Chrysalis

Chapter 1798 - New Templar

None of the Templars are offered the same Class, which is interesting, but their own personal variants based on their particular strengths and interests. I can't help but become curious once they start discussing the options they've been given, because obviously I have to ask all of them after Jern piped up.

A few of the options are a little surprising, but most of them line up with the people to whom they are offered.

Bertram is given a few different choices, but the best and highest rarity ones are relating to his role as a Templar and his penchant for being a jack-of-all-trades with a vast wealth of experience doing all sorts of odd-jobs.

Templar of the Toolshed

Templar Gadgeteer

Templar Engineer of the Moment

Of his options, Bertram is most inclined to choose one of these three, each providing bonuses to his various Skills that make something out of nothing. I leave him perusing and weighing up his options while I turn to Jern and check on the rest of his offerings.

Templar of Unshaking Faith was the option that first drew his eye, but he does have others that he finds interesting.

Templar of the Righteous Hammer sounds... intimidating.

Honoured Templar of the Great One is... well... I can only assume this is some sort of practical joke waged on me by Gandalf, the fluffy-bearded old goat.

Jern doesn't seem sure which way he wants to go and I certainly don't have any advice for him. Though, I do hope he avoids the third option. With the Prophet showing up, I certainly don't need any other System prompts to reinforce that sort of thinking.

Alis seems extremely happy with her offerings, although I'm not sure if I'm as enthused as she is. They all seem... a little... combustible?

Unflinching Flame Templar

Righteous Flame Templar

Templar of the Everflame

As long as she's happy, I suppose it's fine? I really don't like the intense fire I see burning in her eyes, but nothing too bad should come of it. Right? For a moment I think about introducing her to Propellant, since they seem to enjoy a similar love of all things fire, but I think better of it. From what I can tell, neither of them need any encouragement.

Oddly, the three youngest aren't all that interested in sharing their Class Advancements with me. A little secretive and shifty, they discuss things intently amongst themselves without ever inviting me to be part of the conversation. Not a problem, you do you. They don't have to tell me or anything, if they want privacy, then they can have it. It does have the side-effect of making me intensely curious, so I immediately start cooking up ways to find out what they're talking about.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Of course, a mind bridge would solve my problem, letting me rummage around in their thoughts, but that would be extremely obvious and incredibly intrusive. Regardless of how they feel about me, I doubt they'd look too kindly on me effectively reading their minds. That's a no go. I can probably use the Vestibule, skim their surface thoughts and get a decent idea of what they're talking about, but that also feels rather invasive.

Ultimately, I'm forced to let it go and live in ignorance. They can have their secrets, dammit. Even if I'm burning up with curiosity.

[You must be pleased you don't have to worry about getting spiritually attacked anymore, Great One,] Jern says when he's finished making his selection.

I'm a little confused by this.

[What do you mean? Didn't I only ever get attacked like... twice?]

He looks at me oddly, then nods as if he's realised something.

[I suppose you were asleep for the majority of them, weren't you. Yeah, we put in a tough few shifts over that period. Slimy things kept sneaking into the Nave. We dealt with it, though.]

Hang on, what?!

[I was getting attacked while I was evolving?]

[Oh yeah. Quite a bit. There would have been over a dozen attacks, all up.]

[A dozen?!]

Nobody thought to mention this to me? Sheesh! Although... when I think about it, the Templars are probably the only ones who were really aware of what was going on, and I haven't come to see them or spoken to them since I woke up. The blame for this one can be placed quite squarely on my own, shiny carapace.

[Well... was everything alright? Are you guys okay?] I ask lamely.

Obviously, they're fine. All of the Templars are standing right in front of me, perfectly healthy, so I can safely assume nothing too bad happened to them while I was asleep.

Jern confirms with one of his uncaring shrugs.

[It was tough for a while, but we got through it in the end. A lot of our Levels came from that... spiritual fighting.]

Wait a second, if Jern says it was tough....

[Alis, how bad were the attacks on the Nave?]

Still grinning to herself in a worrying fashion, like a moth staring hard at the flame, Alis goes pale and starts trembling at my question.

[It was... horrible,] she whispers. [I barely slept for weeks. So... many... slimes....]

Jern pats her on the back sympathetically then moves to giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze as the poor, obviously traumatised young woman trembles while staring blankly into the distance.

Holy moly! It was that bad?! Now I feel terrible. Doubly so for ignoring them for so long.

[After everything you've done, I think you six deserve a bit of a vacation,] I declare to them all. [Get some rest, heal up your bodies, (and minds), play around with your new Classes before reporting back to duty in a few weeks. How does that sound?]

Betran looks a little uncomfortable.

[I'm not sure it would feel right-]

I lean down close to his face.

[I. Insist.]

He blinks.

[Well in that case, maybe a little time would be a good thing.]