'Eren, how much do you know about the path Altashia is on? The warrior class as they say it.'
Alephee said and made Eren ponder a bit. He sighed and replied honestly.
'Honestly? Nothing much. I hear that it is a class that allows for enhanced weapon mastery as well as better spell executions. But I don't know how one achieves that.
Plus, there are not many warrior-class rankers that I came across even in my previous timeline. So knowing about them or their path didn't seem pertinent to me.'
Eren said and sighed. He had ignored his academic studies when he enlisted in the army. He had tried to change that and learn about the warrior path when he set his goal to defeat Altashia.
But he'd have had to pay for any information that was worth his time. The butcher now had plenty of Extols. But he knew they would get used to his newly formed guild. So he needed to be frugal about his expenses.
Alphee had first thought of having Eren have his natural learning curve. But since she had decided to help him accelerate his growth, she needed to be upfront about a few things. All so that Eren's progress doesn't get hindered by roadblocks that were taking more time than necessary to get cleared.
'All right. Eren, the reason you won't see many warrior-class rankers around you is because of the class's peculiarity. Rankers in the warrior class have full control over their mana circuits and mana points. You know what that means?'
Alephee asked Eren while he avoided another series of slashes sent at him. Since he was having a hard time, Alephee decided to stack Sedated Perception once again. It made it easy for the butcher to get out of his new danger zone.
'Complete control over one's mana circuits and mana points you say? I'd guess a ranker would have better control over their spells and they'd be able to tweak the spell's output and effects easily.'
Eren said after pondering a bit in the nearly stagnant world. By now, he had gotten intrigued by the things Alephee was trying to say to him. So he didn't mind anymore that he was stretching his battle with Altashia.
'That's right. But there's more to it than that. Having complete control over one's mana circuits and mana points is a dual-edge weapon.
If you don't know what you are doing, your opponents won't have to do anything to beat you. You'd be toast every time you try to fight your battle.'
Alephee said and allowed the butcher some time to process what she had said. Only then did she continue.
'What you call warrior-class ranker would have the control they need to effectively turn a certain segment of their mana circuits off and overload a certain region of circuits.
This allows the warrior ranker to amplify a certain attack or spell after shutting a certain portion of their circuits. This act alters the flow of mana within their system, unlike the normal pattern set by the spell.
It's like a controlled berserk state that can be entered without having to rely on the berserker potion. Or like the barbarian's rage mode without having to feel heightened emotions.
This is also the reason why Altashia has so few spells in her arsenal. But the few spells that she has, she has mastered them all, allowing her to unlock 100 percent of their potential. Maybe more when she gets serious.'
Eren opened his eyes wide in surprise when Alephee dug deeper into the warrior class for him. By now he had sweat on his forehead because of the multiple activities he was doing right now. But one had to wonder if the sweat was because of him getting stressed after learning about Altashia's class.
'That… that is a broken class then. If there are no potions or heightened emotions involved, the boost won't produce the adverse effects that are associated with them. The enhanced stats would be treated as the natural state of the body for the time being.
Wouldn't that make Altashia too overpowered? Damn it. I should have thrown her a challenge after polishing my way of the elements some more.'
Eren tightened his grip on his katars and spoke to Alephee. He had now planned to take a stand and face Altashia head-on. So he was preparing to launch a close-range attack by getting into the striking zone.
Alephee chose an appropriate time to reply when she saw Eren safe from another series of attacks. Altashia was getting pissed because of the butcher's passive way of handling things. She had been on the offensive for quite some time now.
She didn't expect Eren to remain on the backfoot for such a long time. So she too decided to let him come into her range before attacking him with another serious strike. One could say their thought processes were in sync with each other when it came to battling.
'Broken you say. Warrior class does have its advantages. But that is only possible if the ranker has fine control over their class-specific skill.
Maybe you can't figure it out because you don't really understand what it means to have complete control over one's mana circuits. So listen well.
A spell's way of execution changes when a warrior class decides to amplify their spells or normal attacks by altering their mana circuits and mana points. That would mean the change needs to be as per the portion of mana circuits and mana points that the ranker decides to switch off or overload.'
Eren's gaze turned serious when he understood the repercussions behind having such fine control over one's mana circuits. It meant that the ranker needed to alter the spell execution every time and deviate from the original spell model as per their needs.
This was akin to trying out a different spell every time that looked and felt the same. But its execution would be different every time the warrior-class ranker decided to enhance the spell's effects through unusual means.
Alephee chuckled after sensing Eren's thoughts and added on.
'It seems you now understand how much of a prodigy Altashia is compared to you. That's right. No average ranker could take up a warrior class. This is a class meant for the elites.
Even being a prodigy won't cut it. It would only get you to the start line. One needs to suffer through hell and risk frying their mana circuits and mana points multiple times over and over again to learn about the warrior class and its nuances.
To gain control over their mana circuits, the ranker must continue to self-harm. I bet the girl's early years must have been very difficult if she is this proficient in her class.'
Alephee commented and let Eren process the information she had given him. The latter just kept on reevaluating Altashia as he listened to his companion. He couldn't help chuckling mirthlessly before responding.
'Are you trying to say that I'm not even an average Joe in front of rankers like Altashia? Because if you are, I'm inclined to agree with you.'
The butcher said and chuckled. One could have detected a hint of gloom in his tone had he said that out loud.
'No, silly. I'm trying to make you understand the obvious advantages and disadvantages of the warrior class.
For example, Alephee could keep up with you even while you had time-element spells to enhance your perception, reaction time, and spell executions.
Do you know why that is? Take the warrior class's specifics into account and think again.'
