At long last, it was time for his Champions to rank up.

The Titan Incursion had been such a harrowing experience that all of Wepwawet's chosen defenders had earned a power boost from it. He had given them time to think about the paths they wished to take and then summoned them to Narc to receive the appropriate blessings once Victoire's team returned from the newly founded Portlight.

Seeing them gathering at his Idol's foot bothered Wepwawet. He was always glad to see his followers, but only fifteen souls remained of the twenty that fought in the Titan Incursion. He couldn't wait to find a Miracle that would allow him to revive their lost souls.

"It is time for you to receive your blessings," Wepwawet informed his living Champions. "When making your choice, I want you to consider not only what is best for you and your tasks ahead, but for everyone else as well."

Now that some of his Champions approached higher ranks, they would start gaining abilities that could affect the course of their civilization; and he had to prepare them mentally for that.

The first group he summoned was the team tasked with escorting Princess Topaz and Jasper back to Lavaland. Led by Victoire, it would include Filou, Renarde, who would represent Roynimalia, and Kale, who would speak for the Glarmes Order. Their choices of rank up varied. Victoire wished to continue down the path of the Snowheart, and Filou obviously wanted to serve her further as her Squire, while Renarde elected to continue down the path of the Werefox rather than that of the Bard out of curiosity. Wepwawet guessed that growing more supernatural tails had aroused her curiosity.

It was Kale's choice that surprised him the most.

"You wish to take the path of the Cook?" Wepwawet asked, slightly taken aback. "Not that of the Knight?"

Kale awkwardly shifted in place. "I know Lord Raymond would be most displeased with me, but…" He cleared his throat. "I was barely effective as a warrior against that hydra monster."

"As were most of us," Victoire comforted him. "We only killed it by working together."

"Some contributed more than others," Kale countered. "I… that may sound silly, but I feel I've helped more as a cook and logistician than I ever did as a soldier."

"There is no wrong path to take," Wepwawet reassured him. In fact, Kale was probably right; he would contribute more to his army more as a crafter than as another warrior. "If that is your desire, then I shall grant it."

"Thank you, Your Godliness," Kale thanked him, and thus received his blessing along with the others.

Victoire Fleuret, Blade of Winter, has ranked up in Snowheart! +3 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +3 MAG, +3 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Leadership II Perk!

Leadership II: Grants +5 Damage bonus to all allies in range and reduces the damage that they take by 5. Replaces Leadership I.

Filou, Brave Heart, has ranked up in Squire! +3 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +3 SKI, +3 MAG, +3 INT, +3 CHA, +3 LCK! He gained the Armor Training I Perk!

Armor Training I: Can equip any armor regardless of stat requirements; other restrictions may still apply.

Kale L'appétit, Marmiting Knight, has ranked up in Cook! +4 STR, +1 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +2 MAG, +2 INT, +3 CHA, +4 LCK! He gained the Foodie Perk!

Foodie: You automatically identify the properties of any food or drink that you may see or consume, ignoring related checks; this also includes food-themed Artificial creatures with offensive purposes.

Renarde, Cunning Courtesan, has ranked up in Werefox! +2 STR, +2 AGI, +3 VIT, +3 SKI, +3 MAG, +4 INT, +5 CHA, +1 LCK! She gained the Spell: Foxfire Perk!

Spell: Foxfire: Rank 3 Witchcraft. Summons a phantasmal will-o'wisp, inflicting Soul and Fire damage on impact. The more tails you possess, the more flames you can produce.

"Such power…" Kale clenched his fist. "I can feel it coursing through my veins."

"Do you grow more manly parts when you receive these blessings, like I grow tails?" Renarde teased Kale upon gaining a third one, which caused the young knight to blush. "My my, so easily flustered…"

Unfortunately, everyone except Victoire had hit the four Perk limit. Wepwawet simply replaced Filou's native wererabbit Nimble Paralysis immunity since he wanted to become a knight more than anything else, but Renarde and Kale had multiple abilities they would need to choose from.

"Renarde, I can bless you with the power to incinerate your foes, but that will come at the cost of either your talent for weapons, your songs, or your ability to shapeshift," Wepwawet said. "I can also remove your tails, but since they'll increase your blessing's power, that feels counterproductive. As for you, Kale, since you would rather focus on kitchen duties, I can grant you the power to identify any kind of food on sight and taste alone. In return you will either lose some skill at arms or have a harder time carrying heavy weights."

"I already feel much stronger now that your Godliness imbued me with his light," Kale replied. "I'm fine carrying less weight."

"So you still want to fight now and then," Victoire teased him.

Kale chuckled. "I feel more useful as a cook, but I still want to know how to draw a sword when needed."

Renarde took a bit longer to decide. "I feel like my shapeshifting will come in handy in my work, and I would loathe to surrender my beautiful voice…"

"Your songs have helped us pull through many times," Victoire admitted.

"So you do like them," Renarde teased her. "Would a loss of skill at weapons affect my ballet performances?"

"It won't affect your singing," Wepwawet replied. Her Musical Duelist Perk granted her a damage bonus when using swords, daggers, fans, and instruments, but otherwise didn't affect her spells. "You'll simply be less talented at fighting with blades and other weapons."

"Then it's not a big loss," Renarde decided. "Fireworks ought to impress my spectators more than blades."

That settled it. Wepwawet removed Renarde's Musical Duelist I and Kale's Man-At-Arms I to replace them with their new powers.

Renarde snapped her fingers and whistled upon summoning three fiery blue wisps in the air, one per tail she possessed. "Fascinating," she said. "I feel like I have always known how to do this."

"I'm sure the trick will be popular in Lavaland," Wepwawet replied before laying down the law. "Your task will be to escort Princess Topaz, Jasper, and General Peridot back to Lavaland to meet with Princess Alexandrite, who should have been crowned Queen by now. You will be my voice on this mission of reconciliation."

"You will find no better spokesperson than me," Renarde said charmingly. "And dear Victoire, of course."

"We'll be on our way," Victoire promised.

"I'm counting on you," Wepwawet said as he magically transported them to Citadel Sapphire's ruins to rendezvous with Peridot and the rest of the magmorian delegation.

He had also noticed that Filou's Squire Perks seemed to be weaker versions of the ones Lord Raymond once enjoyed as a full knight. Perhaps these abilities would evolve once he finally earned himself a promotion, though Wepwawet himself didn't know what would satisfy the System on that front.

The next group was the crafters led by Wintresse, namely Alpine, Slimon, Lourson, and Mistouffe. Considering their affinities, all of them asked to further their respective career path, including Diabolist in Wintresse's case. Wepwawet blessed them with his light.

Slimon, the First Ooze, has ranked up in Inventor! +2 STR, +1 AGI, +4 VIT, +3 SKI, +2 MAG, +4 INT, +2 CHA, +5 LCK! He gained the Innovation II Perk!

Innovation II: Can craft any item up to quality C with the required material, but chances of success are equal to ((INT+LCK)/2)%. Failures will be useless at best and dangerous at worst. This replaces Innovation I.

Wintresse, Diabolical Witch, has ranked up in Diabolist! +1 STR, +3 AGI, +2 VIT, +2 SKI, +4 MAG, +2 INT, +5 CHA, +3 LCK! She gained the Spell: Demonbinding Perk!

Spell: Demonbinding: Rank 4 Diabolism. You can lure a Rank 4 or below Fiend extraplanar creature inside a magical circle to form a magical contract, such as performing a service for a reward. The Fiend will be compelled to follow the terms of any contract it signs, but will be free upon fulfillment.

Lourson, Loyal Anvil, has ranked up in Blacksmith! +3 STR, +1 AGI, +4 VIT, +3 SKI, +4 INT, +1 CHA, +1 LCK! He gained the Metalworker II Perk!

Metalworker II: Can craft metal items up to quality D. This replaces Metalworker I.

Alpine, Devoted Innkeeper, has ranked up in Innkeeper! +4 STR, +1 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +2 MAG, +2 INT, +3 CHA, +4 LCK! She gained the Brewery II Perk!

Brewery II: Can brew concoctions consumables up to quality D. This replaces Brewery I.

Mistouffe, Intrepid Cat, has ranked up in Merchant! +2 STR, +2 AGI, +2 VIT, +3 SKI, +2 MAG, +2 INT, +4 CHA, +5 LCK! She gained the Everything Store I Perk!

Everything Store I: You can immediately identify the value of anything you look at in Universal Adjusted Currency.

Sweet, almost all of his Crafters had increased the item quality they could produce. C-rank objects–which the likes of Lourson and Alpine could access thanks to Masterworker's boost–included the likes of wands or magical devices that would likely have a snowball effect on Verglane's technological development.

"My mind overflows with inspiration!" Slimon said, leaping in place in his excitement. "My superior non-euclidean brain is spilling out rainbows!"

"That's weird!" Mistouffe said, her paw trying to grab an invisible object only she could see. "Do you see the numbers too?!"

"Numbers?" Alpine asked while squinting. "Where?"

"Everywhere!"

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Wepwawet's powers allowed him to see through his Champion's senses, so he quickly confirmed that Mistouffe now saw monetary value icons floating above objects and people. That took him by surprise. None of his Champions had had access to the System before, yet Mistouffe had just unlocked a rudimentary interface of some kind.

Wepwawet quickly reviewed the numbers and confirmed that they were wealth translated into Universal Adjusted Currency; a baseline virtual currency which most Systems used based on an aggregation of a world's local economies and market values. The UAC was a lot stronger than Verglane's only major currency—Roynimalia's—which made purchasable goods appear more expensive than they were locally to Mistouffe.

"You have received the gift of true commerce-sight," Wepwawet told Mistouffe. "You can now intuitively understand the value of objects based on international rates!"

"That's awesome! It's going to make my job so much more profitable!" Mistouffe raised a hand. "I have a question, though!"

"Yes?" Wepwawet asked.

"Why do people have numbers too?"

Wepwawet marked a short pause, confirming that Mistouffe indeed saw monetary values floating above her fellow Champions' heads, and then resisted the urge to groan when Wintresse struggled not to laugh.

"How common are slave markets on this world?" Wepwawet mentally asked Victoire from across the country.

"Slaves aren't too popular in Verglane outside of bondage and penal labor," Victoire thought back, "But they're unfortunately commonplace in southern countries like the Zoramesh Empire or Shadazar."

And they had to fuel a pretty robust slave economy to boot, considering the values which the System provided.

"I'm not certain I want to know why you asked me that," Victoire added.

"No, you don't," Wepwawet replied mentally. He was somewhat ambivalent on slavery—his Pantheon did practice it in Egypt, and he was not above relying on forced conscription in times of war or using penal labor—but leaned against it for both practical and historical reasons.

Slavery almost always resulted in a small privileged caste enriching itself while most of the free population struggled to find work. Moreover, slaves couldn't contribute to the economy—not being paid for their labor was the whole point—which meant less money circulating, fewer opportunities for economic development, and internal tensions. It benefited a few in the short term at the cost of long-term general prosperity.

And then there was that whole mess with the Hebrews, which escalated to the point that Grandpa Ra and Yahweh had to settle things over a B&C battle. Wepwawet's Pantheon was still reeling from that particular fiasco thousands of years later. Everyone told Grandpa Ra not to send his army into that goddamn Red Sea trap and just let it go, but no, he had to prove his prized Pharaoh Champion 'still got it.'

Point was, slavery led to the Egyptian Pantheon's greatest humiliation, and Wepwawet had learned the lesson. He wouldn't touch that institution with a mountain-sized heavenly pole.

"Some cultures buy and sell individuals like furniture, Mistouffe," Wepwawet said. "I trust you not to abuse my gift that way."

"What, of course not! What kind of self-respecting merchant sells people?!" Mistouffe scratched her neck. "The rates are funny, though. Wintresse and Lourson are super duper expensive, while Alpine is like a hundred times cheaper!"

"I… I know I shouldn't be, but I feel offended for some reason," Alpine complained.

Lourson shuddered. "I'm not sure what to make of that."

"Between us," Wintresse said with a smirk. "I've heard that bears are very popular in Shadazar's hare–"

"Do not finish that sentence," Lourson cut in with a dead man's stare. A terrible mental image had probably crossed his mind. "Please."

"What about me?" Slimon asked with impatience. "How costly am I?! How many kingdoms am I worth?"

Mistouffe stared at him… and then clearly began to hold back tears of pity.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?" Slimon asked, while Mistouffe remained uncharacteristically quiet and turned away. "W-what did you see? What did you see?!"

Wepwawet checked the rates out of morbid curiosity, and saw a two-digit number floating above Slimon's head…

Ouch.

In any case, Wintresse and Mistouffe had exceeded the four Perks limit, so he replaced the former's Spell: Shadow Shield and the latter's native Pawsome Landing Perks with the new ones. Mistouffe's choice didn't surprise Wepwawet much, considering her desire to become a werecat of wealth and taste, but Wintresse's decision was… debatable.

"You're sure about your choice?" Wepwawet asked her. "A good shield spell can save you in a pinch."

"But I will still have a shield," Wintresse replied. "It will simply be made of meat instead of shadows, and it can serve me tea too."

"Suit yourself," Wepwawet replied. "A word of advice with demons though, do not sign anything without contacting me first. Their lawyers are better than ours and will always try to sneak in underhanded stuff in their contracts."

"Oh, do not worry, I don't intend to pay them," Wintresse 'reassured' him. "I will have demon thralls help clean up the poisonous marsh. The toxins will kill them long before they can call in any debts."

Ah, dark elves. Consistently cutthroat, but always surprising. In any case, Wepwawet tasked them with clearing the marshes and promised them additional golems help in the following days once Axomamma's first delivery arrived.

Next came the Roynimalia's region group, composed of Rickart, Rapoleon, Jarlack, and Viviane. Viviane obviously asked for a promotion in her Ranger class, which she had dedicated herself to, but the others had more choices.

"I can help you take a step down two paths," Wepwawet explained. "That of your nature as werelion, wererat, or giant, or a path of nurture. Jarlack may take the path of the Cavalier; Lord Rickart, the power of the Berserker is within your grasp; and the silent blade of the Assassin may await you, Rapoleon."

"Does one cost more than the other?" Jarlack immediately asked.

"No," Wepwawet replied with annoyance. He felt thankful that no giants have gotten access to Mistouffe's commerce-sight, or else they would have become truly unbearable. "This blessing is a benefit of your employment contract."

"Sweet." The giant stroked his beard. "I'll take the path of the Cavalier. Big giants are a dime a dozen, but good wyvern riders are rare and expensive."

Lord Rickart nodded to himself. "I will follow the path of the Berserker."

"Really?" his foster sister Viviane asked with slight surprise. "You're sure?"

"I'm certain," Lord Rickart confirmed with a nod. "I've been thinking about that creature that attacked Citadel Sapphire. It was so great and powerful, all we could do was run away, but our allies in Narc killed another through their strength and guile. I will serve my soldiers better if I can take foes head-on, and for that, I need greater skill and power."

"I understand," Wepwawet replied, before moving on with a proposition. "If you are dedicated to that path, then I will entrust you with the Torc of Grand-Loup until Goreville returns. The righteous wrath within it shall guide thee."

"Your Godliness honors me," Lord Rickart replied with a knee down in the snow. "I swear I shall prove worthy of this gift until the day Goreville returns."

Rapoleon, more clever and pragmatic than the others, first grilled Wepwawet for details. "What kind of assignments will you send me on? More sapping and sabotage, I presume?"

"Yes," Wepwawet confirmed. "In particular, I wish you to lead the effort to conquer Neigebleue Castle on my behalf. I believe you have the skills required for this task."

"I see." Rapoleon nodded slightly. "In that case, the Assassin's cloak shall suit me better."

With their choices completed, Wepwawet proceeded to rank up the group according to their specificities.

Rickart Coeurdelion, Lion Guard has ranked up in Berserker! +5 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +1 SKI, +4 MAG, +2 CHA, +2 LCK! He gained the Runeskin I Perk!

Runeskin I: When fighting without armor, you gain a damage reduction equal to your (MAG stat/2)%.

Rapoleon, Rodent Emperor, has ranked up in Assassin! +4 STR, +5 AGI, +4 SKI, +2 MAG, +1 INT, +2 CHA, +3 LCK! He gained the Assassinate I Perk!

Assassinate I: When attacking an unaware target with a weapon in which you have a proficiency in, you gain a chance to inflict Instadeath equal to (SKI/2)%.

Viviane Coeurdelion, Lionhearted Archer has ranked up in Ranger! +2 STR, +4 AGI, +1 VIT, +5 SKI, +1 MAG, +2 INT, +4 LCK! She gained the Long-Range Master II Perk!

Long-Range Master II: All ranged Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +5 Damage. This replaces Long-Range Master I.

Jarlack, Chief Mercenary Officer, has ranked up in Cavalier! +4 STR, +2 AGI, +3 VIT, +3 SKI, +1 MAG, +2 INT, +1 CHA, +2 LCK! He gained the Mounted Killer II Perk!

Mounted Killer II: All Swords, Spears & Bows Weapon Artifacts equipped inflict +2 Damage. This replaces Mounted Killer I.

Rapoleon and Rickart both hit the four Perks limit, so Wepwawet removed the former's Swarm I, which granted him a bonus when fighting with other Beast Types, and the latter Warp Spasm I—which let him go Berserk at will. Rapoleon was more likely to strike on his own as a saboteur rather than as part of a group, while the Torc of Grand-Loup would empower Rickart with its fury anyway, without risking a loss of control.

Wepwawet noticed some interesting patterns when it came to his Champions' class progression. Fighters and Rogues appeared to have four core Perks which strengthened when they ranked up; which made sense since they were specialists optimized for either combat or specific strategies. Most Crafters, meanwhile, focused on increasing the quality of an item category, with other secondary Perks supporting the main one. Finally, Monsters and Spellcasters gained more abilities that often conflicted with each other and forced a Champion to pick specific avenues of power.

"Your task may be the most dangerous of all," Wepwawet told the group. "You will have to claim the dangerous—and very haunted—Neigebleue Castle on behalf of my faith. I have already sent the red dragon Soumis to conquer it, but I am not certain he will succ—"

"WHAAAT?!" a horribly familiar voice boomed across Narc, startling everyone.

Wepwawet suppressed a groan of rage and annoyance as Insupportable landed at his Idol's foot. The dragon had somehow managed to break out of the ice cubicle in which Wepwawet had trapped him in, with poor Bernard running after his scaled master.

"I am sorry," Bernard apologized upon catching his breath. "I told His Glorious Majesty that we were kept as the best for last, but–"

"But I heard everything!" Insupportable hit the ground with one of his hind legs, like a rabbit showing his displeasure. "Not only have you found a castle and not informed me, Minion Wepwawet–"

"I am not your minion!" Wepwawet snapped, but the lizard proved too stupid to listen. "I am your god!"

"—But you would allow this debauched excuse for a dragon, Soumis, to claim it as his lair? Soumis?!"

"You know each other?" Viviane couldn't help but ask.

"Of course we do, his bestiality is legendary! He allows his princesses to mount him, to mount him!" Insupportable stressed the verb as if it were the most heinous of crimes. "I am sure he even lets his minions talk back to him behind closed doors!"

"Something which Your Glorious Majesty would certainly never allow," Bernard said with a deadpan look.

"Exactly!" Insupportable agreed with a vigorous nod. "Imagine if he finds this castle's princess and corrupts her! She will become unmanageable!"

Wepwawet paused briefly and then shifted his attention to Rickart's group. "There is a princess in Neigebleue Castle?"

"I… I do not know, Your Godliness," Rickart replied while scratching his mane. "No one progressed far inside and returned alive to tell what they found there, so… maybe?"

"That sounds unlikely," Rapoleone replied with skepticism.

"Of course there is a princess inside," Insupportable replied with the most know-it-all tone ever uttered by a mortal creature. "That is why it is called a castle. If there was no princess inside, it would be a fort."

Wepwawet felt stupider just listening to him, but a genius idea crossed his mind. "If there is a princess inside this castle," he said, "I am sure a dragon of your caliber would find her before Soumis."

"Of course I will!" Insupportable nodded with confidence. "Minion Bernard, let us receive our new tribute of power and turn this Neigebleue Castle into my secondary lair!"

"Having two dragons on this mission all but guarantees our success," Lord Rickart said with some apprehension. "However…"

"Not gonna lie, I have a bad feeling about this," Viviane muttered under her breath.

"He is a Commander, though," Rapoleon whispered back; a truth Wepwawet wasn't happy to be reminded of. "He only needs to approach the mana leyline to transform it into an Altar."

"I object!" Jarlack shouted. "If the dragon joins, he will steal the castle's treas–"

The giant stopped when Insupportable's head snapped in his direction with an intense stare.

"The castle's what?" Insupportable asked.

Jarlack wisely kept his mouth shut. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?" Insupportable squinted in suspicion at the giant, who remained deathly quiet.

"Well, if there is no objection," Wepwawet said before blessing Insupportable and Bernard with a rank-up of their own; the former in his Frost Dragon racial class—the only one Insupportable could access anyway—and the latter in his Monster Hunter one, the only one Bernard had been interested in.

Bernard, Loyal Chief of Staff, has ranked up in Monster Hunter! +4 STR, +3 AGI, +3 VIT, +5 SKI, +4 INT, +2 CHA, +2 LCK! He gained the Monster Crafter II Perk!

Monster Crafter II: Can craft items created from monster parts up to quality C. This replaces Monster Crafter I.

Insupportable, Snowbound Dragon has ranked up in Frost Dragon! +5 STR, +3 AGI, +5 VIT, +3 SKI, +4 MAG, +1 INT, +4 CHA, +3 LCK! He gained the Frost Breath III Perk!

Frost Breath III: Can exhale a powerful, misty, blizzard breath, inflicting heavy Frost damage in a conic line. Ignores Frost Resistance and has a chance to inflict Freeze equal to LCK/2%. Cooldown: one minute. This replaces Frost Breath II.

"More," Insupportable demanded immediately.

"No," Wepwawet replied sternly.

"More!" Insupportable insisted; the only Champion to do so. "More!"

"Next time you ask, the answer will be no or smite," Wepwawet warned him.

Insupportable opened his mouth again, but he then shut it and simply glared at Wepwawet like a child-king denied his toy. His reaction took everyone by surprise, with Bernard staring at his master in disbelief and Wepwawet struggling to understand what happened.

Did… did he actually shut up?

"Is…" Bernard cleared his throat, as if afraid to ask a most ominous question. "Is Your Glorious Majesty sulking?"

"No!" Insupportable snapped back. "I am punishing Minion Wepwawet with silence!"

Yes, he was sulking, which was still a thousand times wiser than tempting fate again. Wepwawet wondered what caused that miracle until he checked Insupportable's stats.

The dragon's Intelligence had increased by one point!

Insupportable had learned basic discipline!

I pity whoever occupies Neigebleue Castle though, Wepwawet thought. I don't wish two dragons on even my worst enemy.

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