Chapter 6: Combat Simulation

“The only key menu that we haven’t discussed yet is the experience points table, which you can use to track how many points you’ll need to accumulate before reaching the next level, and to see what kind of point increases you’ll see with each one. The keywords for this one are just experience points if you want to call it up.”

“Gah,” Lexi said, comically slapping her forehead. “I’d meant to ask about that. Good catch!”

Get Experience Points!

After everything they had just gone through, this menu seemed relatively self explanatory. Lexi’s mind was caught by discrepancy between the rates at which experience and class points increased.LevelXPTotalHPSPAPDPMP

15,0005020 (+5/hr)5 (+1/hr)10105 (+1/hr)

210,0006025 (+5/hr)6 (+1/hr)12116 (+1/hr)

315,0007030 (+5/hr)7 (+1/hr)14127 (+1/hr)

420,0008035 (+5/hr)8 (+1/hr)16138 (+1/hr)

525,0009040 (+5/hr)9 (+1/hr)18149 (+1/hr)

635,00010045 (+10/hr)10 (+2/hr)201510 (+2/hr)

745,00011050 (+10/hr)11 (+2/hr)221611 (+2/hr)

855,00012055 (+10/hr)12 (+2/hr)241712 (+2/hr)

965,00013060 (+10/hr)13 (+2/hr)261813 (+2/hr)

1075,00014065 (+10/hr)14 (+2/hr)281914 (+2/hr)

11100,00015070 (+15/hr)15 (+3/hr)302015 (+3/hr)

12125,00016075 (+15/hr)16 (+3/hr)322116 (+3/hr)

13150,00017080 (+15/hr)17 (+3/hr)342217 (+3/hr)

14175,00018085 (+15/hr)18 (+3/hr)362318 (+3/hr)

15200,00019090 (+15/hr)19 (+3/hr)382419 (+3/hr)

16250,00020095 (+20/hr)20 (+4/hr)402520 (+4/hr)

17300,000210100 (+20/hr)21 (+4/hr)422621 (+4/hr)

18350,000220105 (+20/hr)22 (+4/hr)442722 (+4/hr)

19400,000230110 (+20/hr)23 (+4/hr)462823 (+4/hr)

20450,000240115 (+20/hr)24 (+4/hr)482924 (+4/hr)

“I’m guessing,” Lexi mused, “that the increasing gaps in XP between the higher levels is also to keep PCs from getting too OP too quickly?”

“Precisely,” the emerald haired faerie nodded.

“But,” Lexi continued, “everything else looks like pretty linear progressions. So, that’s easy enough to keep track of. One question that I just thought of, though. I see that my SP go up with every level. Do I get new spells too, or just the ability to cast my two spells more often?”

“Ah,” Felicity said, raising a finger. “An oversight on my part, I apologize. Yes, you do get new spells with each additional level increase. For the first five levels, the system will automatically assign you new spells at each level, based on a pre-defined schema. However, when you reach level six, you’ll get an alert in your spells menu, giving you the option to select either one spell that corresponds to your new level, or several spells whose respective levels add up to the new level. So, for example, when you get to level six, you can either choose one sixth level spell, two new third level spells, or some other combination tallying up to six.”

“Too fucking easy,” Lexi said, flipping her blonde braids over her armored shoulders. “Anything else before I’m ready to graduate our little training program here and start kicking butt in the world out there?”

“Actually,” the faerie said, with a curious gleam in her green eyes. “There is one final component to the orientation course...”

Felicity then took the same wand she had used to transform Lexi into her new form as a futanari paladin, and began tracing a complex series of swirls and whorls in the ground’s direction just in front of Lexi. To the paladin’s amazement, the earth itself began to churn in time with the wand’s motions, writhing and stretching itself from the previously flat grassy surface, into some new shape unlike anything Lexi had ever seen.

Before Lexi knew what was happening, the earth and grass had been shaped by the faerie’s spell into some kind of vaguely humanoid creature. It’s body was made of what looked like compacted earth, wrought into the rough shapes of limbs and a head sprouting from a barrel-like torso, and it sported patches of green grass on the top of its head, chest, as well as its forearms and shins. Although the creature stood only about five feet high — nearly a full six inches shorter than Lexi’s new impressive height — the paladin couldn’t help but step back in trepidation.

For all her prior bluster, Lexi had never been involved in anything remotely resembling a physical altercation back in the “real” world. Her introversion had been so complete, that the very idea of getting into a fight was as far outside her realm of experience as robbing a bank or winning the lottery. This was the case insofar as she assumed that some other people might enter into these situations, but that her experience would be limited to occasional vicarious participation through a book or game.

“The final portion of your orientation,” the faerie said, snapping Lexi out of her open-mouthed stupor, “is a sparring session!”

“I’m going to fight that... thing?”

For all her bravado, a significant degree of nervousness and fear had set in. Lexi was no longer sure that she necessarily wanted to be a paladin who fought monsters. The futanari part of the deal still seemed amazing, but that was so far in the back of her mind right now that it hardly registered, with all else being driven out of focus by the brute fact that she was about to have to fight.

“Don’t worry,” the faerie said with a chipper lilt to her voice. “This is a combat simulation, so there’s no need to worry about suffering any real damage. Your character can’t die while you’re still in the orientation zone,” she gestured to the ring of floating pink pines surrounding the circular island on which they still stood. “And,” she continued, “I’ll heal any damage you suffer to your hit or mind-break points during the training, so you’ll be at full strength when we’re all done.”

“O-OK,” Lexi stuttered nervously. “But ... what is that thing?”

“Oh!” Felicity said with a tittering laugh. “This is just a simple earth golem I sculpted from the dirt and grass here in the orientation zone. Golems don’t have any minds of their own. They’re a direct extension of a spellcaster’s will. So, you don’t have to worry about this little guy getting out of control or anything, since he’s really just a physical manifestation of my spell.”

Seeing Lexi still fidgeting apprehensively, the faerie added gaily, “Just thing of him as a punching bag that can move around a little to thrust and parry!”

Lexi took a deep breath, steeling herself against the nerves threatening to overwhelm her.

I’m a fucking paladin, goddammit! Time to shape up and act the part.

Drawing her broadsword from its sheath on her back, Lexi assumed — without a second thought — a perfect fighting stance. It wasn’t until she was poised and ready to either defend or attack, as need be, that she looked down and noticed what her body had instinctively done.

“Holy shit,” the futanari paladin said with amazement. “I already know how to fight! I can feel the fucking moves, like they’re coiled up in my limbs just ready to spring into action.”