**Uncanny Dodge has reached level 140 > 143!**
A light warmth of satisfaction suffused him. He was making good progress, even with the pace of his skill levelling slowing down as more and more grew into the later reaches of the first tier.
Even if he was likely to cap his class before they were finished, he wouldn’t be consigned to the fate of sitting there for years slowly working on rounding out the tier.
A considerable benefit, considering every week wasted was another that the beasts in the world above grew stronger with the rise in ambient mana.
That, and he suspected that there might be Honours on the line. His team had already explained the Wall — and that most people took over a decade to cap their first tier class — what if they managed it in under a year? It was exactly the sort of feat that the system had rewarded in the past.
Hells, with their breakneck pace, the System might only need them to do it in two for a reward!
It would be a push, though — Porkchop’s birthday was roughly a month away, only a few days before his. Another Honour for their twentieth years, the day they would have originally unlocked their classes, would make a fine gift.
Realisation struck him. He jolted upright, ignoring the ache as the last remnants of his shoulder wound twinged.
The sudden motion drew questioning looks from his team.
Kaius grinned.
“How would everyone feel about a little self imposed deadline?”
Ianmus chuckled, his eyes closing as he leaned his head back against the wall behind him. “I would like to say I'm surprised, but that would be a lie. What’s gotten in your head this time?”
There was no frustration or disagreement in the mage’s words — just wry humour masking a deep excitement and curiosity. He could see it in Kenva too. While it was not quite inviolate, he could tell that the aen was starting to trust that he did not take risks for no reason — only if the reward was truly worth it and he believed they were capable.
“An Honour — with a potential bonus, or a second one entirely for Porkchop and myself.”
That got their attention. His team straightened, all eyes locking on his own — Porkchop in particular cocked his head to the side, his focused attention palpable through their bond. He saw no need to keep them waiting.
“I was thinking, our levelling speed is already rather ludicrous, and — without our trip down here — it would have most likely taken us more than a year of hard work to cap out the first tier. Wouldn’t finishing it so quickly be exactly the sort of thing the System would pay attention to?”
They brightened at his words, an array of expressions crossing his team's faces as they seemed to race through the implications.
Shifting on the stone, Porkchop flicked his ears contemplatively. “It may not even be based on the length of time, but your age — that wouldn’t surprise me. It would mean the younger you earn one, the more time you have to work on the next — lines up with how Ruthless Underdog works.”
His brother had a compelling point with that, as that did lend itself to the sort of compounding gains they’d seen already. Still, that didn’t really solve the main unknown.
“What do you think the threshold will be? Twenty-one? That would exclude you two, wouldn’t it?” Kaius nodded towards Ianmus and Kenva.
Though, now that he thought about it, he didn’t know when Ianmus’s birthday was. He’d never out and out asked, but they’d spent more than enough time together for the topic to come up naturally. Though, given that they’d spent nearly eleven months together, there was a good chance the day had come and gone.
The mage gave him an awkward smile, his back stiffening slightly. “Only recently — my birthday was a couple of weeks ago. I know I never brought it up, but I'd keep the story for another time, if that’s alright with you.”
A little odd, but back in Threefields Hurrin had been similarly cagey around his own — everyone had a story to tell, and no doubt Ianmus would share when he was ready.
“I’m not going to lose fur over it.” Porkchop gave the mage a bob of his head, while the rest of them smiled. Ianmus visibly relaxed.
“Thanks.”
“Still, so recently? That’s an unlucky coincidence. I thought your level had been so low because you’d been finishing off the year at your mage college.” Kaius replied, suppressing his desire to frown at the thought of his friend spending his birthday in an underground cell. No one should have to experience that.
Ianmus shrugged. “It is what it is — in Mystral, you graduate from your spire when you gain your class. I spent a week preparing for my journey and then started walking towards Deadacre. You know the rest.” He turned towards Kenva at his left, “What of you?”
“Nearly half a year ago.” Kenva replied, stretching out her legs and brushing off some of the remnant sand from her trousers, “My first few months were with my uncles caravan — wasn’t exactly many opportunities to level as a combat classer. Regardless, I doubt the limit will be twenty-one. It’s far too harsh for a first honour, even with a team of people at mine and Ianmus’s level who went all-in from level one, it would be almost impossible. I think twenty-two is more likely.”
She had a point. Excluding honours further along a chain, most of them that he’d seen required skill, persistence, and ability to acquire — but not so much as to be nigh-impossible to achieve for a team of driven delvers with good class rarities.
“Twenty-two does sound a bit more reasonable.” Porkchop shifted his attention back to him, “But what of this second Honour? Or bonus?”
He grinned. “Well, if this Honour does exist, it stands to reason there would be an extra reward for achieving the same feat before you’re even supposed to have your class.”
His team paused, seemingly processing his words.
Ianmus spoke up first. “That…does seem rather likely, yes.”
To his left, Kenva nodded. “I’m in, as long as we’re not taking on more risks than we can handle to do so.”
Kaius' smile widened — he didn’t even need to wait for his brother’s answer. Not with the way Porkchop was grinding his claws against the tan stone floor.
“Fantastic. Then let's rest up and we can continue once I've reinscribed.”