The Challenger's Return: Rebirth of the Rainbow Mage

Otto spent the night in his mental space.

He was completing an essential task for the team.

Poring over the list of professions.

For their first choice of profession, Otto expected the team members to choose not based on their own personal preference.

Rather, it was important that his team had a balanced line up of professionals that would cover all their essentials when they entered and cleared team floors.

Because after they entered as a team, they would then be able to put that knowledge to good use.

Otto perused the list while his headache grew.

Most of these professions were situational.

As in, they wouldn't be needed besides in specific situations. The problem was, in very specific situations, they would come in extraordinarily clutch.

He narrowed his eyes.

And eventually decided to eliminate all the sub-professions, despite their situational excellence.

Plus, if any of the kids wanted to specialize like this, they would still be free to do so… after they'd picked up their first profession.

In the end, for his team, Otto didn't care as much about the money that could be made from extreme specialization.

Rather, he preferred the broader skillset and top tier utility of the larger professional branches.

Hours passed as Otto continued to pore over the list.

He even made a massive document listing the pros and cons of each profession.

It wasn't long before he narrowed it down to thirteen options, with six 'ideal' professions towards the top of this list.

Otto took his list and left the virtual pod to call a second meeting.

Minutes later, Jeremy and Jason sat around a real dining room table in their rented house while they waited for Julia, Elliott, Mirabelle, and Ramesthes.

Jeremy immediately grumbled,

"Couldn't you have waited for like, just TWO more minutes? I was in the middle of something…"

"What, with your left hand?" Jason glanced at Jeremy with amusement.

Jeremy quirked a grin at Jason.

"My right hand."

Both boys burst out laughing as the other four arrived and sat in their seats.

Otto immediately began speaking; time in the real world was extremely precious, after all.

He pulled out a small rune as he spoke.

"The first thing I'd like to announce is to formally welcome our newest member, Mirabelle, for the second time."

"This is called the [Cancellation Rune]. Mirabelle, this rune will allow me to erase a single line in your status."

Silence.

Everyone's eyes widened, including Mirabelle's.

Before anyone could react, Otto activated the rune.

The light from the rune diffused into the atmosphere, until the room glowed in an odd, dim yellow-orange.

Otto targeted the light directly towards Mirabelle.

Her status appeared.

[Mirabelle]

Floor Cleared: 4th Floor

Class: Jack of Support

Race: Chantrelle Songbird

Health: 5,500/5,500 (4.1/minute)

Stamina: 500/500 (3.6/minute)

Mana: 560/560 (16.6/minute)

[Attributes]

Strength 28

Speed 47

Stamina 36

Sturdiness 41

Mana Pool 28

Intuition 25

Magic Power 45

Regeneration 83

[Jack of Support]

Gold Grade

Basic Effects:

Doubles efficacy of all support spells.

Doubles duration of all support spells.

-30% cast time of all support spells.

-20% cooldown of all support spells.

[Racial Traits]

[Vocal Casting]

All spells must be cast via the voice. The voice of the Chantrelle is unusable except to cast spells.

[Ethereal Voice]

Voice of the Chantrelle is capable of casting every element.

[Supportive Restriction]

The Chantrelle Songbird is incapable of harming other creatures with its magic. All spells only work on allies.

[Harmonic Response]

+900% Mana Regeneration

[Final Survivor]

+900% Health

+900% Health Regeneration

[Spirit of Self Sacrifice]

Chantrelle Songbirds can give for those they truly love. Sacrifices the body to double all attributes of every friendly entity within a kilometer radius. Boost lasts for 24 hours.

[Ephemerality]

The maximum lifespan of a Chantrelle Songbird is 10 years.

Though her attributes hadn't changed a bit from her training, it was her sense for the team as a whole that was truly different.

At first, she had been unsure where she would fit in, casting buffs right and left to prove her value to everyone.

Over time, though, that slowly changed.

She began to provide support only exactly when a member needed it.

Mirabelle even learned how to conserve mana with her supportive spells, targeting each spell differently dependent on who received it, and when it would be cast.

The result was the excellent staying power she now embodied, and an invaluable team member for the remaining members of the team.

Otto focused in on her status.

His eyes turned to the final racial trait.

[Ephemerality]

The maximum lifespan of a Chantrelle Songbird is 10 years.

Even a racial evolution wouldn't erase this restriction.

But as Otto directed the light of the rune towards it, this line began to disappear.

[Ephemerality]

The maximum lifespan of…

[Ephemerality]

The…

[Eph…

And then, nothing.

Mirabelle rose from her seat, astonished at the effect of the rune.

Her body felt no different on the surface.

But she knew that something had changed.

The room quieted almost immediately while everyone pondered the implications of this change.

Though her lifespan hadn't changed yet, everything was different.

Now, Otto could buy up or even concoct heaps of lifespan potions and pills to turn 10 years into 50 years, 100 years, or even 500 years.

Her potential was limitless.

Otto shot Mirabelle a small smile, and immediately made another announcement.

"Tomorrow, I will split my soul for the fifth time."

"Now,"

Otto's voice turned slightly more serious.

"I wanted to talk about professions."

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a small sound.

DRIP

DRIP

The group turned to Mirabelle, only to find tiny, glistening tears leaking out of her eyes.

She started signing rapidly as her 'voice' was projected to the room. Despite her frenetic hand movements, her voice came out light and calm.

Otto quietly listened along with the others as Mirabelle told her story.

It was a past of which she had never spoken, with any of them.

"I was raised on a planet called Orgrell just a few solar systems away from Satslik. When I hatched, the first thing my mother said is that I should 'enjoy the short time I had [in this life]."

"For I would forever be the last, most beautiful Chantrelle Songbird."

Tears continued to drip down her face.

"The words couldn't be spoken, even."

Her eyes glazed over with nostalgia,

"They were sung."

"My mother… used the last of her life force to imbue me with strength."

"Then, I was alone."

"I was the last member of the race, and the only bird left on Orgrell."

"Back then, I was very young. Strong in body because of my mother's gift, but weak… in everything else."

"Some humans came to Orgrell to look for something."

Mirabelle sighed,

"They ended up finding me."

Her eyes glistened, but this time she held back the tears that wanted to fall.

"I didn't even need to be captured…I went with them willingly."

"Since by then, I would do anything, absolutely anything to communicate with anyone."

"It wasn't until then that I realized…I couldn't speak at all."

"Nothing I did could make them understand me. I could only sing for them, again and again."

Her eyes hardened, and her fingers made vicious, rapid gestures on the table.

"It was only later that I found out that they were slave traders. Not the nice sort, either."

"Orgrell didn't exist in a safe zone…it was only home to us Chantrelles, and why would we need one? Our species couldn't harm anyone, even if we wanted to."

"So, they…hurt me. Again and again. They originally didn't think that I could be sold…so they didn't care about my condition at all."

Mirabelle took a deep breath before she continued.

"It was only after another month that Mr. Proprietor bought me. His store was warm and I finally had friends."

"But in the end, it was still a business. They told me to climb floors."

"So, I did. I started in the [Tutorial], then flew through the forest on the [First Floor], enjoyed the sun on the [Second Floor]..."

Otto was impressed with her positivity.

Who else would say that they had 'enjoyed the sun' in that stifling desert...

"It…was actually easier than I thought. My mother gave me strength when I was born, so my challenges were a lot easier."

She fidgeted slightly before gesturing with her hands and tapping softly on the table.

"Anything was better than that month with those slave traders."

"I spent a long time with Mr. Proprietor and my friends, and eventually grew numb."