Dungeons and Dalliances
7.102 – Homing

Though Natalie was excited to discover what her level-up had given, she put off checking for a bit longer. Instead, she dragged a complaining Vanetta to the shower. She hadn't intended to end up with her fingers inside her, but in retrospect, showering with a naked girl meant it was all but impossible to keep her hands away—and she ought to return the favor anyway.

Dried off, they returned to the bedroom, the warm humid air pouring through the bathroom door behind them.

"No more delaying," Vanetta said. "Honestly, it's your class. I can't believe I'm having to pester you to find out what you got."

Natalie had only wanted to get cleaned off and return the favor. With nothing left to distract her, she needed no further prompting. She looked inward.

***

[Carnal Harvest] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 4. MAXED. Extract carnal energy through {sexual intercourse} with an aroused target. Harvested energy can be expended through [Empower] and [Advance]. SCALES WITH LEVEL.

[Empower] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 3. Amplify the potency of any ACTIVE or AURA skill by {2.5x}. Expend Carnal Energy equal to mana cost.

[Advance] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. MAXED. Expend Carnal Energy to progress skills.

[Illusion] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Conjure a {moderately} powerful audiovisual mirage to distract or confuse an opponent.

[Heavy Weaponry] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 3. Class-bearer is granted a {10-inch} weapon to satisfy and harvest Carnal Energy from chosen targets.

[Juggernaut] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 3. Class-bearer receives {2.0x} bonus to furor, applied after all other bonuses.

[Hunker Down] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. MAXED. Class-bearer becomes invulnerable to most physical attacks for 1.5 seconds, but also unable to move. Can be interrupted.

[Bigger Is Better] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 3. Oversized weapons receive {significant} bonuses to offensive power and are {greatly} easier to maneuver.

[Stylish] - PASSIVE. PROGRESSION 2. Party members receive a {moderate} stat bonus to their primary stat appropriate to how much their gear arouses the class-bearer. Class-bearer receives a {moderate} stat bonus to their primary stat appropriate to how much their gear arouses their teammates.

[Divine Invigoration] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. MAXED. Finish inside a target to provide a week-long massive boost to their main stat. Target can be changed daily.

[Aura of Blessed Advancement] - AURA. PROGRESSION 1. Select up to {4} party members to receive amplified experience gain.

[Smite] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. Channel for up to {6} seconds to deliver a significant magical attack. Range and potency grows with time spent channeling.

[Insatiable Strikes] - ACTIVE. PROGRESSION 1. Empower the next strike to apply a MARK to target, if the attack connects. Marked targets will be {slightly} easier to strike. Subsequent attacks deal minor additional damage and siphon {minor} amounts of health.

***

And there it was. Her most recent skill. Only a single, but that was to be expected. When it came to class development, people received more skills early to flesh out the concept of their class. As they climbed the ranks, usually there would be only a single skill per level-up. If everyone got two to three, after all, they would have thirty or forty by level fifteen—too many to keep track of.

The upside was that, even if she could only anticipate one skill from most level-ups now, higher level skills were almost always stronger.

She read the skill a second time, then a third, chewing on it.

It was a combat skill, so there wasn't anything stopping her from telling Vanetta about it. She read the ability description aloud; she preferred having someone to discuss what a skill implied and how it might be used, anyway. Normally that would be Jordan or Sofia, but they weren't an option, obviously.

"I see," Vanetta said when Natalie finished. "That's … big."

"Because it fixes one of my most glaring weaknesses," she agreed. "I'm slow. Getting my hands on slippery targets can be close to impossible." The sheer size and reach of her warhammer helped, but only so much. "This skill doesn't fix that outright, but if I land a mark—what? I'll be able to read my opponent better?"

"However it works," Vanetta said with a shrug.

[Insatiable Strikes] said that 'marked targets would be easier to strike', but how that would manifest was anyone's guess. It might improve her reaction speed for that particular target; it might give her a supernatural intuition on how they would move next; it might simply draw her weapon like a magnet to their body.

"The issue is landing the first attack, though," Natalie said. "Actually applying the mark."

"Which isn't a trivial requirement," Vanetta said, "seeing how it's your problem to begin with. You can't have every weakness shored up though." She rubbed her chin. "Maybe in the Emporium, look for something with a Prowess boost? You won't ever be as fast as a rogue, but you just need enough speed you can guarantee sneaking a shot in. Or find some other synergy? There's a thousand ways to make it happen."

"Teamwork, even." Somebody in a party of five would be able to arrange her getting a hit in, whether through item, skill, or simply tactics. "Doesn't have to be some devastating charged-up attack either. A glancing blow would be fine."

"And once you get that, you're smooth sailing."

"It's a strong skill."

"It's an incredible skill, Nat, in the context of your class. It's just what you needed." She shook her head. "I don't want to imagine how annoying getting hit by that mark would be. I imagine it means you won the fight. That damn hammer—club—takes up half a room to begin with. With a homing spell layered into it? Ugh."

Natalie nodded, pleased by how effective it sounded. If even Vanetta grimaced at the idea of having to face it, the skill was amazing.

"Plus," Vanetta said, "it deals extra damage and siphons health back to you. Synergizes with the damage-tank strategy you have going. Helps not just with the slippery targets but the tough ones too. Put the mark on some strong and slow monster and you might just be able to go toe to toe with it, healing back whatever damage it deals." She wrinkled her nose. "Well, maybe not," she admitted. "It's only 'slightly' and 'minor' boosts, in the end."

That was the thing. They were only 'slightly' and 'minor' for now. Vanetta didn't know that Natalie could upgrade her skills. And once she did, this skill would go from phenomenal to utterly broken, like the rest of her class.

And she had plenty of carnal energy. She could upgrade now if she wanted. Along with a number of other skills.

But she held off. She had plans.

After all, a Coliseum bout against Elida was sure to crop up before their time in the City was over, and what better way to win than to get Elida to underestimate her? Elida wouldn't know what hit her when Natalie upgraded her entire kit at once, just before their duel—and started using [Empower] on every skill on top of that.

So, while it was impractical to weaken herself for the upcoming hunts, Natalie wanted to beat Elida in the Coliseum. Enough to self-sabotage in a small way. And it wasn't really self-sabotage if it was done with the intent to pull out an important win later.

She tried to tell herself she was pleased her newest skill had no lewd aspect, but a part of her had been excited to see what ridiculousness her class might get up to next. Regardless, more would come later. She had enough on her plate as it was.

"It's about time to meet up with the team," Vanetta said. "You ready?"