The two Amnians had awarded little Experience, but Anser had merely finished them off and stolen the kills. He could not expect too much.

'Why haven't I leveled up?'

He could not divide his attention during battle and had not totaled the Experience he gained, but he remembered being fairly close to the next Level.

He sank his awareness inward. The silver d20 turned gently, its third symbol now fully illuminated.

'As expected, I can't play it too safe.' His spirits soared.

He opened his character sheet. His Experience had reached 2,596/2,700, leaving him just over one hundred short of leveling up.

'Uh... This is an awkward place to stop.'

He calmed himself. Now was not the time to dwell on it.

Without wasting time, he rode around the lake, wrapped every worthwhile piece of loot he could see in burlap, then returned to the camp. He took down the three tents and tossed them haphazardly onto Nornoth's back.

Then he mounted and galloped west.

He did not enter the water to search for whatever loot might be there. Who knew what was lurking in the lake?

More than ten minutes later, several lights appeared ahead. Dozens of dejected figures had gathered together, and quiet sobbing occasionally reached him.

Anser swept his gaze across them. Not everyone was present; a few people might have become separated.

Bratt and the others hurried to meet him when they heard the hoofbeats.

"You aren't hurt, are you?" The items on Nornoth's back told Bratt that a battle had undoubtedly taken place.

"I'm fine." Anser dismounted and unloaded the pile.

Aemon's spirits rose when he saw the tents. "Have the Undead left?"

"From what I can tell, they're gone. There isn't a living person left by the lake," Anser replied, his words carrying a second meaning.

"Could you stand guard for us? We'll go recover our belongings," Aemon requested.

Without the tents and supplies, these dozens of people would not last long.

"No problem, but move quickly. We need to leave as soon as possible," Anser warned him.

"I understand."

Aemon immediately gathered the able-bodied adults and retraced their route. Bratt went with them to help.

Fortunately, the distance was short, so it would not delay them for long.

Anser did not go. He had warned them and covered their retreat. He had already done enough.

If not for Bratt, he might not have helped at all.

Of course, selfishness and greed had also played a part. He was an ordinary person, and being both greedy and afraid was perfectly normal.

Human nature was complicated and contradictory.

He found a quiet place, sat against Nornoth's leg, and sank his mind inward.

The silver d20 turned gently, its third symbol fully illuminated.

'What will it be this time?' Anticipation welled within him.

He touched the die, and fragments of memory surfaced in his mind: fighting, saving people, obtaining a mount, encountering enemies...

After a moment, the symbol transformed into an intricate spherical sigil.

Ding!

[You gained an Adventure Trait: Arcane Resonance.]

<Arcane Resonance>: Magic brings new life even as it creates destruction. Certain creatures will always earn magic's favor.

Choose one school from Abjuration, Divination, Evocation, Illusion, Conjuration, Enchantment, Necromancy, and Transmutation. You learn one additional spell of that school per class Level. A spell's Level can't exceed the highest spell Level you can currently use.

'One additional spell every Level?!' Anser stared, wide-eyed.

Although the spell school was restricted, the trait remained extraordinarily powerful and greatly compensated for a Sorcerer's limited number of spells.

Spells were the core of every spellcaster. The more spells one possessed, the more ways one had to respond to danger and adversity.

'Which one should I choose?'

Each of the eight schools of magic had its strengths, but only the School of Evocation seemed perfectly suited to him.

Evocation offered the largest number of spells, and his draconic ancestry came with Elemental Affinity, which could greatly enhance the power of Evocation spells.

That way, every time he leveled up, he could learn two spells: one Evocation spell focused on destruction and harvesting Experience, and one from another school to provide teleportation, control, survival, or other utility. His options would become far more diverse.

When he confirmed his choice, the spherical sigil abruptly burst apart and transformed into an almost tangible sphere of energy, with elements of every color churning inside.

[Arcane Resonance: Evocation. You gained Evocation Spell Specialization.]

'Spell Specialization.' The phrase quickened Anser's pulse as he considered it.

It was probably some kind of passive ability that made Evocation spells easier for him to use. He would have to explore its exact effects over time.

'Which spells should I choose?'

He touched the sphere of elemental energy. Dozens of elemental spirits leaped from it, their many colors dancing around his consciousness.

Each spirit represented a spell, encompassing every 1st- and 2nd-level Evocation spell.

He was currently Level 3 and could choose three spells.

There were only around a dozen 2nd-level Evocation spells, so his options were fairly limited. After weighing them, he selected Scorching Ray.

Scorching Ray required no Material component and had a base range of 120 feet (at least 36 meters). With the bonuses from his ability scores and feat, that range exceeded 72 meters—roughly 240 feet.

It fired three rays of flame at one or more targets. Each ray dealt 2d6 (2–12) Fire damage, for a total of 6–36—brutally powerful.

Most importantly, ray spells traveled absurdly fast. As long as his aim was accurate, enemies would find them difficult to evade.

Some Wizards in Faerûn specialized in ray spells. It was an uncommon path, but those who followed it were extremely troublesome.

Once he made his selection, most of the elemental spirits dispersed, leaving only 1st-level spells.

'So I can't cheat the system.' He had wondered whether he could select three 2nd-level spells.

After some thought, he chose Faerie Fire and Divine Smite.

The former belonged to the Bard and Druid spell lists, while the latter was the signature spell of Paladins.

Most Evocation spells were destructive. Faerie Fire was one of the few utility spells among them.

It could fill a Cube 20 feet (at least 6 meters) on a side with magical light, outlining every object within the area in colored light for one minute. Affected objects and creatures shed Dim Light in a 10-foot radius.

It was a highly practical anti-invisibility spell that marked its targets with magic.

Divine Smite needed no introduction. Its reputation was legendary.

It was cast instantly after a hit with a Melee weapon or Unarmed Strike, adding 2d8 (2–16) Radiant damage to the attack. If the target was a Fiend or Undead, the damage increased by 1d8 (1–8).

Anser had not "stolen" the spell out of some strange sense of humor, nor did he intend to impersonate a Paladin. He chose it to compensate for his own inability in melee combat.

He had Alter Self. If he added Divine Smite to his claws, an ordinary assassin would not survive many blows.

The image alone was amusing.

He already had enough 1st-level attack spells. What harm was there in trying something different?

As he confirmed his choices, magic surged around him, and multicolored light appeared in his eyes.

Knowledge and memories concerning Evocation spells churned through his mind, and understanding poured forth like a spring. He could not fully grasp the principles or mysteries behind the spells, but he could cast them proficiently.

After a long while, he raised his right hand. Platinum-white divine magic emerged from his palm, its color different from Rand's Divine Smite.

That was perfectly normal. A Paladin's oath or faith lent Divine Smite a distinctive color.

'I've grown stronger again. Should I find time to learn swordsmanship from Bratt?'

Many feats and proficiencies could be acquired through training and study, and a Sorcerer had ample free time. It was best to learn from a professional, however. Self-teaching could instill bad habits that were far harder to correct later.

Supplement:

1. At Paladin Level 2, a Paladin gains Paladin's Smite and can cast Divine Smite once without expending a spell slot.

2. Projectile explanation:

D&D rules downplay the existence of projectile travel, but anyone who has played League of Legends or a similar game knows that projectile speed is an extremely important parameter.

The faster a projectile travels, the harder it is to evade, increasing the Attack Roll.

3. I'm not cheating. This is a MOD!

(End of Chapter)