“It was helpful. Even if no one likes the class, we get some useful Skills. [Lesser Strength] is the first Skill most warriors get, but [Farm Workers] get it too. Um, I got that on my second level up. But then there’s [Enhanced Strength], which is what I have, and I’ve heard if you reach really high levels, some people get [Greater Strength].”
“I’ve never seen anyone with it. But yeah, [Enhanced Strength] only comes to warrior classes around Level 30. The fact that I got it so early on means I’m a lot stronger than normal. Dad used to make me help him pull out tree stumps instead of using a horse.”
It sounded—well, it sounded like there was some inefficiency in the way people thought about Skills. Ryoka didn’t play many video games, but if she could get this [Enhanced Strength] from working on a farm as a kid, she’d do that. But then again—18 years was a long time, it was true.
It could just be her class. Durene said she was a Level 6 [Farmer], but she has one [Enhanced Strength] skill already. Apparently that makes her way stronger than normal; when I asked her to demonstrate, she lifted me up with one hand as if I was a feather.
I guess it’s a huge deal, but again, I’m only Level 1, and all I have is one odd skill. When I told Durene, she said she couldn’t see anything like an aura about me, but Skills don’t work all the time necessarily. Some, like her [Enhanced Strength] skill are essentially permanent passive changes, but others have to be used.
“Durene? She’s stronger than anyone I’ve met. As strong as a Minotaur. Stronger perhaps, with her [Enhanced Strength] Skill. Give her a sword and we’d have a warrior capable of facing down a Hob.”
Possibly only Durene could push a bear off her property. She’s actually stronger than the Mossbear, and the Mossbear’s bigger and tougher than normal bears to boot. Durene chalks it up to her [Enhanced Strength] and her other new Skills, but I wonder. Trolls are said to be extremely strong and tough, but they can’t gain classes or level.
“Ksmvr, it’s not a complete comparison, but remember Calruz? Imagine him hitting you as hard as he could. He’s probably a bit stronger, but I remember a guy with [Enhanced Strength] nearly knocked him flat in a bar brawl one time.”
Up the load-bearing beam went. Durene lifted it over her head, bracing her legs, pushing up. It was heavy, but she was strong. She was a [Farmer] with the [Enhanced Strength] Skill, which already made her very strong. And she was bigger than any man here. She kept lifting, and realized that Prost and Ram were struggling to reach over their heads.
She grasped Grimalkin’s claw and shook it. He grunted. [Enhanced Strength]? She was strong! What a treasure! At her age, she had the potential to be a real [Mage]. He was about to say so when Erin slid into the conversation.
“Young woman. You would be wasting your talents if you were just a [Martial Artist]. No—I will admit, they’re a fearsome class. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you to become a [Mage]. Like me! You clearly have a powerful foundation. [Enhanced Strength], am I right? And I assume—[Weight Control]?”
“Not just that. Look…alchemy is a very specific thing. It’s not like being a [Warrior] and hitting things with sticks. For a [Warrior], it’s all about flavor, right? I have [Enhanced Strength]! Or I have [Quick Movement]! Either way, you still hit things in the end. But in alchemy, if you have just one thing missing or one thing extra, the result changes. Take this formula for instance. You probably can’t replicate it even if you copied me. You could get the same result eventually, but not exactly the same.”
