Azure: Gunner

Chapter 5-14

Class rarity primarily affects how many Stat points you gain when Leveling up. Despite what people like to claim, it has nothing to do with your fucking worth as a person. The known rarities, in ascending order from fewest to most points per Level, are basic, standard, advanced, superior, elite, and heroic.

At Tier 0, everyone has either a basic, standard, or advanced Class. There’s only one Stat point per Level difference between rarities at Tier 0, so don’t panic if you’ve got something other than advanced. It’s quite common to advance from basic to standard and standard to advanced rarities when going to the next Tier.

Just keep in mind that no one knows exactly how the System determines what rarities of Classes it’s gonna offer you, so don’t be shocked if it fucks you over. It’s even possible to go down in Class rarity between Tiers, though that’s not common.

- Delver’s Guild Handbook, Section 1 – "Classes”

“I still have questions. Where do we go for each class, and what exactly is ‘Life in the DG’?”

Wolf chuckled before responding to me.

“All the combat classes are held in their respective training areas, which you’ve already seen. Magical combat shares the firing range with ranged combat. Melee combat meets in the training hall. All of the classroom stuff is in the lecture building which is next to the training hall.

“As for ‘Life in the DG’, that’s only for recruits, trainees get a rotating class on politics, ethics, and a bunch of other bullshit. The name is just a shorthand for saying the class is all about what happens after you graduate. Things like what kind of jobs the Guild expects you to take, how exciting things like Guild dues work. Also some practical lessons on things like logistics – how to pack when you’re going to be out in the wilderness, etc. If you’re going to fall asleep in class, which I do not recommend, at least try to do it in that one,” he added with a wink.

“Oh yeah, and Squad Combat meets at the fighting pits and usually takes over both those and the training hall. The second semester students have a similar schedule, but they’re shifted ninety minutes later, so they’ll be in the classrooms when you’re in combat classes and vice versa. Since we started the semester yesterday on a Monday with the evaluations, your first day of classes tomorrow will follow the Wednesday schedule and it’ll be a short week. Got it?”

He looked around the room at each of us and we nodded.

“Oh, I have one more question,” I added as he was about to stand up. “Can we just do any additional training we want outside of these times? Like after dinner or on Sundays?”

Wolf sighed and gave me a hard look as a couple of the others made choking sounds – I was pretty sure those came from Arlo and Tara, and maybe Raylan.

“I admire your enthusiasm, kid, I really do. Not many people your age, or any age, can look at a schedule for ten hours of training six days a week and ask for more. So, let me make this a direct order – no extra training outside of the specified hours this week, including Sunday. On Monday, if you still want to discuss it, we will. You need to know what you’re getting into, first. Understood?”

I frowned but nodded. That’s not too bad, he’s probably right. I'll have a better idea of what I can do extra after a few days to settle in…

Our mentor left after that, and the rest of us ended up staying in the private room at the restaurant for several more hours. I was ‘persuaded’ by the team to approve the consumption of one extra beer for the day, since we’d started drinking early, and we ended up staying for dinner. Tara offered to pay for everything. I felt like she was trying too hard and didn’t want to take her money, but it was obvious the rest of the team was happy to indulge, so I didn’t stop her.

At least my burger was tasty, though Zaire still didn’t get the pizza he wanted. Apparently Tara and Arlo at least knew what pizza was and also claimed it to be delicious.

Those weirdos. Still sounds gross to me!

We finally left around 8pm, and I decided to shower before going to bed. My sheets were still clean, after all, but it had been a stressful day between the sparring and the whole… Tara… thing. After cleaning up, I sat idly at the chair in my room, looking at the single shelf of books. I browsed through the titles.

DGA Rules, Bonnie’s Bestiary volumes 1 & 2, A Brief History of the System volumes 1, 2, & 3, The Delver’s Guild Handbook, A Healer’s Primer, and Magical Basics – 99 Tier 0 Runes and Cantrips Everyone Should Know!

Magical Basics sounded the most interesting, so I thumbed through it. It was surprisingly comprehensive, containing all the Cantrips I already knew, plus Create Jet Soda and several others I’d never heard of.

Who the fuck needs a Cantrip called Scratch that lets you make a scratching sensation on any living being within six feet of you? Seriously?

I almost dove into working on Create Jet Soda again – I was definitely not addicted or anything. But since Zaire seemed quite willing to give his to me at lunch every day, I forced myself to look through the actual Spells. In addition to the thirteen Cantrips, there were dozens of primary runes – for Water, Fire, Earth, Light, Shadow, Force, Gravity, Wind, and many many more. Then there was a section on Tier 0 modifier runes – mostly things I’d seen used before like Spike, Wall, Bolt, Strike, and so on.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from NovelBin. Support the author by reading it there.

I wanted to learn all of them – magic was fucking cool, after all. I was pretty sure I could infuse any of the primary runes into my gun, but I still hadn't mastered Fire yet. Now that Alyssa was out of the Squad we might want some more fire magic. I guess H’ruk counted, but as far as I knew he was focusing on melee-range fighting. I practiced for about an hour before I started getting too tired, but at least I remembered to set my alarm for the next morning first.

“PAST, set my alarm for 0545 every morning.”

[Of course, Citizen!]

I wished there was someone I could really talk to about everything that had happened today. I would have been happy to share my thoughts and confusion with Raylan, but he was part of the Squad too. I didn’t think it would be fair to him to drag him into my drama. The only students outside the Squad that I knew were Alex and Alyssa, and I didn’t know them well enough to confide in them. I lay back on my bed with my hands behind my head and sighed.

“PAST, I feel like we haven’t talked much recently. What’s new with you?”

[Nothing is new with ME, Gunner! I am perfect, so I never change!]

“That seems like a bit of a stretch, but fine. We can talk about me instead.”

[I would be happy to, Citizen! Would you like to view your status now?]

“I’m talking about how my day went, PAST!”

[Are you referring to the way your heart races whenever you see Trainee Tara, Citizen? I am unsure if you wish to murder her or procreate with her, as either scenario would match your physiological responses! Can you clarify?!]

I started sputtering indignantly.

“Murder her?! Why would I want to do that?!”

I was pretty sure I didn’t want to kill Tara, after all. It sounded like her uncle was the one who deserved it. I just maybe wanted to punch her a little bit for being associated with him.

[Why, because you would receive a bonus Essence reward for doing so, of course!]

“WHAT?!” I was so shocked that I shouted it out loud, before covering my mouth.

“The fuck are you talking about PAST, why would I get bonus Essence for killing Tara?”

[Bonus Essence is awarded for eliminating threats to America, Citizen Ashley!]

“Threats to America? How in the Wastes is Tara a threat to America? Also, you do realize that America is dead and buried, right?”

[Due to privacy concerns, I am unable to disclose WHY Trainee Tara is categorized as a threat to America, only that she is! Additionally, as I am the PATRIOTIC SYSTEM OF AMERICA TRIUMPHANT, AMERICA SHALL NEVER DIE AS LONG AS I LIVE! CAUTION, CITIZEN, LESS YOU SPEAK TREASON!]

“Shit, PAST, I thought I turned down the volume.”

[I apologize, Gunner, it shall not happen again! As long as you refrain from questioning America or American supremacy, that is!]

Gears were turning slowly in my tired brain as I thought back to my first conversation with PAST.

“PAST,” I said slowly, “am I considered a threat to America?”

[I must regretfully inform you that you are, Gunner!]

“But you won’t tell me why? And you’re still helping me?”

[I cannot disclose the reasons for placing someone on the threat list, Citizen, even to the person in question! I can tell you, however, that you are merely on the threat list – not the clear and present danger list! Should you make it onto the CPDL, your citizenship would be immediately revoked and I would take more direct action against you! Until then, I remain your loyal servant!]

“That doesn’t sound good! How would someone get added to this other list? And how can you give a bonus Essence reward for killing someone who isn’t on that list?”

[A ruling must be issued by a secret federal court to add someone to the CPDL! Thanks to the Protecting America from Seditious Threats Act of System year 2, the maximum punishment I can place upon a suspected threat to this great nation is bonus Essence upon elimination! Coincidentally, thanks to the same Act, it is also the mandatory minimum punishment!]

Well, this is pretty fucked up. I’m pretty sure I know where this is going, and it’s Wasted terrible…

“PAST, remind me who the main threats to America are?”

[IN REVERSE ALPHABETICAL ORDER, THEY ARE THE XENOS, THE MUTANTS, THE HERETICS, THE GAYS, THE FASCISTS, AND THE COMMUNISTS, CITIZEN ASHLEY!]

“Waste it, PAST, I thought you weren’t going to yell at me any more tonight!”

[I apologize Citizen Ashley, it won’t happen again! I was simply fired up about protecting America from her enemies!]

“So, what you’re not saying is that I am a threat to America because I like girls instead of boys?!”

[I did indeed not say that, Citizen!]

I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry at that. My body wanted to do both at the same time, so it did - without consulting me first. I lay in bed, shaking with a combination of sobs and silent, painful laughter for several minutes before I gathered myself.

“PAST, did you really think I wanted to kill Tara?”

[My observations indicate the probability is low but non-zero, Citizen! I have noticed that you behave impulsively on occasion, so the higher probability is that you do not wish to murder her. Otherwise, you would have attempted it already! And surely succeeded, because I believe in you, Gunner!]

Ouch! That hits a little too close to home, you asshole.

“So, if the probability was low, why did you bring it up at all, PAST?”

[I am unable to answer the question, Citizen! Please rephrase your query!]

“Wait a minute PAST, did you bring up this whole fucking thing as a way of trying to tell me that Tara is gay?!”

I waited for a response, but the asshole System didn’t say anything.

You have got to be fucking kidding me. The homophobic ‘bonus Essence for killing a gay person’ System is trying to sorta-kinda hook me up with a girl?!! What the FUCK is going on here?! I can’t even process this right now…

Instead, I went back to laubbing. Soghter? Whatever it was called, I laughed and cried myself to sleep not long after.