Dungeon of Chance: Even Odds: A Dungeon Core Novel (Serious Probabilities Book 1) by Jonathan Brooks (interesting books to read TXT) 📕

spell.”  She had a point, so she wasn’t too broken up about it – but it was also a phenomenon she needed to make sure to share with the other groups.

Again, it was yet another reason they needed to get to the next Tier.  The problem with that was finding enough Class Orbs; obtaining 20 of a single Class was proving to be difficult, and they only had the 1 Mage Class Tier 2 from all of their drops so far.  Rosara had been relatively lucky, finding a total of 23 additional Tier 1 Support Class Orbs – 20 of which she combined into a Tier 2 – but her progress had stalled a bit.  The others were close to 20, but of them all, Jeska was the closest.

At an additional 19 Tier 1 Mage Class Orbs, she was anxious to get the last one that would get her over that hump.  Finally, nearly 2 weeks after becoming a Hero, that time came.

“Yes!  There it is!” she said as soon as she saw it appear in the Drop Chest that she, herself, was opening – almost as if it were fate.  Jeska touched the words with something approaching reverence, and she felt it being brought into her body and fit in wherever she stored the other Orbs.  Opening up her Class Orbs Available chart[12], she saw that she now had enough Tier 1s to combine them together to make a Tier 2.

Do you wish to combine (20): Mage Class Orb Tier 1 to create a Mage Class Orb Tier 2?

Yes / No

Warning: (20) Mage Class Orb Tier 1 will be consumed in the process.

Without hesitation, she selected Yes, and she felt something going on within her body.  Similar to how it worked with Rosara when she combined her Support Orbs, there were no visual effects, but it certainly felt a little funny inside her chest.  Not painful, but more like her organs were rearranging and then being put back.

Suddenly, the strange feeling stopped.  Without any other indication, she figured it was done – and so it was!  She now had 0 Tier 1 Orbs and 2 Tier 2 Orbs – so now it was time for the next step…or at least she hoped so.

Tier 2 Orbs Available: (2) Mage Class

Hybrid Classes available with current Tier 2 Orbs: 0

Note: Acquiring additional Class Orbs of other Classes will allow you to create a Hybrid Class.  Warning: Obtaining a new Hybrid Class will always reset the Hero back to Tier 1; further increases in a Tier will require Class Orbs of the same Classes in the same ratio

Do you wish to absorb (2) Mage Class Orb Tier 2 to become a Mage Class Tier 2?

Yes / No

Wait—what?  Hybrid Classes?  What does that even mean?  Before she confirmed what she wanted to do, she told the others about what she had seen.

“That could be interesting,” her brother said with a smile.  “Imagine me being able to sling spells like you can while still destroying these monsters with my sword.” That’s a frightening thought, but it would be interesting to see.

“Or you could heal yourself if you were part Healer-Class,” Pascale mentioned.  The possibilities seemed endless, though she was sure there had to be a catch somewhere; otherwise, why not make a Hybrid of all 5 Classes and be able to do everything.  She was sure it had to do with the “Warning”, but it didn’t make a lot of sense to her.

“Whatever we decide to do in the future is for a later date,” Jeska said while the others discussed the possibilities.  “Now, though, I’m going to become a Tier 2 Mage.”  Without waiting any more, she selected Yes…and felt like she was being torn apart.

She was vaguely aware of herself being lifted off of the ground again – mainly because she couldn’t feel anything underneath her feet – but all she could really focus on was the pain radiating throughout her body.  Her clothed body, thankfully, as she wasn’t aware of being stripped again like the last time she had increased her Tier.  The agony seemed to last for hours, but soon enough the torment soothed to a small simmer; eventually, her vision came back after being reduced to the red haze of torturous pain, and she felt herself back on solid ground.

“Are you okay?” her brother asked from closer than she expected.  Jeska felt his hand on her shoulder, concern radiating from both his voice and his touch.  “That seemed a bit more intense than when we first received our Classes.”

Jeska nodded, for the first time realizing her throat was a little sore.  Was I screaming?  That was the only explanation she could think of, but she couldn’t remember doing it.  Fortunately, her Health Band got rid of the soreness in a matter of seconds.  “You’re right, that hurt quite a bit,” she said once she could talk easily again.  “Regardless, it was only temporary – and I’m a Tier 2 Mage now!”

Hero Status

Name:

Jeska Porter

Hero Name:

(None Chosen)

Class:

Mage

Tier:

2

Health:

15/15

Intellect:

6 (+5 equipped)

Attack:

2

Speed:

3

Defense:

2

Inventory

Class Orbs Available

Class Skills (New)

Looking at her updated Hero Status, she saw what might be an explanation for the pain.  “I now have 15 Health compared to the 10 I used to have…and my Speed, Attack, and Defense all increased by 1.  My Intellect, on the other hand, appears to have gone up by 3 points.”

Such changes in her body could certainly account for the agony she just went through; she twisted her body around in different directions and jumped up and down for a moment, trying to see if there was any physical difference.  Surprisingly, she could feel a slight difference in how her body felt, as if her skin was just a little bit tighter over her