Rebirth of the Nephilim
Chapter 520: Divine Progress

After some lengthy discussion, Alex decided to split her attribute points between her Fortitude and Resilience stats. Since she had twenty-two free points to use, she gave Fortitude fourteen and Resilience eight, which evened out both stats to be forty-eight points each. The idea was that eventually, Alex planned on making Focus her lowest attribute, so that Jadis’ accession ritual would be applied to it. In the meantime, she would use her own passive catalyst skill to temporarily boost her Dexterity, so that the accession ritual effect would apply to either Fortitude or Resilience; which one didn’t matter too much. Once those two stats were raised to have fifty-one points each, Jadis and Alex could repeat the ritual and Focus would gain the benefit. Then, Alex could switch her catalyst skill to a different attribute, like Strength, Agility, or Divine.

In the meantime, since no rituals other than Lewd Lover’s Bond were applied to Alex, her status sheet looked mostly the same as it had before she had finalized her skill selections.

With Alex’s level-ups finalized, the group was ready to move onto the next person. The only question was, which of them would it be?

“You can go first,” Bridget was quick to say as she motioned towards Eir. “You’ve got seniority in this group.”

“Nonsense,” Eir smiled warmly at the orc warrior. “That’s no reason for me to take precedence over you. Besides, I believe you are technically my senior. Aren’t you a year older than me?”

“Before this turns into a contest of politeness,” Syd interjected, “how about we just do a little Rock, Paper, Scissors?”

“You mean Sword, Shield, Arrow,” Bridget corrected. “The version that actually makes sense, unlike whatever that weird rock and paper thing you keep talking about is.”

“Right, right,” Syd waved a hand dismissively. “Just play the game, already!”

After two rounds of Sword, Shield, and Arrow, Eir was declared the winner. There were some complaints that the elf had an advantage since she was an Oracle, but only from those watching and only as a jest. With the next person chosen, the new round of discussions began.

“I have not used any of my nineteen free attribute points yet, nor have I officially selected any skills or spell for my ten available slots,” Eir informed the group after reading out her current status sheet. “I have six slots available in my primary class and four in my secondary class.”

“No official selections, but I’m guessing you’ve already taken a look?” Syd asked the elf sitting in her lap. “You’ve got that ‘pleased noblewoman’ tone in your voice.”

“I do not,” Eir batted playfully at the arm Syd had wrapped around her waist. “You make me sound like Countess Voclain.”

“Hardly,” Syd intoned in as rich an accent as she could muster. “You would need to emphasize your innate superiority by several more leagues.”

“There is nothing innately superior about any noble,” Eir laughed. “Unless you consider an inheritance innate. Still, I am pleased. The selections I’ve been offered are easy for me to choose, at least for my Cleric class.”

“Anything to discuss with your throwaway options?” Aila asked, ever the detailed cataloger.

“Three were to increase my attributes,” Eir answered easily. “All within the expected values of my level and class. Two were passive skills that would improve my attributes under specific circumstances. Were I leading a different life, I may very well have taken those skills as they relate to temple life; however, with my attachment to Jadis and all of you, I find myself untroubled by passing over them.”

“What about the last option?” Jay asked. “Was it an active skill? Or a spell?”

“A spell,” Eir smiled wryly. “One with somewhat vain connotations. Lyssandria’s Graceful Maturation. The spell would help dispel the wrinkles and skin blemishes that often come with aging.”

“Not exactly something you need help with,” Syd said as she ran a finger across the smooth and flawless red skin of Eir’s left cheek. “I don’t think I’ve seen a pimple on you… ever.”

“Not since I was a teenager,” the elf giggled quietly. “But more to the point, I’m not sure it will be needed so long as we are with you.”

“How so?”

Turning her attention to Bridget, Eir smiled and asked the orc a question.

“When was the last time you experienced a pimple or a similar blemish?”

Looking startled by the unexpected topic, Bridget shrugged.

“I don’t know. It’s been a while. My skin’s usually pretty clear, except where my armor straps go sometimes. Haven’t had any issues in months, though.”

“And you?” Eir asked Thea next. “Any blemishes?”

“No…” Thea replied slowly. “N—not in months.”

Turning a questioning eye towards Kerr, the therion answered without further prompting.

“Last time I had a pimple was on my ass. I remember because it was so gods’ damned inconvenient a spot. Made sitting a real bitch for a week. That was a year ago, though. Haven’t had any since.”

“I imagine that was shortly before you met Jadis, was it not?”

When Kerr nodded, Eir grinned and turned her attention back to the group at large.

“I believe we can thank our dear Jadis for the healthy glow of our skin. As a Nephilim, she exudes beauty, and not just in the aesthetic sense. She is a beacon and a balm, soothing the blemishes that would otherwise come upon us naturally with life and age.”

“What, just from being near her?” Kerr exclaimed. “Or is it because we’re getting basted in her batter on a regular basis?”

“I do not believe the basting is a requirement,” Eir replied while holding back her mirth. “From what I have read in the temple scrolls, the phenomenon was frequently described by those who lived around the Nephilim in ancient days. Aging is not stopped or reversed, but the physical beauty of those who dwelled near Nephilim was enhanced.”

“So, as long as we hang around Jadis, no more butt pimples?”

“No more butt pimples.”

“I had no idea that was how it worked,” Jay mused as she stared off into the distance. “That’s so strange. Great, but weird. I just figured you all were blessed with great skin.”

“You didn’t tell me about this beauty beacon effect?” Syd prodded her elven lover in the side with a finger. “What else do Nephilim do that I don’t know about?”

“I didn’t want to bring up any of those possible effects without some confirmation,” Eir objected while squirming in Syd’s lap. “Those scrolls are well over two thousand years old, after all. And the remaining Nephilim at that point had all been secluded in their Bastion for hundreds of years, largely cut off from the rest of the world. Most books and scrolls that detail interactions between your people and the rest of Valtar’s children are ancient, and frequently secondhand accounts.”

The Nephilim’s Final Bastion. Jadis had first learned the term almost a year ago when she had first met with Magister Vraekae and had been accused of being a fake. All the Nephilim in the whole of Oros had died in the Final Bastion over two thousand years ago, during a particularly aggressive and successful demonic invasion. Despite it being the history of her people, Jadis knew next to nothing about the event. She kept meaning to investigate it further, if for no other reason than to sell her public image of being born as a Nephilim, instead of being a reborn soul. That said, the only other information she had ever learned was that, apparently, the Nephilim had once had a country that was all their own somewhere on the central continent, which was also the location of the Final Bastion.

As much interest as Jadis had in the subject, they weren’t gathered to discuss her or the fate of the ancient Nephilim. That was another topic to discuss on a different day.

“Well, let’s go over any other possible effects later,” Jay suggested. “Maybe we can test a few things out. For now, I want to hear about all those juicy new spells that you picked out for yourself. I know they must be good.”

“As you wish,” Eir said happily as she settled against Syd’s chest. “Shall I go in ascending order? Or from least interesting to most?”

“Save the best for last,” Kerr grinned. “Got to keep us edged, after all.”

The first three spells Eir listed were progressions of three spells that she already possessed.

Likely thanks to all of the poisons and diseases from the previous night, Eir had unlocked the greater versions of the three cleansing spells. The only one she hadn’t been using much was the parasite removal, but even that had seen a few uses on some of the soldiers she had helped according to Eir. The new versions would be able to remove much more powerful ailments, since the term “greater” was reserved for the major leagues. The magic cost of the new spells had gone up appropriately, double the amount of the lesser spells, though they were still a manageable rate for Eir.

The next spell Eir had selected was a bit more interesting, both because it mirrored a spell Alex and Severina shared, while also showcasing the progress the cleric had made as a healer.

“Ah, so clerics don’t have to always channel their healing huh?” Jay commented after Eir had read out the new skill.

“Most prefer an instantaneous heal, actually,” Eir explained. “It is safer if you are on a battlefield.”

“Hm…” Aila hummed as she did some quick calculations. “This spell would allow you to heal nineteen different people with your current magic pool. “One hundred health isn’t much for monsters like Jadis, but there are many like yourself that only have one hundred health total, or only a little more. A solid mass heal to get many injured soldiers or civilians into safe conditions.

“I believe it will also help my progress towards a better multi-target channeled heal,” Eir nodded along with Aila. “The more people I heal at the same time, the more experience I gain towards spells that will make such exercises easier.”

While it probably wasn’t a spell Eir would use frequently, not when Fortune’s Favored was out in the field at any rate, Jadis couldn’t argue against a spell that could save a lot of lives whenever they were in a situation like Glanum. The only real issue with it was how quickly it would blow through all of Eir’s magic reserves. Jadis hoped that one of Eir’s new skill options would help with that aspect. But even if none of them did, Eir would likely be getting Aila’s wellspring passive skill from Jadis’ transference ritual. It only made sense to give Eir an ability that would make it easier for her to recover large amounts of magic quickly. Though an argument could be made for transferring Alex’s Boldness skill so the elf could use it on her Focus. The ultimate choice, Jadis supposed, would depend on what other skills Eir had on offer.

“The next option I will be taking is a passive skill that should help me heal others more swiftly. Jadis in particular should benefit,” Eir continued listing her new skills.

“Nice!” Syd exclaimed. “That doubles your healing power, right? Just with a kiss!”

“Triples it if you kiss on the mouth,” Bridget said with raised eyebrows. “Bloody insane! How much healing power is that?”

“At the moment, every point of magic Eir uses with her channeled healing is worth seventy health points,” Aila explained, already having done the math. “If she’s kissing someone on, say, the forehead, she’ll do one hundred and forty points of healing. If its on the lips, two hundred and ten.”

Kerr let out a long, low whistle.

“All that for a single point of magic. You could take me from zero to full with one point and a kiss,” Kerr shook her head in disbelief.

“That kiss would heal me to full with fifteen points,” Jay added.

“Eir could heal nearly five hundred average people from near death to full health simply by kissing them on the mouth for a second,” Sorcha slumped back against a pile of pillows, looking like her bones had just turned to rubber. “I don’t even know what to compare that to.”

“Jocelyn,” Severina stated simply. “The Hero’s Oracle. With that kiss, Eir has achieved a healing capacity that is comparable to the Oracle. At least, she is from the last word I have heard on Jocelyn’s capabilities.”

“I’m not even a little surprised,” Syd grinned as she hugged Eir against her chest. “Eir is going to be the greatest healer that ever lived. You can quote me on that.”

“I feel I have a long way to go before I reach that lofty goal,” Eir murmured as she happily melted into Syd’s embrace. “Though I do feel I have taken two steps closer to those heights today.”

“Two steps?”

Blinking her eyes open, Eir sat upright, her expression turning even brighter.

“Ah! Yes, that is not the final choice for my Cleric class. The last option I have before me is no option at all. I simply must take it, if for no other reason than it will be of invaluable help to one of our number.”

Reading the spell description for all to hear, Jadis saw everyone in the room mirror Eir’s posture as they sat up a little straighter. Even she couldn’t help showing the excitement growing in her. Nor could she help the way her eyes strayed to the two women who would be most affected in their company as Eir spoke.

“Holy shit Eir!” Syd spun the smaller woman around and lifted her into the air, eliciting a squeal from the healer. “You can grow limbs back!”

Syd gave the elf no time to respond as she brought her down close and kissed her deeply. The others around them all made their own exclamations of surprise and cheer, stirring up the noise in the room as they let loose their excitement. A spell that could fix lost limbs and organs was a rarity, even among powerful healers. For Eir to finally gain the ability to do so was a massive deal.

Even as she grinned in joy, Dys kept a close eye on both Sorcha and Severina, both of whom was looking more stunned than happy.

“I only need a few points in Focus and I will be able to cast the spell right away,” Eir said breathlessly as she turned away from her kiss with Syd. “Who may I heal first? Sorcha? Severina?”

Gazing at the goblin which who was sitting across from her, Sev hesitated for a moment before her expression turned firm.

“You have most certainly been waiting for longer than I have. I believe precedence goes to you.”

“Hey, no one is more deserving than you, Severina,” Sorcha immediately replied as she waved her hands before her. “I mean, you literally saved Glanum with what you did last night. I feel like that bumps you up in line before me. Merit and all that. Go for it.”

“No,” Sev shook her head. “That isn’t true. I do not have greater merit than you in this situation. Your stamina spell enabled many of us to perform at a level we would not have been able to otherwise. Your contribution to the team on the battlefield is just as valuable, even if what you do is not as showy as what I do. Please, go before me.”

“Hey, I can still walk just fine,” Sorcha tapped the false leg she had been given by the Dryads. “A wing has to be more important.”

“I can fly as well as I ever could thanks to Sabina’s creation,” Severina countered.

“But you—”

“No, you—”

“Okay, maybe we need to have another round of Sword, Shield, and Arrow?” Syd cut in before the two women circled their arguments any further.

As the two gave each other amused by exasperated looks, Eir smiled and stepped in.

“I know that you were both blessed with excellent prosthetics, so this healing is not about need. This is about putting what has been wronged to right. Please, do not think of this as a show of preference. Only see it as an order based on time. Sorcha? Would you do me the honor of being the first person I heal with Beloved’s Flawless Regeneration?”

After another moment of hesitation, Sorcha meekly nodded her head.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Wonderful!” Eir said as she put her hands together in front of herself. “Shall we begin right away? The sooner I perform this spell, the sooner the cooldown will be up and the sooner I will be able to heal Severina’s wing.”

“Can you tell us about the four skill slots you have for your secondary class while you heal Sorcha?” Aila asked, a small smile on her lips. “Not that I mind waiting for five minutes.”

“Hm,” Eir pursed her lips in thought. “I don’t believe I will be able to, no. That said, I suppose I should explain my choices for Lustful Oracle of D first, shouldn’t I? At least, one of the passive skills I believe I should take would make casting this spell far more convenient.”

“Hey, I’ve been waiting since winter,” Sorcha said. “What’s another couple of minutes? What’s the word on your second class?”

“Then I shall not waste a second,” Eir announced cheerily. “Aila, we can go over the ones I have skipped over later, yes? They are attribute related except for a passive skill that extends the range of all my ranged spells. The others I have in mind are much better.”

With a nod from Aila, Eir launched into the selections she had in mind for her Oracle class.

There was truly no need for discussion when it came to a thirty-point boost to Eir’s Focus. Those thirty points equated to a lot of healing, even if one discounted the help it gave to her other spells. Without waiting for commentary, Eir pushed on to the next.

The Lap Pillow ritual was more worthy of discussion, though in a silent agreement the group kept their comments brief. It would be nice to have a reduced cost to a more expensive spell, like Jadis’ Mirror Magnification, but it was also refreshing to see that the ritual worked on skills as well. It meant Kerr could get a Colossus Slayer shot at half cost as well.

There was some curiosity concerning the exact nature of the spell and what exactly constituted a “lap pillow” but everyone was quick to move on. Even though Sorcha was doing nothing to draw attention to herself, everyone had her limb regeneration in mind.

“That’s a random chance skill,” Dys pointed out with a frown. “We’re supposed to avoiding those.”

“You are, certainly,” Eir replied calmly. “I have no such prohibition. Besides which, that is a guideline, not a rule. I see no downside to the random chance of this particular ritual. At worst, the three randomly selected attributes will do nothing to aid my spellcasting ability. If that happens, I will simply have to wait, at most, thirty days to try again. Once I do have the attributes the way I would like, I never have to perform the ritual again.”

Eir’s reasoning was admittedly sound; Jadis couldn’t argue with the logic. Certainly, the random chance skills and spells she had access to had far harsher penalties to them if they came up. Jadis wasn’t sure that a spell range increase wouldn’t benefit Eir more, but then she remembered two things. The first being that almost all of Eir’s spells had a range of touch, and therefore wouldn’t benefit from a skill that doubled range.

The other consideration was that Eir’s attributes were all very low. Other than her Divine attribute, the cleric had mostly low stats on her sheet. A ritual that freely increased a few of her attributes wouldn’t be unwelcome.

Since a glance at Aila’s face told Jadis that the magister didn’t object to Eir’s reasoning, she didn’t make a fuss. In all honesty, if she had been offered a similar ritual, Jadis was sure she would have taken it too.

“The last option I have picked out is also a ritual spell,” Eir explained before continuing. “I believe D is playing into the lustful aspect of my secondary class with this one.”

“Hey! Another sign!” Jay exclaimed. When a few in the room gave her a blank look, she elaborated. “I mean, you know, a Sign, with a capital S. Like my Eldritch Sign floating right over our heads?”

The others looked up and Jadis was surprised to see the startled looks on many of their faces. They had all seen her cast the ritual to place the Eldritch Sign that would give them all better sleep, and yet they looked surprised. It was almost as though they had forgotten the glowing, indescribable symbol of Eldritch power was there.

“Right,” Aila blinked. “Of course. Sleep of the D is in effect, so that… Sign is as well.”

“Eir is going to have something like that on her body?” Sabina asked, a little worry in her voice. “Because I don’t know that I would want that on my body, and I don’t think I’d want to see it on Eir’s body either.”

“It should not have the same nature as Jadis’ ritual,” Eir assured the smith. “The power of that Sign is Eldritch. Mine will be Divine. Even if my Oracle’s spell power comes from my connection to Destarious, the difference between Eldritch and Divine is great.”

“As long as D isn’t trying to play a joke or something,” Jay grumbled. “He might make it show up on your face.”

“I greatly doubt that outcome,” Eir laughed. “And if he does, you can have a word with Destarious next time you commune with him. Perhaps mention your displeasure to Lyssandria. I’m sure that would create some change.”

The idea of telling D’s mom on him was a funny thought. Then again, since Lyssandria appeared to be watching her just as closely as her son, Jadis doubted she would need to.

 “That’s all four slots filled,” Bridget grinned as she leaned towards Eir. “Going to start now? I’ve never seen a regeneration spell at work and I’m sort of excited.”

“I hope it isn’t a, uh, squishy regeneration,” Kerr made a face. “I saw one of those once. Kind of put me off sausage for a while.”

“The spell comes from Lyssandria’s power,” Jay pointed out. “No way she would let one of her spells look gross.”

“Thank Lyssandria’s tit—ah, her grace for that,” Sorcha mumbled.

“What about your free attributes?” Aila asked as Eir slipped off of Syd’s lap so she could sit next to the goblin woman.

Eir tilted her head to one side, then shrugged after a second. She spoke as she arranged herself next to the nervous looking witch, facing Sorcha with intent.

“I had planned on putting some into my Focus and the rest into my Divine attributes. Considering Jadis’ new ritual, I would appreciate it if you would work out which attributes to assign points to so that I will have the best attribute for me ascended to match my CLR. I trust your judgment, Aila.”

“Considering you have no business being in the middle of active combat, I think Vitality will also be a good choice for you,” the redhead smiled to herself, having obviously already given the question some thought. “You have nineteen free points. The minimal amount you can spend is four points, two in Strength and two in Fortitude, to bring those two attributes up to ten. If you do that, you will have six different attributes tied for your lowest stat. You could potentially repeat the ritual with Jadis as many times as needed until it lands on Vitality, if you want to save the remaining fifteen attribute points for Divine and Focus.”

Eir smothered a smile as she assumed a position with her hands held out over Sorcha’s severed leg. While Aila had been speaking, the goblin had removed the strange living wood prosthetic she usually wore, revealing the clean cut that Eike had made below her knee.

“Perhaps a few more points in Fortitude, Resilience, and Endurance. I can’t keep Jadis occupied all day with one ritual. Even if I would enjoy every minute.”