Chapter Ninety-Six

  Liking it did not stop the debate. A Duchess came with a rge stipend. It included the general fund for running Hazeldown, which had built up over time as that level of aristocracy had been vacant for years. The trustees had restricted access, so she'd be stepping into money to help maintain her staff and grow the city.

  Aristocratic and royal statuses produced pay commiserate to your authority, and it could be less or more than some assignments but almost always was less, not even reaching the income from the lowest named title of baron or baroness. Evolution sometimes dropped people's authority. Money, they were arguing over money. It took all her effort not to snap at them.

  “One slow deep breath ter. I'm sure I don't need to worry about my ranking. Between Ambrosia's efforts, my retionship with the prince, and the queen's acknowledgment my authority will be an acceptable level aristocrat or royal cleaner. I'd like to complete this process tonight.” She let a hint of death slip into that one, she considered authority but until she evolved that would be a stupid mistake when the finish line was in sight. She’d only let them argue this long because of the uncomfortable next choice. “One of my css options is restricted, so I'll only have two to choose from.”

  “Oh, are you going to tell us which one?” Len asked. “For intellectual curiosity of course.“

  Ashes, she hadn’t pnned to. Enough people get offered one of the banned csses that it didn’t reflect too poorly on people. The theorist wasn't the only one with curiosity on their face. These were the people she trusted. “Demonic devourer.”

  “Well, we’ve all seen Harmony when the deserts get delivered to the table.” Ambrosia joked a little awkwardly.

  “That’s kind of frightening. I would have thought it would have been something from the reaper, soul binder, or even cupid roots of the forbidden csses.” Len said with some thought.

  “You haven’t seen Harm’s scary side,” Maxwell answered with a grunt.

  “She’s not taking that. Let’s move on to her real options. I’m sure she doesn’t want us bickering here all night.“ Adric said firmly ending the discussion.

  “Deadly flesh sculptor and necrotuned revivalist.”

  Harmony opened the book from the Grave Society but wasn’t the only one as several other reference books for css options were rifled through. Harmony wasn’t going to trust only their opinions when you could get more than one source.

  With a “deadly” css your skills can be unexpectedly more lethal at times. It could be one in a hundred or one in a thousand as different skills gain different lethality. If you use your skills offensively it is a great boon for dungeon climbing. Common - rare for necromancers.

  Deeper into the book.

  Flesh Sculptor - Increases power of wound skills. Shared with healing csses. When the root is from the necromancer css, you’ll have an easier time shaping undead flesh but not limited to it. Higher chance of wound and healing type spells as options. Rare.

  “Anyone know how deadly actually works? Do they drop dead when it happens?” Harmony asked.

  “Dungeon monsters do. I knew one guy with a really weak skill, [Paper cut] from his profession but he was a deadly sword master. He could use it over a hundred times a minute. Didn't work too great on anything tough like guardians or people. If you spar with someone who has a deadly trait a health potion on hand is enough to combat it, but if it does trigger you won't die but it will take a lot out of you.” Adric answered.

  “I did hear the rumor of one guy who cut himself shaving and keeled over,” Len answered.

  “That's just a myth.” Max countered.

  “If something is truly additive in a random attribution then it can apply to any act induced regardless of target.”

  “Do you have to be such a brain about everything?” Max grumbled.

  “Harmony Appreciates it.”

  She did, not that they agreed on everything. How there was a cross-over between css and profession was fascinating. Thibodeux on Evolution had touched on that briefly, and she had zero respect for him, so it was good to get it confirmed.

  What skills would deadly apply to and how? The idea of self-inflicted pain when she used everything from [Cold Touch] to [Final Silence] on herself in varying ways felt like a trap or at least pying with poison. But if it could be controlled, she'd be one step closer to that epiphany about death that helped drive her toward evolution.

  Ambrosia popped her head out of one of the books. “About eighty years ago there was a famous flesh sculptor who redesigned styles of beauty and fixed fws on people's faces and bodies.”

  Which would be interesting if deadly didn't trigger and possibly kill someone. Shaping people's appearances probably contributed to receiving this selection.

  “Let's focus on Necrotuned Revivalist.” Harmony encouraged, turning herself back to the Society book.

  Necrotuned is a cross-css modification granting necromantic traits to other evolved csses. A necrotuned firebug was recorded as having death-affected fire skills. No other examples on record. Very rare. See modifications.

  The untitled book had a long list of modifications from necromancers who evolved and had some path that blended their base css with something different, rotborne was common, but unsurprising with the society’s teachings. [Keen Investigative Awareness] Helped read behind the lines that modifications were considered lesser or imperfect versus more pure necromancer lines like necrowitch, advanced necromancer, and necrocurser. The subtle way the original author penned what were mostly dry descriptions and how they had fewer details that might help one make a choice, and subtle hints they were worse.

  Revivalist was not in the book, and the modification tagged it as a non-necromancer-based css. There were several skills with the word revive in them in the skill book, but healers and priests had simir skills with the term. “Anyone find anything on revivalist?”

  “Seems like a healing css. I can ask Abbess Violet, she keeps in touch almost too frequently after I told her about my profession.” Max answered.

  “There is always the guild mistress,” Len added.

  “Auntie has assured me that she understands now and wants to help keep you as safe as possible. She’s spared no expense on the trainers for me these first few days of my training with her. Her allowing me a flexible schedule is why I’m here now. I’m sure she’ll want to help.”

  Pick the debt you owe, the temples, the guild, or the giant countess. Everyone wanted to know where they were stepping when on their path. Walking towards the unknown had stories like the mourned prince. Who was right now healthy and eagerly trying to help after she’d revived him. The name was a hint at its roots. You could even say she revived people's skills when she [Cimed the Remains of Power]. Or when she restored the image of youth to Lady Coodly

  “No, I’m good. Boys, Hyacinth and Ambrosia will assist me while I go through this process. I’ll see you in the morning, after all, we have a queen to meet.”

  Harmony and Ambrosia shooed Len, Max, Bates, Adric, and the bodyguards out. Adric tried to give his puppy-dog eyes like he was supposed to be there as her pet. Those connections were why she wanted him and Max gone. Hyacinth was always the exception.

  Ambrosia id out a thick sheet on the bed to make cleaning easier after the evolution process went through its changes. Should she have asked the group about what a vital body was? Never mind. It wasn’t in any of the dungeon guides. It was doubtlessly harmless, considering all the other potential issues with evolution.

  “You ready, Harm?” Ambrosia asked.

  With a little wiggle, she situated herself fully onto the sheet. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Choose your css and profession evolutions.

  Harmony focused on her choices with the same push of will she gave when selecting skills. Rigorous royal eraser and necrotuned revivalist.

  Evolution progressing - Vital body - Rigorous royal eraser - Divinely necrotuned revivalist

  Wait What? Unable to move, the evolution process washed over her, and she was out. Ambrosia and Hyacinth waited patiently as Harmony’s body encrusted with an overpping ttice of crystal-like energy for the process.

  “Do you think she’s making the right choices?” Ambrosia asked the familiar.

  “Gwap.” He answered with a shrug.