The two Amnians hadn't given him much experience, but he'd only swooped in to finish them off and steal the kills. He couldn't expect much.
"Why didn't I level up?"
He hadn't been able to spare a thought for it during the battle, so Anse hadn't kept track of how much experience he'd gained. But he remembered being close to leveling up.
He focused inward. The silver D20 spun gently in his mind, its third symbol now fully lit.
So I really can't play it too safe. His spirits lifted.
He opened his Character Sheet. His experience had reached 2,596/2,700, leaving him just over a hundred short of leveling up.
"Uh, this is... awkwardly close."
He calmed himself. Now wasn't the time to think about that.
Without wasting any time, he rode around the lake once, wrapped up every bit of loot worth taking in burlap, then returned to camp. He packed up the three tents and haphazardly tossed them onto the horse's back.
Then he mounted Noronos and galloped east.
He didn't go underwater to look for any potential loot. Who knew what was in that lake?
A few minutes later, several lights appeared ahead. Dozens of dispirited figures huddled together, and sobs sounded from time to time.
Anse scanned the group. Some people were missing; a few might have gotten separated.
When Brat and the others heard the hoofbeats, they hurried over.
"You're not hurt, are you?" Brat saw the things on the horse's back and knew there must have been a fight.
"I'm fine." Anse swung down from the horse and unloaded a pile of belongings.
When Emon saw the tents, his spirits lifted. "Are the Undead gone?"
"Looks like they're all gone for now. I can't see any living people by the lake." Anse's words carried a double meaning.
"Could you help keep watch while we go gather our things?" Emon asked.
Without those tents and supplies, the dozens of people wouldn't last long.
"No problem. Be quick—we need to leave as soon as possible," Anse urged.
"Understood."
Emon immediately gathered the able-bodied men and women and headed back along the way they'd come. Brat went with them to help.
Fortunately, it wasn't far, so they wouldn't be gone long.
Anse didn't go with them. He'd given the warning and guarded the rear; he'd done enough.
If not for Brat, he might not have helped at all.
Of course, there was also a measure of self-interest and greed involved. He was only human; being both greedy and fearful was perfectly normal.
Human nature was complicated and contradictory.
He found a secluded spot and sat with his back against Noronos's leg, focusing inward.
The silver D20 spun gently in his mind, its third symbol now fully lit.
What will it be this time? He was full of anticipation.
He lightly tapped the die, and one memory after another surfaced in his mind: fighting, rescuing people, his mount, encountering enemies...
After a moment, the symbol became an intricate spherical sigil.
Ding—
[You have gained an Adventure Trait: Arcana Resonance.]
"Arcana Resonance": Magic brings new life even as it wreaks destruction. There are always creatures that earn magic's favor.
Choose one of the following: Abjuration, Divination, Evocation, Illusion, Conjuration, Enchantment, Necromancy, or Transmutation. For each class level, you gain one additional spell of that type, and its spell level cannot exceed the highest level you can currently cast.
"One extra spell per level?!" Anse's eyes widened.
Although his choices of spell type were limited, this was still incredibly powerful. It greatly made up for the Sorcerer class's shortage of spells.
Spells were a spellcaster's core. The more spells you had, the more ways you had to deal with difficulties and danger.
"Which one should I choose?"
Each of the eight schools of magic had its strengths, but Evocation seemed to suit him best.
Evocation had the most spells, and his Dragon Bloodline came with Elemental Affinity, which could greatly enhance the power of Evocation spells.
That way, whenever he leveled up, he could learn two spells: one from Evocation and one from another school, giving him a much wider range of options.
He confirmed his choice with a thought, and the spherical sigil abruptly burst apart, becoming a solid-looking ball of energy. Elements of every color swirled within it.
[Arcana Resonance: Evocation. You have gained Spell Mastery.]
"Spell Mastery." His heart skipped a beat as he turned the words over in his mind.
It was probably some kind of passive ability. Perhaps Evocation spells would come more easily to him. He'd have to explore its exact effects over time.
"Which spells should I choose?"
He lightly tapped the elemental energy ball. Dozens of elemental sprites leaped out, a riot of colors dancing around his consciousness.
Each sprite represented a spell, including every first- and second-level Evocation spell.
He was level 3 and could choose three spells.
There were only a dozen or so second-level Evocation spells, so his options weren't extensive. After weighing them for a moment, he chose Scorching Ray.
Scorching Ray required no material components and had a base range of 120 feet (at least 36 meters), which increased to over 72 meters with his attributes and feats.
It could fire three rays of flame at one or more targets. Each ray dealt 2d6 (2–12) fire damage, for a total of 6–36—quite devastating.
Most importantly, ray spells traveled incredibly fast. As long as you aimed accurately, they were hard for enemies to dodge.
There were mages in Faerun who specialized in ray spells. It was an uncommon specialty, but they were extremely difficult to deal with.
After he made his choice, most of the elemental sprites around him faded away, leaving only first-level spells.
"So I can't cheat after all." He'd hoped he might be able to choose three second-level spells.
After thinking for a moment, he chose Faerie Fire and Divine Smite.
The former was a spell used by Bards and Druids; the latter was the Paladin's signature ability.
Most Evocation spells were meant to deal damage, so Faerie Fire was one of the few utility spells.
It created a Mana Aura covering an area 20 feet (at least 6 meters) across, outlining every object in the area in colored light for one minute. Affected objects and creatures emitted dim light within a 10-foot radius.
It was a spell that applied a magical mark to counter invisibility, making it highly useful.
Divine Smite needed no introduction. It was famous for a reason.
It was cast as a Quickened Spell and infused into a melee weapon or the body, adding 2d8 (2–16) radiant damage to an attack. If the target was a Fiendish creature or Undead, the damage increased by 1d8 (1–8).
He hadn't "stolen" the spell as a joke or to pass himself off as a Paladin. He wanted to make up for his weakness in melee combat.
He had Polymorph. If he infused his claws with Divine Smite, an ordinary assassin wouldn't withstand more than a few hits.
The thought alone was pretty amusing.
His first-level attack spells were already good enough. What harm could there be in giving it a try?
As he confirmed his choices, magic surged around him, and multicolored light shimmered in his eyes.
Knowledge and memories of Evocation spells flooded his mind, and understanding welled up like a spring. He couldn't fully grasp the principles and mysteries behind the spells, but he could use them with ease.
After a long while, he raised his right hand. Holy magic, white and gold, emerged from his palm. Judging by its color, it was different from Land's Divine Smite.
That was normal. A Paladin's Divine Smite took on a unique hue depending on their oath or faith.
"I'm stronger again. Should I find some time to learn swordsmanship from Brat?"
Many feats and skills could be gained through practice and study, and Sorcerers had plenty of time. But it was best to learn from a professional; teaching yourself could lead you astray, and correcting bad habits was even more trouble.
Before you continue