<24 September 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER, A+> [Theo and Julia]

As Theo led the group across the Grand Mesa of Summer, following the wide swaths of grass between thickets of trees, he kept an eye out for threats and soon saw a familiar sight. He pointed it out to Julia, who smiled. Off to the side was a Summer Lion. It took one look at their group and jumped from the rock it was lying on into the tall grass, headed away from them.

"I wonder how many of them there are and what level they are?" Julia said.

"Well, I would bet that the Goblins have impacted their territory so not as many as there might have been," Theo said, turning his head to check behind and saw Fred and Renno bringing up the flanks, keeping an eye out.

They chatted as they made their way to the northern end of the Mesa. After several hours at a leisurely pace, they came upon a lake. It was not large, and on the other side of the lake a massive ent sat. As they approached the lake, the Ent looked at them, but did not move.

"Last time he was all for making a move on us," Julia said.

Theo nodded, then turned to face the group. "Well, what is the plan? I have one, but it's basically just hit it hard and fast. Does anyone have a suggestion? I want to make sure that everyone gets some hits in and gets experience."

"Even me?" Sarah said with far more excitement than Theo thought she should have had.

Theo looked at Joshua, who shrugged and nodded before he responded. "Even you, and even Skully. Or maybe he can help you."

The dungeon core was always with the girl. Skully agreed. "I am unable to gain experience, but I will enable Sarah's attack as best I can. Being outside the domain of Hestia does grant me some usage of the ambient mana."

Theo nodded. "Alright, so let's make sure everyone can attack but also be safe to that end. I think that I should run in, taunt it, and then everyone else can come up with Julia, she can establish some protection, and then I will bring it close so everyone can get some damage in on it. Thoughts?"

Everyone seemed content with that. They all quickly checked their gear, Theo stretched, and then quickly opened his Dimensional Storage. He spent a moment moving things around in his pouch so that he ended up with the Axe of Voltun, his master tool, and his waterskin in the quick-access slots of his pouch.

Julia did a quick check of her pouch, verifying that she had her glimmer branch, the rod of lesser healing, and her waterskin in her quick-access slots. After everyone else had confirmed that they were ready, Julia nodded to Theo.

Joshua borrowed Theo's old dagger, and Theo made a note to himself to get the man a weapon.

Theo grinned and took off at a jog around the lake. When he got roughly a hundred yards ahead of the rest of the group, they set off at a more subdued pace. Theo slowed to match their pace. Sarah looked confused.

"Why did Theo slow down Skully?" She whispered loud enough for everyone to hear, eliciting smiles from Velna and Julia.

Skully answered in a normal tone. "I would imagine that it has something to do with whatever skill Lady Julia is waiting to trigger."

Julia smiled, triggering Warmth of the Hearth into its active mode, then glanced at the skull carried by the girl. "How did you know?"

"As a dungeon core, I can see flows of mana, and there are connections between many things, but you and Lord Theo have an abundance of mana connections that bind you. You must have been thinking of the skill and waiting to use it, as it was starting to pulse with mana even though you had not triggered it. I would imagine that Lord Theo is at the edge of its range."

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"Close to it." Julia said, then smiled at Sarah, "It is a healing spell that will help Theo."

"Oh, good!" Sarah said excitedly.

"You seem very interested in this," Joshua said carefully. He was worried about how much Sarah seemed to be excited about combat.

"I am. Maybe I can get a level!" Sarah said excitedly, "Maybe I can get a cool skill!"

Joshua chuckled, "You are unfortunately still a child and won't get a class until you turn sixteen."

"Sixteen!" Sarah demanded. "But!... But that's like..."

She counted on her hands for a moment, "That's like... ten more years! It's too long!"

"Well, take it up with the System," Joshua said, unsure of what to do.

"Skully, you were made by the System! Tell it to let me have a class!" Sarah said excitedly, holding the skull up to look at her face. All of the adults who heard the question looked at the skull with raised eyebrows.

"Unfortunately, even if I did not have a query ban for eleven more months, this is something that the System would never allow." Skully said, "However, it is worth noting that you should still do your best, Sarah, as everything you do influences what classes are offered to you, and your starting stats, and even if you are granted any other special considerations."

"So I need to work hard and get a good class?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Skully said.

"Uhhh... Fine." Sarah groaned, falling back so that she was hanging upside down from her father's shoulders.

Theo called out. "Alright, here it comes!"

They all looked over. The Ent, seeing them break through some apparent aggro range, had risen to its full height of nearly twenty-five feet and started trekking towards Theo at a rather impressive speed. At the same time, they all received a message.

>Local Message: Combat System Engaged.

Everyone looked at the text that floated over the heads of everyone else.

{Barron of North Lake, Level 08, A-} {Theodore Oskar Sorrin, Level 14, A-} {Julia Sorrin, Level 14, A-} {Go'Van' Ordus, Level 10, B+} {Renno Marrowglint, Level 03, C+} {Vena Marrowglint, Level 03, C-} {Fred Ursiyn, Level 02, C+} {Joshua Armstrong, Level 01, C-} {Sarah Armstrong, PROTECTED}

Julia made a note of Fred's increased Mana Density and then focused on the Barron of North Lake, as it finally charged into Theo, who spammed his taunt skill, and began to chase Theo, who had turned and started running back.

"Alright, everyone, here we go," Julia said, laying down many concentric rings of Ward runes.

Theo stopped just outside the Rune circle. "Alright, everyone, let me taunt it, then one person comes to the edge of the circle and makes an attack, then I'll taunt again, rinse and repeat."

Theo said all of this while catching large log-like limbs on his axe's handle to stop them. He used his skill. "First person!"

Ordus stepped forward and used Earthen Will to sink the Ent's trunk-like feet into the earth and harden it, limiting its movement, then he stepped forward and hauled off a solid punch that cracked the Ent's wooden skin. He stepped back and let Theo taunt again.

Next up, Velna and Renno approached. Velna stepped out and used a skill that summoned a glowing blue cane to her hand. She struck the Ent, and a line that looked to be branded into the bark forced it to let out a roar. She stepped back, and Theo Taunted again as Renno stepped out and drew his sword. Red light coated it, and he struck hard and fast, eliciting another roar from the Ent.

Sarah and Joshua approached next, and Joshua quickly stepped out and slashed the still-stuck leg. The Ent, enraged at being struck over and over, while doing minimal damage to Theo, ripped its leg free from the ground.

Sarah picked up a rock and held Skully in one hand, and the rock in the other. "Skully makes it explode when it hits."

"Of course, Sarah," Skully said, then Sarah tossed the rock with all her might, and it barely impacted the Ent. Everyone was surprised when the stone suddenly glowed orange and shattered with all of the shrapnel shooting into the Ent. The attack didn't do much, but Sarah looked pleased.

Lastly, Fred walked up and lashed out with several quick strikes, eliciting yet another roar from the Ent. Julia summoned her Glimmer Branch to her hand and started lobbing bolts of energy at the Ent. Theo spammed taunt and then channeled his Penitent Strike, feeling the synergy between the skill and Julia's Retaliate skill as Retaliate charges built up. At the end of the twenty-five seconds, they felt twenty charges of Retaliate waiting. So he gripped the axe in both hands and slammed it into the hip of the Ent, which already looked ragged.

The Ent toppled over, and Theo walked to its head, where it lashed out weakly before Theo brought the axe down on its neck.

>Local Message: Combat Complete >Local Message: Calculating... >Local Message: Congratulations! Users Velna Marrowglint, Renno Marrowglint, Fred Ursiyn, and Joshua Armstrong have leveled up! >Local Message: All party members under level 04 have earned the title 'Disadvantaged'. >Local Message: User Sarah Armstrong is PROTECTED, rewards Banked until coming of age and Class selection

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