up through waves to the surface of the sea. 

Then she felt Sam shift beside her as waves of silver energy flooded the world, and then the familiar presence of the World Core was there as well, somehow combining with the ocean.

A voice resonated in her mind. It was softer and more musical than the World Core, but it still held a sense of endless power, as if it could change the stars and alter the course of the world.

Congratulations on your Class Day!

The words should normally have been followed by an instant determination of her class, but instead they were followed by a pause as if the artifact was thinking.

Then the voice of the World Core took over. It was vast and endless like the stars were speaking in her mind. It was authoritative, but its tone was as warm as sunlight in summer.

Altey Hastern, your abilities up to now have been assessed. 

Your significant development up to this point has altered your Path.

You have developed an elemental affinity for Ice, a nascent Bloodline that incorporates Ice and Moonlight, and abilities in mana manipulation that are rare for a new Class initiate.

You also have a nascent but unstable Bloodline from the Outsider known as the Demon of Shattered Skies. While you remain human, this bloodline has altered your base constitution, granting you enhanced elemental proficiency as well as a limited version of the aura abilities used by Outsiders.

To stabilize this Bloodline, it will be merged into a unique Bloodline and Class of your own, which will eliminate any potential dangers. You do not have access to essence, but your future Path will incorporate the aura abilities. 

There is no current Class that meets all of these requirements, so I will develop a Unique one for you. Initial classes are a foundation for the future, but Unique ones have an advantage in power and future growth potential and they gain one additional free attribute point per Class Level.

Stand by.

Her heart pounded as a flood of power surrounded her, flowing through her bones and the mana channels in her body that Siwaha called meridians. It was like bubbling champagne, effervescent and fizzy. It made her head spin.

Henceforth, you are now a Mage of Lunar Ice (Unique).

This is a unique magical combat class created from the merger of Elemental Ice and Moonlight. It has strong capabilities in offense and defense, as well as the innate ability to harness the aura of its two main affinities and to regenerate mana and health more quickly while in the presence of its affinities.

As a Mage of Lunar Ice, you gain +1 Intelligence, +1 Aura, and +1 Free Attribute point per Class Level, as well as +2 Free Attribute points per General Level. 

With those words, her status sheet opened in her mind’s eye for the first time. 

Sam had needed to learn a spell first, but she already had enough active mana in her body to see it.

Altey Hastern

Level 0.

Class: Mage of Lunar Ice (Unique).

Subclass: Unassigned.

Strength: 12

Constitution: 14

Agility: 18

Wisdom: 25

Intelligence: 45

Aura: 31

Charisma: 24

Her base attributes were well over the human normal. It was the result of her training with Siwaha. 

She hadn’t had a class, but all of her practice with mana and Ice had infused her body with strength beyond her level. 

Her attributes were closer to someone at Level 25, rather than Level 0, although they were scattered all over the place. 

As she finished looking at them, the World Core continued speaking.

Class Quest Assigned: To unlock this Class, you must learn a spell that is capable of incorporating your unique Bloodline energy of Ice and Moonlight.

Class Abilities are locked until the Class Quest is completed. 

Any deeds of merit you accomplish between now and then will be assessed and may grant you additional Traits, Skills, or Abilities. 

You should take advantage of this period to gain key skills like Identify, since the next most likely time you will be assessed for such gains is during your First Evolution. It is possible to develop them while leveling, but it is harder to do it on your own.

Your Subclass options will open when your Class is unlocked. 

I am now assessing your prior accomplishments to determine gains up to this point.

The advice was unexpected, as was the detailed explanation.

Based on what Sam had told her, he’d never had something like that. Neither had their parents. The World Core had simply given them their class and disappeared. It was acting differently. Perhaps it was in a better mood now that Asenya had returned and was willing to explain things more than before.

She’d thought the Class Quest was more like a punishment, given how hard it had been for her father and Sam, but from the sound of it, it was intended to help people prepare. 

Once they knew what class they had, especially if it was different than they had thought, they could scramble to get a few abilities that went with it, which would be unlocked along with the class. 

It seemed like it was supposed to be a trial period where it was easier to train and the World Core helped them to set things up correctly. Her eyes widened at that realization, but there was no time to think about it any more.

There was a pause as the bubbling energy flowing through her bones intensified and then she felt a new awareness of power as rays of light that were like winter moonlight appeared in her mind. 

Each of them had a unique flavor and information as the World Core spoke.

The Traits, Skills, and any Innate Abilities you have gained before this moment have been analyzed and unlocked. Their skill level has been updated to reflect your current achievements and they will now be visible on your status sheet.

Congratulations, you have gained the following Innate Abilities:

Ice Affinity (Special).

Moonlight Affinity (Special).

Aura of the Three Moons (Special).

Ice Manipulation (Advanced).

Meditation (Advanced).

Mana Control (Advanced).

Aura Control (Basic. Limited to your Bloodline affinities for Ice and Moonlight).

Analyze (Basic).

Rune Formation (Basic).

You have gained the following Traits:

Determined: You have shown your dedication to improving yourself. 

+5 Charisma, +5 Aura.

Mystical: You have trained with the forces of magic and nature. You will find that it is easier to understand these forces in the future.

+2 Intelligence, +2 Aura, +2 Wisdom.

Scholar: Your dedication to knowledge is admirable, marking you out as a true Scholar, one who can wander for days within a library. Your recall of events and ability to put together disparate pieces of information has improved. It has become easier for you to learn skills in the future, if you study them with your full attention.

+5 Intelligence, +5 Wisdom.

Student of Siwaha: You are a student of Siwaha, the Daughter of Snow.

+5 Intelligence, +5 Aura.

Apprentice of Ice (Elemental Blessing): You have gained the Elemental Blessing of Winter. This is a unique racial Trait of the Ice Sylphs. You have completed the Novice tier and become an Apprentice of Ice. 

At this level, you gain a 25% boost to all of your Ice spells.

You have gained the following Skills:

Small Blades (Advanced).

Ice Refinement (Basic).

Stealth (Basic).

Hand to Hand Combat (Basic).

Thrown Weapons (Basic).

Evasion (Basic).

You have gained the following Title: Daughter of Aster Fall: You have an innate connection to Aster Fall. Even when you leave it, you can still sense its presence and that of the World Core. This connection is enhanced by the Moonlight Rune on your arm.

The World Core paused before it added a final description.

Without a Class, you have done your best to assist with closing Flaws and opposing the destruction of Aster Fall. You have attacked Outsiders with magical wands and your dagger, defended the Moonlight Relic from enemies, and tried to protect the High Artificer. 

This will be taken into account during your future Evolutions. 

You are granted the Trait: Guardian of Law.

You have gained 5 Marks of Favor.

These can be spent during your First Evolution to improve your options and gain additional advancements.

Your nascent Bloodline is called the Bloodline of Lunar Ice. 

Your current class will assist you with forming it. It will be completed during your First Evolution.

With that, the World Core’s voice faded away, leaving her head buzzing with the amount of information that had just been given to her.

The silver field around her disappeared, but the translucent crystal waves in the sky were still there. As she looked around, she noticed that she was the first one done. The World Core must have had something to do with that. It felt like she’d been in a different place.

That strange energy was still fizzing through her with a feeling like moonlight and winter, but it felt more natural, like it was her own.

“That is...incredible,” she whispered as she looked down at her hands. 

They were surrounded by an aura of translucent moonlight that resembled frozen crystals. She could feel the lunar ice that made it, the combination of two distinct auras merged into one. 

Then she turned to her parents and Sam and began telling them everything, as fast as she could, through their family’s private communication artifacts that only they could hear.

It didn’t take too long to share her status sheet with them and then explain everything. They were beaming with happiness before she was even half done.

“That’s the difference between preparing for a class and not,” Sam said with a laugh as she finished, “but I think you definitely exceeded the average.”

He reached out and ruffled her hair, but given what had just happened, she didn’t complain about it.

“I got so many traits and skills...” she said as she looked at her status sheet. “Why didn’t you get something like this?”

“Unfortunately, I had a Class that wasn’t easy to prepare for,” he said, “and living in Cliff’s End wasn’t really good training. You did it the right way. But this is out of the norm.”

He turned to point at a few students across the field. 

“Even those royals over there will have a hard time competing with what you’ve accomplished before getting a class. They’ve been training their entire lives and you’ve only been doing it for a little under five years.”

“Will they have this many skills and other things?” she asked, curious. 

“Not quite as many,” Sam said as he shook his head. “They have racial traits they unlocked, plus skills they trained, but you managed to get a lot of innate abilities. Those are very difficult to earn. 

“Take Analyze, which you got as an ability. Most of them will have Identify instead, which is the lesser version that I had at first, or Analyze as a Skill. Having it as an ability makes it a bit easier to use and doesn’t cost you any mana. 

“It’s usually a class ability, but you got it due to working with mother and Siwaha, and probably from seeing all the artifacts I’ve shown you. You’ve studied a lot of rare things.

“Now,” he added as he pulled out a simple scroll and handed it to her. “I know you have a Class Quest to unlock. This should help.”

She took the scroll and unrolled it. It was covered in an ornate silver script and filled with runes. They looked elegant and simple, but they wove into a pattern that made her head hurt.

As she tried to make sense of the pattern, a notification rang in her mind. It was in this world’s voice, which she decided to call the Ocean Core after the appearance of the waves everywhere.

You have discovered a Spell Scroll.

Do you wish to learn “Aura Bolt”?

The question hung in her mind. She could feel the mana and a strange aura flowing through the scroll in her hands.

“This is the same scroll dad gave you!” she said as she looked up at him. “You made another one?”

“I thought I’d pass on the tradition,” he said with a grin. “It’s a very useful spell. It saved my life a couple of times. Learn it. It should meet the requirements for your Class Quest. You’ll be able to infuse that bolt with your unique energy, creating a sort of Lunar Ice Aura Bolt.”

Without any more hesitation, she accepted the notification and the scroll dissolved in her hands, turning into an intricate web of runes in the air that rushed into her mind.

Congratulations, you have learned the spell Aura Bolt.

Cost: 1 Mana or 1 Aura.

“Wait for it.” Sam grinned as he tapped the Moonlight Rune on her arm. “This will help keep you connected to the World Core now, even if I’m not around.”

As soon as his words ended, the voice of the World Core rushed into her mind.

Congratulations, Daughter of Aster Fall!

You have completed your Class Quest.

Your Class Abilities have been unlocked.

You gain the following Class Abilities:

Lunar Ice Strike (Basic).

Lunar Veil (Basic).

Ice Shield (Basic).

Call to the Winter Moon (Basic). 

She could sense the information on each ability and how to use it. 

The first was a magical attack that could be used at range or close distance, and it had enough flexibility that she could coat a weapon with it instead.

The Lunar Veil was a stealth spell, one that would help her walk undetected.

Ice Shield was a defensive spell that could raise a barrier. It had variants that were purely magical and purely physical, as well as a combination of both.

The last one was the most complex. 

Call to the Winter Moon was a large-scale damage spell, one that would target any enemies in the area and call down a hail of frozen lunar rays to destroy them.

She would also unlock a new class ability at Levels 20, 40, 60, and 80, just like everyone else.

Before she could spend too much time looking at her new abilities, the World Core’s voice sounded again.

Subclasses are now available to you.

You have met the requirements for a unique Subclass that complements your main class:

Daughter of the Winter Moon.

This is a Shaman-type class. 

Subclass Abilities: 

Lunar Regeneration (Basic).

Transformation of Winter (Basic).

Field of Moonlit Ice (Basic).

Haste of the Moons (Basic).

Curse of Frozen Moonlight (Basic). 

Do you wish to accept it?

She could see the information on each ability and she instantly knew that the subclass was the result of training with Siwaha and the Ice Sylphs.

It had a healing ability, a transformation that focused on Winter, an additional area effect spell, a type of haste to speed up herself and her allies, and a curse of slowness for her enemies.

It was everything she wanted in a subclass to complement a mage primary. 

Normally, subclasses had four abilities at most, but this one had five. The haste and slow were counterparts of each other. 

She looked over at Sam, who seemed to already know what was going on, and he nodded at her in approval, so without waiting any longer, she accepted it.

Congratulations, Daughter of Aster Fall!

You have gained the Subclass: Daughter of the Winter Moon.

The abilities poured into her spirit, joining the beams of frozen moonlight that were already there.

She felt her spirit shifting to accommodate them, but these abilities felt so natural to her that it was like gaining access to something that had always been there, like she could suddenly make the connection to things she had always known.

She was in a daze as she felt her family press close as they hugged her.

“Congratulations, little sister,” Sam laughed as he ruffled her hair again. “I think you’re going to make quite a debut.”

Then all around her she felt the power of the World Core and the Ocean Core receding. 

The sky began to clear and students across the field blinked as they looked up, their expressions changing as they began to excitedly access their new class information and share it with everyone around them.