"So what's it like?"

"Hm? What's what like?"

Judy leans in closer. "You know, being an ascendant!"

And it's not just her, actually. Even though she's the only one of my classmates hanging over my desk right up in my face… and I suppose she's kind of sort of my friend, technically… I can feel the others listening. Watching.

I'm not used to being the center of attention, and I kind of don't like it.

"It's uh. I don't know? I'm still just me. Like so far the only thing that's any different is it's easier to run? Oh and I accidentally slam doors. And my System Assistant Olive I guess, she's a cute little fox thing. Some kind of fairy, I think?"

(Fae.)

"Sorry, 'fae' apparently. Oh and this thing too," I say as I gesture at the holster at my side. "Gods, it was a pain getting the headmaster to approve that but I really can't leave it anywhere! If I set it down it just shows up in my hand again. It's kind of annoying, and I keep falling asleep on it and then I'm sore in the morning."

We chatter back and forth for a while instead of studying, which isn't any surprise… nobody actually studies during 'study hall'. I'm not sure why they even call it that. They should just call it 'the teacher needs to grade papers and that means we need to do something else'.

Besides, I'll probably have detention again. I'll just do my homework then.

And of course, Instructor Harris is walking up leading with, "Miss Vossen… Don't think I didn't notice that you were tardy this morning. Again. Do I need to contact your mother? Do I-"

Yeeeeep. More detention for me.

***

Once again, I catch the wireframed quadrupedal creature on my shield and shove it to the side, using its momentum against it and shooting it as it passes, causing it to shatter to motes of light before it vanishes.

The buzzer sounds again and I relax, pantomiming holstering the virtual pistol and shield.

"You're getting better, kiddo."

I nod to the guild trainer. "Thanks. I'm sure trying!"

I've been repeatedly performing this same drill over and over, trying to commit it to muscle memory. I'm not very strong, so I have to rely on something else… in this case it's going to have to be fighting smart.

Well, smarter than whatever I'm fighting anyway. I'll have to work on increasing my physical stat however I can, at least if I still want to be a tank.

Mom is still concerned about that. She isn't pushing me anymore, but she definitely wanted me to be a mage like her. In her defense, I do have the mental stat for it apparently.

Well, whichever. This is more fun.

I queue up for another run – this time increasing the difficulty by spawning two of the monster illusions so I can practice crowd control, at least to some extent. Normally I'd rely on magic users to disrupt group charges, but I can't assume it's going to happen.

No, I have to be ready to take care of myself, especially if I'm in a dungeon overnight and the camp gets attacked and I'm the only one up in time to repel it.

I have to be ready in general, especially if I want to prove to mom that it's fine. That I can be a tank.

The starting buzzer rings and I quickly take my stance, preparing for-

Wait.

They spawn on opposite sides!?

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I quickly sidestep, focusing my shield toward the one now on my left while drawing my pistol with Quickdraw and firing a few shots at the one on the right. Every shot misses, not a big surprise, but they still had the intended effect; the would-be target's advance is disrupted just enough to give me some breathing room.

The second one still on approach reaches me just then and I struggle to get my shield up in time.

And I fail.

My breath escapes me quickly as I hit the ground on my back, the fake monster already diving on me and the simulation freezing in place, the buzzer sounding.

Latimer chuckles. "That throw you? Need more time on a single?"

"Very funny," I snort as I pull myself to a sitting position, dusting the sand from my clothes the best I can. Which isn't very well, but at least it's softer than stone or concrete I guess. "Is there at least one where both come from the same direction?"

The older man gives a knowing smirk without making eye contact, too busy fiddling with his runeslate. "Sure, sure. Get in position then."

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

Another hour of work later, I collapse to a nearby bench intended for trainers and casual observers. I'm getting better, but not very quickly. There's only so much and so fast I can learn the muscle memory of fighting, the reflexes, without the Skills associated.

I hope I get offered a good Class.

Latimer approaches and tosses me a water bottle, breaking me from my rumination and almost nailing me in the face.

"Hey, watch it!"

"Nah kid, you 'watch it'," he deadpans, eliciting a sigh from me. "If you can't even stop a cold drink how are you going to stop a charging beastie?"

He's… got a point, I guess. Adventurers can't just assume monsters will only attack when they're prepared. I've got to learn to be ready for anything.

It might be difficult, to be honest. I'll be the first to admit I'm easygoing and not always in tune with my surroundings.

Mom just calls me a ditz, but whatever. She's just been sitting quietly on one of the other benches, watching quietly with that same pensive look on her face. I can tell she's trying to hide it, but I notice how she grimaces every time I fall.

I need to learn though.

"How much longer are you open tonight?" I ask as I pull myself back to a sitting position.

He shakes his head slowly. "Not more than enough for you to do one more run. Have to admit though, you're past the point of learning much from this, or just one at least. You're doing alright against a pair as well." And then he rubs his chin as if in thought.

"What? What is it? Super special training? Stronger fake monsters?"

"Nope. Something much better, though I'm sure Carmina is going to disapprove," he says conspiratorially, glancing sideways at my mom.

She sighs. "What kind of hare-brained scheme are you thinking of this time, you old fool?"

Latimer doesn't respond to her and instead leans in toward me. "Well. We just so happen to have a handful of folks who mentor newbies, to get them up to speed and up to level. How would you like to try a beginner dungeon?"

***

"Yeah, that's it! That's the spirit!" the large man bellows as I bash the sand crab aside, the many-limbed creature falling onto the top of its chitinous body and thrashing wildly. Several more barrel toward me, offering me no time to bask in my successful guarding.

The monsters in this dungeon are only level 1 and 2, so it's not too difficult. My current handling makes it clear that the training I've done under Latimer hasn't been a waste at all, and confirms what mom kept telling me… it's not all about Skills, but skills. A Skill can be powerful, but knowing how to fight without them makes for a much more well-rounded fighter.

Especially an offensive tank like me. It's become pretty clear that my fighting style is going to be aggressive – I'm almost more of a vanguard than a tank.

The man – his name is Frederick – steps in to clear a number of the weak enemies, keeping the number I'm dealing with under half a dozen. It was the agreement we'd made, in addition to the healing spells the half-eldra mage in his party provides. She's clearly not very good at healing, but anything is better than nothing. Mom provided a few potions that can regrow a limb anyway. Why does she always act so frugal when she can drop ennies on something that expensive!? And it's not like I can even die in here, I'd just be teleported back to the entrance anyway.

I block another of the sand crabs before firing two shots into the one I'd flipped, the rounds easily breaching its soft underbelly. It froths in pain, although it's clearly not enough to finish it off. I'll need to hit a more vulnerable part of it for that… maybe its brain or whatever kind of internal organs it has.

"Down, girl! Down! Keep your center of balance low!" the party leader barks, prompting me to check my posture.

…Distracting me just enough to miss deflecting another sand crab, knocking me on my butt. A split second later every single one of them is dead, a throwing dagger neatly punched between their eyes.

The olum rogue did all that in one wave of his hand. Wow.

Why exactly is such a strong party mentoring level 0 adventurers? They've clearly been doing this for a long time. Couldn't they be challenging stronger dungeons?

"You did well, Sadie. Not much longer and you'll have your first level! Are you excited?" the party tank asks, and I nod with a big grin despite the bruises that'll probably keep me from sitting normally for a while.

His encouragement does not, however distract me from their party mage's whispers, directed toward their leader. I'm probably not supposed to be able to hear it.

But I do anyway.

"This is insane, Callien! You've seen her Identify! Ravona!? This is another trap. It's another trap by that monster! It's only a matter of time. We're all going to die!"

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