“A dualist?” I had never heard the term before.
“Those who can possess more than one job at a time are called dualists.” Calypso explained. “There are only a handful that are born that way. Most have to become that way through hard work.”
”Mm! It is good!” Calypso took a sip of the soup I made. “You do have some skill in cooking. I will appoint you as my chef then.”
“Thank you, my lady.” I wanted to push my question, but I politely addressed her instead.
If I got too excited asking questions, I might genuinely invite her wrath. I watched patiently as she took several more bites. Finally, she waved her hands.
“The rest of you may eat.” The men whose mouths had been watering while watching the steaming pot ran forward, and one man took it upon himself to start scooping out spoonfuls into the waiting bowls. “To answer your question, when a person reaches level 99 in any one job, they unlock the skill ‘Extra Job’. I also understand that some jobs have 2nd or 3rd jobs as part of their skill set, but Extra Job, unlike most skills, is stackable. Presumably, if you lived long enough and killed long enough, you could equip dozens of jobs. Most people only obtain one other job in their lifetime. Not in Aberis, mind you, only a handful of people have become dualists in Aberis, but in the north, it is far more common.”
She spoke casually as she ate, treating this all like general information, but it was the first time I had heard a lot of this. Even the books I had found didn’t mention things like that. Of course, I wondered what she’d think if I told her I could equip up to five jobs if I really wanted to. However, that was using the dungeon points to bypass the real system. What kind of concept was a person with a 100-level job? Wait! Did that mean that Calypso…
“Um… My lady, how many jobs can you have at once … if I may ask.”
Calypso chuckled. “I have managed to acquire three at a time. In a few years, it may be four.”
I gulped. I had to assume that she didn’t have a job like True Hero. That meant that she had at least two level 100 jobs, and a third one that would reach level 100 soon. Just how old was she to have so many jobs? My concept of strength in this world had once again been flipped on its head. I had always thought that the Demon King in the north was just a level 100 monster. Now, I had to expect that he likely had several level 100 jobs, each one filling him with different skills. The world was bigger than I ever imagined.
After we finished eating, Calypso left to do her Bandit King thing. She told me that I wasn’t ready for that stuff. She said she’d take me into a dungeon for training when the time was right. For now, I was just responsible for cooking three meals a day and having it ready whether she arrived or not. Once she was gone, I collapsed in the harem tent with a sigh.
“The way you talked to her, it almost felt like equals.” Siti said nervously. “I was shocked she didn’t take your head!”
I thought I had been very civil! Well, at least she seemed to like my spirit, so I was safe for now. Instead, I decided to focus on escaping. The main thing I did was try to send a message outside to my girls. I could still feel the bond, but it felt distant and muted. I could feel that my messages were being sent, but they didn’t seem to be getting them. This wasn’t the result of my mana not working. Rather, this was more akin to when the girls were too far away to receive the message.
That was impossible, of course. My bond had a very good distance, and that distance only increased as my levels did. The only time my ability to contact them might be cut off is if I was receiving some kind of interference. The only time that would happen that I knew of was when…
I bolted upright, causing Siti to nearly jump.
“We…. We’re in a dungeon!”