Ellen read through the pamphlet, her brow furrowed.

She'd known, or at least suspected, that there were more powerful paths than what was generally documented and had surmised that they likely had very specific requirements.

She hadn't ever suspected anything like Affinity Crystals.

Assuming the pamphlet was accurate, this was the sort of information that could revolutionize Dungeon Delving.

Or cause a revolution.

She frowned. It only stood to reason that the Noble Houses had this knowledge or at least some of it. She suspected that each Noble house had its own specific path, based on the conversations she'd had with various Nobles over the years.

When the general public discovered that there was a path to the same power the Nobility held...

Ellen shook her head. The common people of Harbordeep had been told for generations that it was only through the courage and bravery of the Nobility that the city survived and thrived as did. How many would eagerly grasp for this new power and then leave the city to strike out on their own to found their own villages, where they could breath free of the oppressive weight of the Nobility and the city's taxes?

Worse, how many would grasp that power and lash out against a Noble that had taken something from them?

She wasn't blind to the fact that a few of the Nobles in Harbordeep were evil men and women, who took what they wanted and paid for it afterward if someone with enough social status complained, or more often, simply left the commoners behind to stew in their anger.

These pamphlets were a fireblast racing towards a cask of oil.

It was quite clear that the pamphlets had been mass-produced, although she couldn't sense any magic on them.

Someone, Bob she suspected, was planning to spread this knowledge around rapidly.

It was no wonder that he'd attempted to keep a low profile in Harbordeep, she thought as she contemplated the man she'd been sent to investigate.

He wasn't stupid, and he'd clearly determined that if the Noble Houses discovered his plans, he'd disappear, never to be heard from again.

Ellen looked back down at the pamphlet, her eyes having drifted up and over towards the target of her thoughts, who was speaking to a number of the kids who were focused on Melee.

He'd made no mention of a Melee Affinity Crystal, but perhaps they just hadn't been found yet.

She sighed.

She'd always been a spellcaster. She had a knack for sensing magic that had been spotted early on by the Watchers, which was one of the reasons they'd recruited her.

She'd spent several years throwing fire blasts around, but she preferred a more support-based approach.

Regardless, she'd have to take one of these new paths in order to maintain her cover.

"I know that there haven't been any Melee Affinity Crystals found yet," Bob said, "and honestly, for the four of you that haven't taken a skill yet, I highly recommend the Path of the Eldritch Guard; it will allow you to maintain a position in the front lines, and there isn't anything stopping you from taking the melee and parry skills once you have the path."

Bob raised his hand to forestall any arguments, "Or you could take the Path of the Bountiful Step, which leaves room for both Melee and Parry, and sets you up with a nice little side business," he leaned forward and whispered, "take effect over time and persistent effect and keep a persistent effect running while you're delving to level up the spatial expansion spell."

"Finally, you could choose not to use an Affinity Crystal and stay true to what you enjoy doing. I do have a fairly good path for those who go that route," Bob said before handing Orson a folded sheet of paper.

Path of the Balanced Warrior The Path of the Balanced Warrior is obtained by having the following skills: Melee, Parry, Armor Use, Parry Specialization (Any), Weapon Specialization (Any), as well as requiring Strength, Coordination, and Endurance scores of twenty. The Path of the Balanced Warrior grants the user a two percent per level bonus to all of the required skills. At level five and every level thereafter, the user may select one of the required skills and increase the maximum level of that skill by five; no skill may be selected more than once. Upon reaching level ten, level fifteen, and level twenty, the user may select one of the skills that they have increased the maximum level of and increase the maximum level of that skill again by ten percent. Upon reaching level fifteen, the user may apply ten percent of their total parry value to their strike. Upon reaching level twenty, the user may apply ten percent of their total strike value to their parry. Upon reaching level twenty-five, the user adds their total armor value to their strike and parry.

"This is the best path I could find, and I looked in Adventurers' Guild Libraries and more than a few books in Harbordeep," Bob said, not quite lying.

He had purchased a few books in Harbordeep and read them. The Dungeon Compendiums hadn't included any path information. And he'd certainly looked in the Adventurers Guild Library here in Holmstead. So it wasn't really a lie.

"Also, keep in mind, you can always reincarnate once the Melee and Parry Affinity Crystals are found," Bob said, "as I'm sure once the information spreads, people will report any new Affinity Crystals to the Guild."

He was going to do his best to perpetuate that idea. The pamphlets wouldn't do any good if people just took the information and then hoarded the knowledge of where new Affinity Crystal types were found. By suggesting the Guild be the caretakers of that information, he hoped to keep the knowledge spreading.

"Now shoo," Bob said as he waved his hand, "Theo is trying to get through with my breakfast, and I have to lead three groups of you this morning."

The freshers scattered, leaving Theo free to deliver his offerings to both of the Feline Overlords in residence.

Bob received his breakfast as well, but it was made clear by Monroe being served first just who was the most important being at the table.

"So," Bailli said as she made sure that Icing Death's meat was cut into small enough slivers, "when are you going to start your grand tour of Greenwold, bringing pamphlets and Affinity Crystals to all the Adventurers?"

"Maybe another two months?" Bob hedged, "I need to push past the tier seven threshold of my summon UtahRaptor spell and then level it up quickly."

Bailli nodded as she started eating, having determined that Icing Death's meat was appropriately prepared.

The kitten in question was face first in her bowl, purring loudly.

Monroe was delicately eating his meat chunks.

"Well, I expect I'll have better than a hundred Conjuration Affinity Crystals for you by then," Bailli said, "and I know Eddi plans to have a hundred and fifty Summoning Affinity Crystals."

Bob let out a low whistle.

"You should know," Bailli said teasingly, "that all of your Endless Swarm pathers plan to give you a hundred or more Summoning Affinity Crystals, in order to, and I quote, 'Spread the Glory of the Endless Swarm across the land,'" she finished with a grin.

Bob rolled his eyes and shook his head, focusing on polishing off his meal before Monroe decided to steal his bacon again.

Eddi sat in the ritual chamber, happily cooing over his new familiar.

He knew that Bailli had taken a familiar already, and he was a little bit upset that he hadn't really been the first to follow in the Reef's footsteps, but her little kitten was nothing compared to the beauty in his lap.

Eddi carefully fed him another chunk of boar meat, slowly stroking his freshly summoned pet, and decided that it was time.

He activated the Familiar skill that he'd been holding on to for several levels.

Infant Tyrannosaurus Rex has accepted the Familiar Bond. You have bonded with an Infant Tyrannosaurus Rex as its master. Your Skill: Familiar has been transformed to Summon Reximus. Should your familiar die, you may ritually summon it back to your side. Your familiar is inherently loyal to you and will fight for you.

Eddi scratched the baby T-Rex under the chin, "That's right, buddy, we'll be together forever, and nothing will be able to stand in our way," he murmured as he carefully slid the modified Makres harness onto his new familiar before placing him on to the matching Makres built into his armor.

"We'll hold off on leveling you up until we've spent some more time together," Eddi explained to Reximus, "You shouldn't have to work right away, you're just a baby, and you need some time to play."

With a huge smile on his face, Eddi headed out of the room.

He couldn't wait to show Lesli; he knew that she'd appreciate Reximus.

Nora rolled the Conjuration Affinity Crystal across her palm.

This was it.

Her chance to forge her own path.

She pulled mana through it, just like she was trying to advance her level, and was pleased by the script that appeared before her.

You have absorbed an Affinity Crystal of Conjuration. Please select from one of the following bonuses:

Maximum Level of the Magical School of Conjuration Increased by Five. Maximum Level of anyone Skill from the Magical School of Conjuration Increased by Ten. Mana Expenditure for all Skills from the Magical School of Conjuration reduced by Ten Percent. Mana Expenditure for anyone Skill from the Magical School of Conjuration reduced by Twenty-Five Percent.

She mentally projected her choice, increasing the Maximum level of her Lightning Blast by ten.

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Bob had told them that they'd be delving down on the fifth level of the Dungeon until their skills were maxed.

With her Lightning Blast spell having a cap of thirteen, she suspected she'd be keeping the group locked in with the rats for a while.

She knew that Wayna had also taken Thidwell's deal and accepted a Plant Affinity Crystal. The rumors around the tavern said that Bob had found a path for that, so Wayna was planning to ask Bob about it at the end of their delve this morning.

Nora grabbed her staff and stood up.

Bob had stressed physical fitness, telling them that skills and attributes were all well and good, but you needed to exercise and practice if you wanted to be a real Adventurer.

And by the Stars above and the Stones below, she was going to a real Adventurer.

Because she couldn't fail him. Not after everything he'd done for them.

He gave, and gave, and gave, asking nothing for himself in return, only demanding that they stand up in defense of others.

She walked out of the tavern and started to jog.

She wasn't going to let Bob down.

Bob grinned as he watched his last group of freshers stagger out of the gateway.

Everyone hated the swamp.

Their hatred had been tempered by their excitement at discovering that not only were Affinity Crystals and their attendant paths a thing but that they could have them.

He had two Conjurer's in this group, one young man who wanted to take the Bountiful Step Path, along with a Conjuration Crystal to ensure he could still do damage, two Eldritch Guard's, and finally one young woman who had chosen the Path of the Endless Swarm, although she had seemed unusually sour about it.

He scratched his head as he pressed his token to the Gateway and stepped through to the thirtieth floor.

That particular fresher seemed to have been born with a lemon in her mouth.

Bob shook his head. He needed to focus. This was it. The big push that should see Jake to level fifty.

He portaled to the spot he'd found with six mana pools and summoned his raptor packs.

It was time to put in the work.

Four and a half hours later, with just over thirty-two thousand monsters slain, Bob emerged from the thirtieth floor with a smile.

He'd done it. His Summon Mana-Infused Creature had reached level fifty. It was smooth sailing until sixty-four.

Well, smooth sailing in that levels fifty-one through fifty-five required just over a million experience each. But still, smooth sailing in comparison to the five million he'd needed to push through.

Bob reached up and rubbed Monroe's ears.

He handed twenty crystals to Austan, who smiled and noted that Bob had emerged from this delve safe and sound.

Bob dropped through a portal and cast his flight spell.

He was headed home for the day, and he hoped to catch the sunset on murmuring falls.

Another portal and they were home.

Bob slid Monroe off the Makres and then stretched. Glancing out of the windows in his sunroom, he decided that he had about half an hour before sunset.

Bob smiled and placed his armor and clothes in his inventory.

He saw that Monroe had taken up a napping position on the bench in front of the windows, and his grin widened.

He pushed his mana into a persistent effect spell and fell to his feet as his form shifted fluidly.

Bob's whiskers and tail twitched as he padded towards his target.

He crouched, noting how good it felt to do a little butt wiggle, firming up his footing prior to pouncing.

He landed on Monroe's tail with a graceful leap, batting at it furiously before jumping back.

Monroe had twirled to face the sudden assault, and Bob could feel the ball of emotions in his head shift from warm-sleepy-content to warm-play-affection as Monroe recognized that his human servant had taken on the divine form.

With a chuff, Monroe dashed forward and batted Bob's tail, racing past him into the living room.

Bob rushed after him. The chase was on!