“You want me to turn you into a big, buff Orcish girl? I mean, yeah, I could do it in theory. But why?”


    “Oh, not that. I just meant a change of body. If I could only get something to set myself apart from the way I was born, I’m sure I could break off the Oracle path. I’ve only got one ss option, Vestal Virgin. It’s much better with the predictive skills, making visions targeted and reliable, but I would still be blind, with nobat skills.”


    “I would be happy to help you, but it might take some trial and error, so let’s do that after these two finish their skills. Gilly, what sort of ss are you going for?”


    “Out of the options I have avable, Arch Pdin all the way. I’ve heard that Goblins can get some cool special sses, but I haven’t learned any skills that might unlock one.”


    Cain thinks back to the Goblin Mole Dog Riders and all the varieties they came in. One of them should have something. Cain looks through them a moment, then finds a Goblin Chevalier. That’s promising. Their skillset says they can Summon their mount and have healing skills, so they’re likely an exclusive Red Goblin version of an advanced Pdin.


    [Summon Goblin Steed] is one of the skills that all the versions he has recorded are equipped with, so Cain Merges with one and quickly writes out a copy of the skill. It’s Rank C but rtively simple, and it only takes him ten minutes to finish while Misha guides the others through their skills to get their desired sses.


    “Gilly, take this. It’s a Goblin Exclusive skill book, and I think it might unlock something good for you.” Cain says, offering her the copy he just made.


    Gilly grabs it happily, learning it before Cain might have a chance to change his mind, then cheering and dancing as she realizes what it is. She focuses intensely, praying for luck before going into the ss selection screen for a few minutes, then returning and giving everyone in the vicinity a big hug. Mostly around their thighs.


    “I’m a Goblin Chevalier now. A whole new ss of Goblin Pdin. But what do Goblins even ride? I couldn’t ride a horse; they’re huge.”


    She remembers that she can now Summon her personal steed, calling forth a Long-nosed Mole Dog with te armor. It’s coarsely furry, dark brown, and almost the size of a bear.


    Snoo is in shock at the sight of such a creature, but Gilly is ecstatic, and the Mole Dog is incredibly excited to meet her, jumping on her and licking her face until she tickles it under the chin to get it to let her up.


    Gilly hops up in the beast’s back, settling naturally into the saddle and reaching out to hug Cain again.


    “This is amazing. Her name is Wendy, and she’s a Mole Dog. I can hear her in my mind when she’s Summoned. Did you know what it would be?”


    Mishaughs at the excited red-skinned girl, who is practically bouncing on her new ride, long ears pping with the motion. “Of course he did. We faced an army full of goblins mounted on them, and the skill is from one of their Pdins.”


    “We don’t have these beautiful creatures in the valley; I’ve never seen one before. I know of Mole Dogs in theory from school, but are they supposed to be this big?” Gilly gushes, petting her new friend.


    “The Summoned ones are. The ones that the average mounted soldier uses are half that size.” Cain shrugs.


    “Now you’ve got an Armored steed, and you don’t need to run everywhere to keep up anymore,” Snoo adds his thoughts, and Gillyughs.


    “No more yelling at you to slow down. Turtles are supposed to be slow, but you’ve got long legs.”


    “Alright, time to show your families what you’ve aplished today. After Snoo picks his ss, or did you need another skill to get a good option?”


    “Nope, I’ve got Defender. It’s one of the better tank-type sses, and it can transition into the Second Advancement forms of Shield Bearer and Bulwark if I can get the skills between now and then. But with this high of a level, we should be able to get into a group with no problem. Especially as two tanks. Raid groups always need tanks and healers.”


    Snoo finishes his ss upgrade, and the maid finally releases Cyrene after much poking back and forth with the Oracle, who didn’t realize they respond best to verbalmands.


    The whole walk back to the flour mill, Cain wonders what to give to the Oracle that might help her out. He’s got a bunch of Demons recorded from the Census skill that the Demon King used that have foresight and vision-type sses. Maybe a Voidseer?


    They’re a type of Magic Demon that looks very human but can use their skills to see the future, the past, and distant ces. He’s unsure what skill and form might allow Cyrene to trigger a simr ss.


    Snoo’s father looks utterly shocked when the boy returns from his excursion over a hundred levels stronger and shows off his new ss. There are tears in the giant Turtle Kin’s eyes, but he looks happy.


    “My baby boy is growing up so fast. It seems like just a few days ago that you were an egg warning by the hearth. Now look at you, you’re a first advancement fighter already, and a reliable Tank ss at that.” He sniffles, then runs inside and brings his wife out to see.


    “You’ve worked so hard, baby. Mama is proud of you. I knew that Goblin girlfriend of yours was a good influence.” Turtle Kin can’t actually blush, but if the gray-green hide on his face could, Snoo would be bright red to match Gilly’s natural tone to go along with his embarrassed fidgeting.


    “Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad. Um, we were thinking of trying out for the Capital Guard. Long Fang Valley is much safer these days, and that captain that passed through said that King James had ordered the old patrols brought back again, so they need more reliable fighters to work the capital region.”


    His parents are about to cut him off, so Snoo stops there to let them answer. “Have you outgrown our little city? That’s normal for a boy your age, especially a leatherback. We need to travel; it’s in our blood. But you’re strong now, and I’m sure you’ll do fine.”


    Snoo expected that they would resist, but they didn’t, so all he could do now was hug them in joy. Gilly looks just as happy as him, hopping down from her mount to y with its fur.


    “Should we go see your parents too?” Cain asks the little Goblin, who shakes her head and continues to pet Wendy, her Mole Dog.


    “They didn’t have sses, and without a ss, a Red Goblin only lives twenty years. They grow up, have children as soon as they, then leave themwhether they want to or not.” Gilly exins.


    Cyrene runs forward to hug the little Goblin, who smiles and wraps her arms around the Oracle. “It’s fine. I’m all grown up now with a ss and over a century worth of years waiting for me in reserve.”


    Snoo pulls Gilly into the conversation with his dad about what they have nned now, about the Karrack City Guard or the Capital Guard as they’re better known, so Cain and the others make their departure, waving goodbye to mama Turtle as they leave.


    There are far too many things to do once they finally get back to the Manor, but Cyrene is tired from all the walking, it’s been a highly unusual amount of exercise for her. The maid leads her to her room for a nap, and Cain gets to work copying out the Superior Mental Domination book.


    He wants to learn it before he goes for the random spin since he’s getting the feeling that if he doesn’t, he might end up with another very simr ability. The system calls itself randomized, but in practice Cain finds it very single-minded once it decides it wants you to have something.


    The book creation process goes smoothly, and Cain has the skill book in hand when Mishaes back with snacks.


    “You look concerned; what’s on your mind?” She whispers, curling her wings around him as she settles into hisp.


    “Right now? You. But before that, I was trying to find a physical change or skill that would help Cyrene find a better ss.”


    They both fall into silence for a while, curled up in afortable chair in themon areas of the central wing. Both of them are thinking of ways to help Cyrene, but their ideas are taking very different paths.


    Cain is thinking of finding a specific skill to let her pick up the ss of a Summon he has recorded. Misha is thinking of various species that don’t need sight to navigate.


    “I wonder if she’d like to be a Lamia? They have excellent thermal vision, but they can also tell where everything is even with both eyes blinded.” Misha suggests.


    “I was thinking more along the lines of a voidseer, a ss with a specific skill that lets them see while blind. The problem is that particr one’s specific to one species of magic type Demon.”


    “You’ve thought that much about ways to help me?” Cyrene’s cheerful voicees from the entry to the residential wing, and the Oracle starts making her way over to where Cain and Misha are sitting.