Soul of the Warrior

Reivyn awoke once more before dawn, refreshed and feeling energized. Their plan at the ballroom had gone much better than they had anticipated, and he was feeling great.

Now we just need to watch out for Silfa stepping up the next challenge, Reivyn thought as he stretched his body. She doesn't seem malicious, but she definitely comes across as one who's greatly entertained by the situation.

Reivyn headed out to the backyard to continue exploring new avenues for his abilities, and he was slightly surprised to find Serilla waiting for him. She was dressed in simple workout attire, as well, and she was already swinging her sword around.

"Morning," Reivyn called, beginning some calisthenics.

Serilla stopped swishing the training sword and turned to face Reivyn.

"Kefira thought it would be a good idea for me to get some training in with you," she stated simply. "I just advanced to Tier 4 after receiving the final push from my monthly Life Experience calculations, and I thought I was doing a really good job with getting an Epic Class...

"Now that I've met you, I'm not so sure, anymore. Tier 2 with a Mythic Class." Serilla shook her head. "I need to do better if I'm going to remain relevant to Kefira, and I can already tell that your entry into her life has already started to propel her beyond what she was previously headed to."

"My Class is technically a Legendary Tier 3 Class," Reivyn said after some thought, "and that's only one rarity above Epic. It's just the nature of how and when I got the Class that made it Mythic."

"Yeah, but that's even more rare, so if you look at it a certain way, it's still genuinely mythical," Serilla argued.

"I was just trying to lessen the blow," Reivyn shrugged. "So what's your goal with training with me?"

"To get stronger," Serilla said as if it was obvious.

"That's a given." Reivyn shook his head. "I mean, what's your goal? Short-term and long-term. If you train with a specific direction in mind, you'll be able to tailor your exercises accordingly, and you'll get much further."

"I need to get a Legendary Class at Tier 5," Serilla said, determination in her eyes.

"You're not aiming low." Reivyn nodded in approval. "So that's the long-term goal, and we probably have several years to get there unless you start heading off to run all of the Dungeons every reset."

"Even then it would take a long time," Serilla said. "Experience gains noticeably drop at Tier 3, and it only gets worse the higher one's Tier gets. I'm only Level 1 Tier 4, and I need 42,400 Experience to reach Level 2. There are 150 Levels in Tier 4. It takes almost 11 million Experience to get to Tier 5 from Level 1 Tier 4."

"I thought Experience gains only dropped if you fought things below your Tier," Reivyn said with a frown.

"Well, yeah, but most of the Dungeons don't start with Tier 4 monsters, even the ones in our Tier 4 Region. Only the premiere Dungeon of the Region has all Tier 4 monsters with Tier 5 bosses. The Dungeons in our Region, and most Tier 4 Regions, are like a pyramid: There are four Dungeons with tier 1 to 2 monsters, three with Tier 2 to 3, two with Tier 3 to 4, and one with Tier 4.

"Tier 5 and up Regions are slightly different. Tier 5 is a watershed, and it acts like Tier 1 relative to Tier 4. There will be about four or five Dungeons in a Tier 5 Region with Tier 5 monsters and some Tier 6 bosses. Tier 6 Regions will have four with Tier 5's, and three with Tier 6's. Et cetera, et cetera.

"But it's not so simple as just hopping over the border to a Tier 5 Region. Sure, there are places like that in the world, and you could even find all of the Tiers close to each other in certain special areas, but our Region isn't bordering a Tier 5 Region. There is some Wilderness to cross for about a month, at least, to get to the Tier 5 Region we send people to."

"What do you mean by wilderness?" Reivyn asked. "My understanding of wilderness is just uncivilized places."

"Not wilderness, but Wilderness, with a capital 'W,'" Serilla explained. "Wilderness, in terms of Regions, are places where the Mana density fluctuates erratically, and it's not fluctuating in fixed places. One moment you could be standing in a spot that feels like a Tier 1 Region, and the next moment, it feels like a Tier 6 Region.

"That's an extreme example, most Wilderness areas between Tier 4 and 5 don't exceed Tier 4 or 5 Mana density, but you get the idea."

"Huh, I never knew that."

"Why would you? It's not something a Tier 1 Region would be concerned with. If you had progressed all the way to a Tier 4 Academy in the usual way, you would have learned about it organically.

"You can think of each Local Group as a giant circle with concentric rings. The very center is a Tier 8 Region, and it expands outward all the way to Tier 1 Regions. The Tier 1 Regions are on the outer edge of the circle, so there are way more of them than any of the other Tiers.

"That's not a literal representation of what a Local Group looks like, but it gets the idea across."

"That makes a lot of sense. We did learn that there are multiple Tier 1's attached to a Tier 2, and multiple to a Tier 3, up and up to Tier 4, so it makes sense that there are way more Tier 1 Regions than any other. I just didn't know about the Wilderness, I thought the Regions progressed evenly to Tier 8."

"Nope, and there's also vast expanses of Wilderness between the Local Groups. The Wilderness has its own unique opportunities, but it's generally weaker than the Tier 4 Regions that border it. There are also no Dungeons or large deposits of valuable resources due to the fluctuating Mana density.

"But back on topic, there's a reason it takes years and years to reach Tier 5. You mentioned that your father was 33 when he was mid-Tier 5, and as far as I know, that's some sort of record. Kefira's parents are twice his age, and they're just reaching mid-Tier 5. Granted, they don't see much combat, but as the reigning monarchs, they have systems in place to not let them lag too far behind."

"The Imperial Guards are Tier 5," Reivyn pointed out. "What about them?"

"The Imperial Guards are low-Level Tier 5, and the youngest one is 45 years old." Serilla chuckled. "Don't forget, Vitality extends lifespan and keeps one looking younger, longer."

"That's a good point, but then again, my father was an Imperial Guard as a teenager."

"Didn't you say he was a Ceremonial Imperial Guard?" Serilla quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I hadn't realized there was such a large difference."

"If he was anything like you, and considering you said he has a Legendary Tier 5 Class I can only assume he was, then his actual combat power probably wasn't too far off from matching a typical high-Level Tier 4 Combat Class while still in Tier 3. The Imperial Guards only have Rare Classes, and some of them even had Uncommon Classes in Tier 2 or 3."

"That makes sense. My mother did say that he was way more powerful than anyone had expected when things went south."

"There you go. Anyway, to get back to the main point, again, I have time to increase the future rarity of my Classes if I put in the hard work. A lot of the powerhouses in Tier 5 and 6 weren't people who always had the maximum rarity Class for their Tier. There's at least one famous man who scraped by with the bare minimum for advancing each time: Uncommon Tier 3, Rare Tier 4, Epic Tier 5.

"It's common for hardworking people to gradually increase the rarity of their Classes as they go. It's the people who rush too fast without building their foundations or grow too lazy that get trapped."

"Well, that was some nice information you provided for me, and I do believe it was the most words you've ever spoken to me before." Reivyn smiled. "I think you just said more words now than the sum of everything you've said to me prior."

"Well, don't get used to it." Serilla rolled her eyes. "The only time we'll be hanging out without Kefira present is during these morning training sessions, and she told me she plans on joining again once all the tests are over."

"Fine by me. Anyway, your long-term goal is to upgrade to a Legendary Tier 5. The Imperial Guards have Rare Tier 5 Classes for the most part, and they're all below Master Level with their weapons Skills. That should be one of your short-term goals: Reach Level 75+ with your Primary weapon.

"What about auxiliary weapon Skills?" Reivyn asked.

"I'm familiar with the most common ones," Serilla answered. "It's always a good idea to have an understanding of what one may be fighting against. I have Spears, Hammers, Axes, and Daggers at around Level 10, each."

Reivyn nodded his head along to Serilla's explanation, thinking about a path forward for her.

"That's a good start. You're a Novice in each of those Skills, and I think another good short-term goal would be to bring those up to Apprentice Mastery, so Level 25. We should also throw in some other weapons to add to the list. I noticed you didn't mention any ranged weapons, so we'll add Throwing, Bows, and Whips to the mix, and if you want, I can teach you how to use a war fan."

"Do you have all of those Skills?" Serilla asked, surprised. She was present when he had demonstrated a near Mastery Level with Spears on top of his Swords Skill.

"Sort of." Reivyn smiled mysteriously. Serilla snorted and rolled her eyes. "I don't want to ruin the surprise, but I think there might be a pleasant outcome if we raise all of those to Apprentice Mastery. Not only that, but getting a better understanding of all of those weapons will also lay a broader foundation to expand upon with your Swords Skill.

"Have you been stalled out with your Swords Skill for a while, now?"

"Yeah, it's been sitting at 55 for months," Serilla confirmed. "It's not even a major threshold, but I've been stuck there for a long time.

"Hey, I've been telling you all about my Skills and Levels, what about you? What's your Swords and Spears Skills at?"

Reivyn did a quick check of his Status page before replying.

"They're sitting at 70," he said.

"70?!" Serilla was shocked. "Isn't Master Level reached at 75? You're definitely at that Level with Swords, and nearly there with Spears. How are your Skill Levels so low?"

"70 is low for a Tier 2?" Reivyn asked with amusement. Serilla rolled her eyes. "The simple fact is, I don't have the same major thresholds as everyone else. I think it'll balance out at Transcendence, but I'm not sure."

"Things just get weirder and weirder the more I learn about you." Serilla shook her head. "I've never heard of anyone having any Skills that didn't follow the same pattern: 1-24 for Novice, 25-49 for Apprentice, 50-74 for Expert, and 75-100 for Master."

"Huh, I just noticed, but there's no Journeyman Mastery Level," Reivyn said with a frown.

"Journeyman is a professional designation." Serilla shrugged. "People who are Journeyman with Lifestyle Classes are typically at Level 50 to 60 with their basic General Skills. They're low-Level Experts."

"Alright. Good to know."

Reivyn cut the conversation short, or he would never get anything done before he had to leave for his new job. The conversation wasn't actually that time-consuming, but every minute counted. He walked over and grabbed the different ranged weapons he had mentioned to Serilla.

"Ok, for the first short-term goal, we'll start with having you acquire the ranged Weapons Skills I mentioned," he said. "We'll start with Whips. It's a hand-held weapon with medium range, so it's probably the best transition weapon for you from melee to ranged. We'll work on Throwing after that."

The practice whip that was supplied to Kefira's yard looked like it had never been used. It was in pristine condition, and it was made out of some sort of soft cloth that wouldn't cause too much damage even when striking bare skin.

Reivyn tossed it to Serilla. The weight and shape made its balance wonky as it flew through the air, but Reivyn's Weapons Master Skill also applied to throwing things. It sailed like it was aerodynamically designed to do so.

Serilla started in surprise, thinking that she was going to have to dodge to catch the tricky weapon, but she stopped in place as it was thrown perfectly to her. She caught it and gave Reivyn a complicated look.

"Your Throwing Skill is also close to the Master Level?" She seemed defeated.

Reivyn barked a laugh and shook his head.

"Not exactly," he said. "Don't worry about it. If what I think can happen does happen, you'll understand.

"By the way, you never did tell me what your Tier 4 Class is. It might help me to design better training for you if I know."

"Sure. It's no secret." Serilla shrugged. "I'm The Sapphire Blade. It's a sort of Spell-Blade hybrid Class, but it focuses on the Ice Affinity, and my own unique charm was added to it. Tier 4 and up Classes are generally personalized to the individual."

"That I did know," Reivyn said.

"Alright, let's get to work."

---

The morning had been fruitful, if not for Reivyn, and Serilla had already unlocked Whips and was well on her way to unlocking Throwing. Once she got everything unlocked and started Leveling them, he would be able to participate more with his own Skills while helping her.

He wasn't discouraged by losing out on training himself. He remembered that his father had told him that training Reivyn had been the thing that pushed him past Level 100 in his Weapons Prodigy Skill. It would be good to get a different perspective while teaching.

And that could be doubled up with overseeing the training of the mercenaries we'll be sending out, Reivyn thought.

Reivyn took his time getting dressed in his officer's uniform. It was a different one from the formal attire he had worn the previous evening. Garet had supplied it to him when he had detailed his mission.

The biggest difference between the two uniforms was mobility and comfort. The other major difference was the lack of medals and other "accessories."

They looked roughly similar, but this one was paired with boots, and it was designed to be worn with armor over it, much like he had worn while in Drallo. He didn't put any of the armor on, though, as he wasn't going to be fighting today.

I may participate in sparring matches in the future, but even then it might send a certain message if I never wear armor.

He had breakfast while he waited, and it wasn't long after that there was a knock on the door. He set his finished plate aside for the staff to take care of and opened the door to find Kayzor waiting for him similarly attired, just with a General's rank insignia.

It might seem strange for a General to personally escort a lieutenant, but the Imperial Liaison Insignia offset that thought.

"You ready to go?" Kayzor asked, eyeing Reivyn up and down.

"Sure am, brother." Reivyn smiled.

Kayzor rolled his eyes.

"It's a good thing I like you," he said. "Notice how I feigned ignorance of your Class and Rarity at dinner the other night?"

"Yeah, I thought that was a little weird."

"It was so you could brag a little about it. Not everyone there knew everything about you."

"Ahh, I see. Thanks?"

"You're welcome." Kayzor nodded. He eyed Reivyn sideways as they walked toward the main palace. "What are you going to do to repay me?"

"Do my best to make sure your men don't die?" Reivyn queried.

"That's without saying! That's your main job, anyway!" Kayzor wasn't having any of that.

Action for action, Reivyn remembered the advice that Bellefrent had given him. Does this count as an action, though? It did have a good effect on Kefira's other siblings...

"Well, what do you want?" Reivyn asked.

"A regular sparring partner," Kayzor answered immediately.

"That..." Reivyn was tempted to say he could agree to that request immediately, but he held back for a moment.

I'm going to be super busy, and there's no telling when Silfa will start her next action to test me, Reivyn thought. If I blindly commit to this arrangement, I might be shooting myself in the foot.

"That can be arranged... eventually," Reivyn said, keeping it vague.

"I see you've been learning court lessons, already." Kayzor chuckled. "Don't worry. It's not a ploy by my parents to take up more of your time, though they would probably encourage me to do so if they knew. I'm ready to wait, and we can do something less regularly until you know exactly how much free time you'll have."

"In that case, yeah." Reivyn shrugged. "I don't see any reason to say no. I would have agreed even if it wasn't to repay you."

"Oh, yeah? I noticed you like to train." Kayzor laughed.

"If you're sitting still, you're falling behind," Reivyn said. "Other people are working toward getting better all the time."

"Are you serious?" Kayzor nearly came to a stop in surprise. "Who's going to surpass you in your age range? Kefira could, but she's with you, anyway."

"I recognize that I have a huge lead over my cohorts," Reivyn said. "But if I just take that for granted and coast along into the future, one day I'll meet someone in the same Tier as me who's stronger. I would only have myself to blame for that."

"If you say so."

Reivyn gave Kayzor a look.

"I'm not going to stay in a Tier 4 Region forever. The world is huge, and there's plenty of higher Tier Regions to explore."

"A lofty goal, but are you an Adventurer or a soldier?" Kayzor asked.

"Aeriella, the enemy commander, had a '6' tattooed on her neck," Reivyn replied. He looked at Kayzor through his lashes for a moment, letting that statement sink in. "The other empires facing enemy invasion have reported brand marks on the enemy soldiers' foreheads. I'm guessing there will be plenty of opportunity for both in the future."

"That's a good point." Kayzor frowned. "It's also very troubling. That Aeriella girl was around the same age as you and Kefira, maybe a few years older, but her station was the same as mine. I easily defeated the decoy, but you mentioned that she had monstrous Stats when you and Kefira fought her, so she's probably the same Level, or even higher, as I am."

"And her Master was the strongest person I had ever seen," Reivyn said. "And I've seen some strong people. Has Kefira told you about my parents?"

"She's said enough for me to understand what you're getting at," Kayzor acknowledged. "Are you saying her Master was stronger than your father?"

"Definitely," Reivyn said. "He put everyone on their knees with his presence alone. I don't think he was actively suppressing us. That's not something my father can do, as far as I know."

"So probably mid-Tier 6, at minimum," Kayzor said thoughtfully. "He didn't seem to be actively taking part in the invasion, though. I don't know what level of support they're going to give to their offensive fronts."

Reivyn shook his head.

"We can't win a war by just sitting back and defending," he said. "We're going to have to eventually find them and strike at them ourselves. When that happens, we'll need to be prepared for that Level of resistance."

"But we're not at war with them," Kayzor pointed out. "We're just going to be sending soldiers as mercenaries to gain some resources and experience."

"Isn't one of the main purposes of getting experience for the soldiers the possibility that they'll attack Wispan?" Reivyn countered. "We should make plans for every eventuality, and getting officially dragged into war should be one of the higher priority scenarios. You should definitely be making plans."

"You're right, and I am." Kayzor smiled and clapped Reivyn on the shoulder. "I'm a General, and I wasn't just appointed to the rank with nepotism. I worked for it. Father, Garet, and I have already begun the planning sessions with the other brass, and once my uncle gets back from his Adventure in the Tier 5 Region, he'll join as well."

"Good to know."

The two hadn't been standing still while holding their conversation. Kayzor had led him out of the palace grounds and toward a barracks that Reivyn could see from atop the hill. It was located along the Inner City wall near where Willowan abutted against some mountains. Reivyn was relieved to see that there were manned fortifications atop the mountain. It wasn't left undefended.

It didn't take long for them to traverse the city. Pedestrian traffic got more sparse as they got closer to the barracks. The commercial and residential areas gave way to industries and lodging obviously set up to accommodate the army. Not everyone walking about in this area was in uniform, but Reivyn could tell that the civilian population dwindled as military personnel became the norm.

Kayzor led him to a barracks off to the side of the main military buildings. Reivyn could recognize that it was clearly set up for recruit training.

"Are these going to be fresh recruits, or...?" Reivyn asked.

"No," Kayzor denied. "They're from the regular military, but none of them are from my Expeditionary Unit. We thought it was prudent to give them a break after their long trek. We'll eventually recruit from Adventurers and former soldiers in the future, but the first couple of batches are going to be regular military personnel."

Explanation: If I get sent as a mercenary commander, it will be irregular troops that I'll have to lead, Reivyn interpreted.

Kayzor led him to the drill grounds of the barracks, and there was already a company formed up. Reivyn surveyed the troops lined up, noting that they were just as disciplined as the ones that Kayzor had led if a little small in number.

The company commander spotted Kayzor right away.

"Company! Attention!" He Commanded.

The soldiers snapped to attention from a state of rest, and the captain turned about to offer a salute to Kayzor.

"First Company, all present and accounted for, sir!" The captain exclaimed.

Kayzor returned the salute.

"Very well."

The captain took his place to the side and behind Kayzor, on the other side of Reivyn. Kayzor stepped forward to address the soldiers.

"Everyone knows what you're here for, so I won't give a long-winded speech. Your captain can do that at a later time." There were no chuckles or fidgeting from the soldiers, but Kayzor and Reivyn weren't expecting any. "This," he gestured toward Reivyn, "is Lieutenant Reivyn. He was present for the invasion of Drallo, and he fought against them from the beginning to the end.

"Don't let his young age fool you. He was a company commander, and he's a Master of the Sword and Spear. I've sparred with him, personally, and I can attest to his prowess. He will be acting as a training overseer, but his main job will be to instill the differences between fighting monsters and humans.

"As everyone knows, war, real war, between empires is unheard of. Reivyn was there when his commanders assumed their experience fighting against monsters would translate to fighting against people in war. They were wrong, and they paid the price.

"Pay attention to what he has to teach you. That is all. Captain."

The captain walked out in front of Kayzor and offered another salute.

"Take charge of the company and carry out the mission of the day," Kayzor ordered, returning the salute.

"Yes, sir!"

Kayzor performed a smart about-face, and he winked at Reivyn when nobody else could see him. He marched off, leaving Reivyn standing where he was, the captain looking at him with expectation.

Alright, let's get to work.