Chapter 27: Ch. 26 – There’s a System to this Magic?!

“Momo, why don’t you stay for lessons? While I’m sure Valerica has done an excellent job, I am just dying to practice with more students before the Dance School opens.”

Momo considered the idea. While she was not eager to part with her bones - as she very nearly did during their previous 'lesson' - Devola was an expert necromancer, and Momo was badly in need of instruction. She was eager to lock in her class choice, and it didn't seem like anyone else in the sanctuary was a natural-born teacher.

“I’ll join," Momo complied, agreeing begrudgingly.

“Wonderful!” Devola celebrated, clapping Momo on the shoulder, “now, let’s find somewhere else to host class. While my room is cozy, it’s hardly the environment for learning. I need some space to spread my wings.”

Momo looked around at the claustrophobic nightmare, agreeing with a nod.

Devola led them through the living chambers, out of the Main Hall, down the eastern tower’s staircase and past the stables, to a small clearing.

“What’s a better place to learn than life’s classroom - the outdoors!”

Momo shivered, bringing her robes up to her chin. It was utterly freezing. While Momo wasn’t overly fond of Devola’s psychological problem of a dorm room, she’d favor it over losing her toes to frostbite.

“Dusk, go get the Firebright candle,” she whispered to her feline companion. The cat stared back at her, blinking slowly.

I don’t have opposable thumbs, so it would light me on fire, was the message the blinks conveyed. Momo hummed. Right. She’d just have to get a new set of toes later. She was confident the sanctuary’s caverns probably had a few to spare.

“Alright, welcome class!” Devola announced, as if they hadn’t just followed her here from her bedroom, “I’m so glad you could join us today.”

The Necrodancer frowned, clearing her throat loudly.

“Welcome class! I’m so glad you could join us today. Ugh, it still feels off. Welcome!”

She repeated the line a third time, and then a fourth. Trent scratched his head, looking to Momo for an explanation. Momo shrugged, unable to explain away insanity.

“Are you... good?” she asked instead, momentarily halting Devola’s endless loop.

“Good? I’m great!” she reassured them, sleep deprivation written into her features, “I’m simply rehearsing, as any good actress does before a performance. Ah - and in there lies the first lesson!"

Devola raised a single finger, signifying that there would be several of these lessons.

“One: greatness is achieved by doing the same thing over and over, as eventually you will get better results.”

Momo squinted. That was definitely not how the saying went.

“Second lesson,” she said with a twirl, “confusion is key. Keep your enemies on their toes. Never let them know your next move, unless your next move is going to be really cool, then you should inform them up front, so they are prepared to clap.”

Trent took out a notebook, feverishly writing down every word out of her mouth. Momo felt his time might have better been spent memorizing Pitbull lyrics.

“Third lesson,” she came to a halt, and then conjured a ball of sizzling dark energy between her hands, “the broader family of Dark Magic includes the schools of Death and Nether magic. These magics fall under the domain of Morgana, so all class types that make use of Dark magic inherit their power from her.”

Momo’s head spun. The woman had gone from pointless idioms to overwhelming factual information in under thirty seconds. Momo searched her pockets frantically for a piece of parchment, but produced only a chunk of leftover toilet brush.

Whatever. She never took notes in class anyway. She’d just cheat off Trent during the exam.

Wait. There was no exam. Momo exhaled, stress falling off of her. To think that university was more stressful than the idea of something called Death Magic. America really needed to rethink its educational system.

Unbeknownst to Momo’s inner monologue, Devola continued, “now you might be sitting there wondering - what distinction is there between these two schools of Dark magic?”

“No, I’m not wondering, actually,” Trent informed her, "I already know this."

Devola froze.

“That was a rhetorical question,” she said, unhappy to be interrupted.

“Oh,” he said with a frown, genuinely unfamiliar with the concept, “but why ask a question I already know the answer to?”

“That is sometimes a fact of life, my dear student. Sometimes others,” she eyed Momo, who was hungrily studying the leftover brush-broccoli, “have not quite reached your level of understanding.”

“Ah, I see,” he nodded, “you may proceed.”

Devola frowned, “are you giving me permission to continue teaching you?”

“Yes, obviously?” he squinted in confusion.

Devola opened her mouth, and then closed it. Momo had never seen her use that level of restraint. She rarely let anything come between her and scolding someone.

“Anything for Olivia…” she mumbled under breath.

Regaining her composure, Devola repeated the question.

“So, what is the difference between Death and Nether magic? Well, Death Magic siphons soul energy, while Nether Magic gets its power by directly tapping into the Nether, as one would assume from the name.”

Trent nodded in agreement, but raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“One clarification,” he said, “they are also different in that Death Magic can siphon your own soul energy, which can deplete your health points and possibly kill you, while Nether Magic can never be self-destructive. It can be world-ending and plane-destroying, sure, but it is less masochistic…”

Devola’s mouth twitched.

“Trent, why don’t you get on up here?”

He froze.

“What?”

“Why don’t you teach this lesson?”

“Uh - I’m not sure,” he began to sweat, “I was only clarifying…”

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“Right. That’s what I thought,” she said, a deranged grin on her face, “now, let’s introduce a new class rule. Questions and clarifications come after every lesson. Unless they are really, really urgent, or bathroom related.”

Trent remained silent, nodding obediently.

Momo swallowed. She was suddenly very glad she was a guest student in this non-existent classroom. She’d much rather ask Valerica a series of very stupid questions and receive ineffective answers than stare down Professor Crazy Eyes.

“Any last questions before this rule goes into effect?”

Both Trent and Momo’s hands shot up. Momo hadn’t meant hers to go up too, but she was so used to following other people’s lead that it just involuntarily launched itself.

Devola raised an eyebrow at Momo’s hand, “yes, Momo, please.”

“Uh,” she paused, racking her brain for something intellectual to ask, “is Death Magic… good? Is one… gooder than the other?”

Gooder. She internally facepalmed. Those intellect points really only showed up when it was convenient for them.

“A fine question! Many scholars debate this, but I, Devola Wraith, have come to a conclusion.”

This got Trent's attention. He poised his pen to write.

“Neither school is gooder,” Devola said, unironically stealing Momo’s phrasing, “in fact, both schools are pretty ineffective on their own. That’s why they must be supplemented by other specialties. When you combine Dark magics with other schools - that is when Necromancy really comes alive. Pun intended."

Immediately going against Devola’s rule, Momo interjected, “so, a combination class is always best, then?”

“You get one infraction for interrupting, but I will allow it,” Devola informed her, and Momo wondered what the infraction limit was, and what would happen when she inevitably hit it, “the answer is: it depends. Which combination class do you speak of?”

Momo squinted, trying to remember the name.

“[Corrupted Dude]?”

Devola stared at her in confusion. Momo’s face went red. No, that wasn’t right —

“[Corrupted Druid],” she said, clearing her throat. That was totally what she meant the first time.

“Ah!” Devola smiled, “that is a great case study, Momo. Thank you for bringing it up. The [Corrupted Druid] class is an offshoot of the [Druid] class, which specializes in Wildlife and Nature magic. With the introduction of Morgana’s influence, the [Corrupted Druid] takes all the skills of the [Druid], and adds a Death and Nether magic flair.”

“Gaining the ability to use Death and Nether magic in combination with Nature magic is a very powerful combo. However, it comes with a price. You will open yourself up to a severe weakness to Fire, as flame is very effective against Nature magic classes, not to mention that you will have very little innate Strength or Charisma.”

Oh good. So not only would she continue to be tiny, feeble, and easily knocked over by the wind, but her curse would synergize with her class to let her be killed by touching a hot stovetop. Ideal.

“So what if I don’t pick it, or any other Intermediate class,” Momo hypothesized, “and just keep leveling up in [Beast Tamer]?”

“A valid question. Completionist class scholars usually do advise maxing out both classes first, to get every possible skill, but the Devola Wraith Method believes that the advantages of this are negligible. You must seize the day! And by that I mean, you will most likely just gain even stronger versions of those skills by going with the combination class.”

“Also, skills from [Beast Tamer] mostly apply to living animals,” Trent couldn’t help but add, much to Devola’s chagrin, “so I don’t think your little undead feline will profit much.”

“Ah,” Momo hummed, “that does make sense…”

“Alright, now, no more detours!” Devola announced, ignoring Trent’s hand, which had remained raised for the entirety of the tangent, “we will instead be proceeding to your first actual lesson… Trent, have you learned [Bone Dance]?”

“Oh, I actually haven’t,” he said, brightening, “can you teach me?”

Momo swallowed. It was about time for her swift exit.

---

Having entered hour three of her ‘bathroom break’ in the stables, Momo decided it was time to make a decision.

She pulled the class evolution papers out of her robe pockets. Luckily, they were still legible, despite the absolute wrecked and bloodied state of her robes. She picked up the attached quill, and nervously inched her hand closer to the parchment.

She internally reviewed her decisions. Harbinger was out. Necrodancer was out. Necromage was - well. It was still in, she supposed. Manipulating the elements like the Avatar would be pretty neat, and Valerica made it look flawless, but she felt it lacked something. Her heart didn’t soar to think about throwing undead meteors at people.

If she were to fantasize about a future for herself in these foreign lands, it would be a quiet one. She’d have a barn just like this, with a hay bed just like this one. She’d live amongst an army of undead - all cats, preferably - in a wide, endless forest. She’d still talk to Valerica, obviously, so maybe she’d live close by to the Dawn.

Momo stopped herself. She was describing her current living situation.

Many intellect points later, and her imagination was still deeply lacking.

Still, she wouldn’t mind a few more animals. All that desire for class maximalization, and all she really cared about was if she could revive more cats with less cooldowns between each casting. That sounded like a pretty sweet deal. Momo smiled.

Then it was settled.

She circled her answer, and the paper accepted it. The scroll exploded into thin air, and a new piece of parchment soared into her open palms.

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