The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

An important part of being an Awakened Player is figuring out what role one is best equipped for with the skills they have in their disposal.

That way one can know what to fall into when challenging a Divine Quest.

So, that was the next part of Aeric's training.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The Crystal Chamber had transformed, its walls pulsed and all the dummies had been reformed and revitalized, ready to serve as the punching bags they were.

Alzera stood in the middle, hands on her hips, addressing everyone with her usual confident tone.

"Alright, Aeric. Next up in your training, you're figuring out where you fit. First, you'll be training with Kael."

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Aeric glanced at the big man and gave him a smile.

Kael thumbs upped him.

"You know the drill, Kael," Alzera said. "Show him what it takes to be a Vanguard."

Kael, the towering, and broad-shouldered Vanguard, grinned and walked towards Aeric. Then, he clapped on the back so hard that Aeric stumbled forward.

"Don't worry, Prince Aeric! By the time we're done, you'll be a brick wall no one can get past!"

As usual, Kael's cheery tone contrasted with his intimidating frame, but Aeric had to admit, his enthusiasm was infectious.

He led Aeric to a section of the chamber that had conjured dummies and barriers, setting the stage for the lesson. Kael stood in front of the dummies, spread his legs wide, and thumped his chest.

"First rule of being a Vanguard: you're the shield. That means you take the hits so your team doesn't have to. If you want to be a Vanguard, or if you want to at least acquire the skills of one, you should get that in your head early."

Aeric nodded, remembering Kael standing in the front with his Flame Shield skill during that Dungeon raid. "So, I have to stand in front, no matter what?"

Kael gave a booming laugh. "Exactly! You're the first line of defense. Your job is to block attacks, keep the team safe, and never falter, no matter how hard they hit."

Kael motioned to Aeric. "Now, let's see that big shield of yours. Use your physical Divinity, and show me how big of an aegis you can summon."

Aeric stretched out his hand and summoned a shimmering red shield, translucent but thick, extending from his forearm.

It gleamed like molten glass, although with a more scarlet color.

Kael whistled. "Not bad, my Prince. But like in many things in life, size matters here. Come on, try harder! Let's see how big you can make it. Focus your Divinity and expand."

Aeric closed his eyes, concentrating. His fingers began to strain and began to stretch.

Consequently, the shield pulsed and grew larger, stretching until it was nearly as tall as Kael himself. Aeric gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead from the effort.

"Good! That's good!" Kael said, clapping again. "With more practice, you can cover all five members of your squad. Now hold it steady. Imagine you're standing in front of your squad, and arrows, fire, and all the dreadful beasts of a Dungeon and who-knows-what are coming at you. You've got to hold!"

Kael nodded to Alzera, who pressed a crystal on the wall. Ding! Dong!

Roaarrrrr!!

The dummies across from them activated, turning into uglier creatures and began launching blasts of energy at Aeric.

Aeric braced himself, gripping the shield as the first blast struck. The force reverberated through his arm, but the shield held. Another blast came, then another. His legs wobbled, but Kael's voice boomed over the noise.

"Don't give in! A Vanguard doesn't break!"

'Yeah,' Aeric thought. 'Only if they're built like a tank as you are!'

The thing about roles was that, not only did one's Skills have to suit them, but their body as well. In order to hold a shield strong enough to stop heavy barrages of blasts, one would have to be extremely built and muscular like Kael.

A lot of mass is needed to hold a strong enough shield, just like lesser mass is needed for a Ranger in order to move swiftly and penetrate an opponent's defenses.

With a final roar of effort, Aeric stood firm for as long as he could. But then a crack came from one of the blasts, and before he could mend it, more blasts struck and the crack spider webbed until the shield shattered.

Alzera stopped the dummies immediately. Aeric rested on his knees, panting as Kael tapped him gently on his back.

"Not bad for your first try. You truly are talented, your Highness. I've never seen an Adept Level Player summon that much Physical Divinity. We shall advance to positioning and timing."

Aeric looked up at him, exasperated. "There's more?"

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

After Kael was done with him, it was Ryn's turn.

The cool-guy, sharp-eyed Ranger barely spoke as he set up the training area. His movements were precise, almost mechanical, as he placed targets at varying distances.

"Listen, Prince. I'm not as cheerful as the other ones, so try not to take what I say to heart."

Aeric looked at him with a regal smile. "For today, you're my master. Teach how you see fit."

Ryn narrowed his eyes. "Hmm."

"Rangers disrupt," he began. "We don't wait around like the rest of the team; we create opportunities. Sometimes that means risking your life by attacking the enemy directly. Other times, it's about throwing them off balance. All so to give your team a fighting chance. To give your Tactician more time to come up with a game plan."

Aeric raised a brow. "I see. So what's the training going to be?"

Ryn stopped and looked at him. "To be honest, you make a pretty good Ranger already after your training with Alzera on targeting and striking. But let's see how you can handle close range, especially when the odds are clearly not in your favor."

Alzera pulled a lever.

Suddenly three dummies turned to giant Grey Orcs, roaring and smashing their clubs on the ground.

"Your Tactician is down and the Support is doing all she can to heal her." Ryn said, glaring at Aeric. "The Vanguard's shield is deteriorating, the Courier is a helpless Initiate who doesn't even know what he's doing. But those Grey Orcs keep advancing. You're the Ranger and everyone clearly needs time to recuperate. What do you do?!"

Aeric looked forward, seeing the Grey Orcs getting closer and closer. 'What do I do? What do I do?'