The Professional Palette called to the craftsman in him. Fifteen colors meant nuance he'd never had access to, the ability to capture subtle gradations that had frustrated him. His current color palette was already starting to feel restrictive. When working with Lucia to cure stone curse victims, he'd sometimes struggled to match skin tones properly, forced to mix and remix basic colors that never quite captured the warmth of living flesh.
Also, he could still taste the failure when he'd tried to replicate the Archmage's complex fireball. All those layered oranges and reds, the deep crimsons bleeding into the blue white-hot core that his limited primaries could never quite achieve. With this palette, he might actually have a chance to paint that spell properly. He could match any tone, any shade, capture the full spectrum of what he observed around him.
He reached out to it, but paused. No, don’t be so hasty, Clive.
His gaze shifted to the Two-Prong Brush. Mathematically, it made perfect sense. Two spells at seventy-five percent efficiency meant one hundred and fifty percent total output. Any tactician would choose it without hesitation. But Clive was never good at math. The numbers never spoke to him like art did.
This brush just felt so... mechanical. Like using a photocopier instead of painting two separate pieces. Where was the artistry in duplication? Where was the growth, the challenge, the spark of creation that came from making each work unique? It was efficiency over inspiration, and that left him cold. He gave it another cursory glance but mentally discarded it at the back of his mind.
Then there was the G-Pen, and Clive found himself smiling to himself. It was a tool he was familiar with during his foray into comic drawing, back when he’d experimented with different art forms.
He reread the item description. It was vague, yet Certainty’s explanation inspired his imagination. Visual effects. The ability to augment his spells into something bold and dramatic. Speed lines, impact effects, sound made visible. It was theatrical, over-the-top, and completely at odds with his usual subtle approach.
But wasn't that exactly what made it intriguing?
“So, what will it be?” Certainty asked, swinging her legs impatiently. “Hurry up now, I haven’t got all day. Gotta get back to watching my dramas. I was just in the middle of a will they won’t they moment.”
“Give me a few minutes. This will take some time.”
He thought back to his first upgrade choice, when the Canvas of Reality had been the obvious selection. That decision had been simple—preparation was everything in combat, and the ability to pre-paint backgrounds had saved his life more than once. Hill of Swords and Garden of Eden. Such high-impact large-scale spells would have been beyond his capabilities otherwise.
However, this choice proved to be much more difficult. His hand hovered over the palette, then the G-Pen. Eventually, his fingers closed around the floating G-Pen.
"I won't be needing this." He tossed the G-Pen away, watching it dim with a pang of regret.
"Or this." The Two-Prong Brush received the same dismissal, though with less hesitation.
"This is my choice." He grabbed the palette firmly, feeling its polished wood warm against his palm. It felt just right, like a tool that belonged in his hands.
"Oh, that's surprising." Certainty tilted her head, pigtails swaying. "I would have thought you'd chosen the G-Pen, given your propensity toward manga and comics."
It was true. He considered it. Wanted it even. But manga drawing was something that was too stylized. If he truly wanted to improve as an artist, he would need to work on his fundamentals. And then meant mixing colors. He glanced once at the dimming pen, already fading as his choice became final.
"The G-Pen just felt more like a gimmick. I wanted something a bit more traditional." Clive ran his thumb along the palette's smooth edge, testing the feel of the thumb hole as he balanced the palette on his hand.
Certainty's expression shifted, cycling from surprise to approval. "Gimmick?" She laughed, but it wasn't her usual mocking tone. "Listen to you, sounding like a proper artisan. 'I want something traditional.'" She mimicked his voice with exaggerated seriousness before her grin returned.
"You know what? I think I like this choice better. Shows you're thinking like a real artist now—tools that expand your craft, not just flashy tricks to impress the audience." She leaned forward, eyes glittering with renewed interest. "The G-Pen would have made you famous, Clive. But the palette? The palette will make you good. And good lasts longer than famous ever does."
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
She clapped her hands once, sealing the choice. "The decision is made. I do hope you'll prove that traditional doesn't mean boring—show me what fifteen colors can really accomplish."
Her grin widened with anticipation. "Now then, good luck with your adventures. I have a particularly dramatic love triangle to get back to, and the heroine just discovered her betrothed is actually her long-lost brother."
She waved her fingers in a theatrical farewell as her form began to shimmer at the edges. "Do try not to die before I finish the series, won't you? I'd hate to miss the finale."
And with that, she dissolved into sparkles of pink light before winking out, leaving Clive alone in the room.
Clive Weston - Character Stat Sheet
Name: Clive Weston
Class: Pictomancer
Rank: Artist
Patron Deity: Certainty, Goddess of Certainty and Undoubting
Stats
- Power Level: 120
- HP: 205/205
- MP: 105/105
- Certainty Points: 10
Level Progression
- Metalwork Illustration: Level 7
- Consumable Illustration: Level 3
- Architectural Illustration: Level 2
- Dagger Mastery: Level 3
- Sword Mastery: Level 4
- Spear Mastery: Level 2
- Mace Mastery: Level 3
Abilities & Skills
Class Abilities
- Artist's Eyes (Passive): Enhanced visual perception and analysis
- Upgrade: Motion Vision - Can perceive movement trajectories before they occur
- Upgrade: Fine Resolution – Can visualize fine details
- Draw (Active): Creates permanent physical objects through detailed sketching
- Paint (Combat): Harnesses color theory for elemental magic
- Mix: Combine available colors to create wider variety of spells (2 mixing slots)
- Apothecary's Nose (Passive): Identify and categorize complex scent profiles with precision
Spells
Red Spells
- Red Fireball I - MP Cost: 2
- Red Rage I - MP Cost: 2
- Red Will-o-wisp I - MP Cost: 3 +0.5/min
Blue Spells
- Blue Flu I - MP Cost: 3
- Blue Hail I - MP Cost: 3 + 1
- Blue Icebolt I - MP Cost: 2
Yellow Spells
- Yellow Fever I - MP Cost: 2
- Yellow Lightning I - MP Cost: 2
- Yellow Stone – MP Cost:2
White Spells
- White as Holy I - MP Cost: 3
- White Light Spear I - MP Cost: 2
- White Dry Ice II – MP Cost: 10
Mixed Color Spells
- Amber Fireball II - MP Cost: 10
- Magenta Will-o-wisp II - MP Cost: 10 + 1/min
- Brown Granite II – MP Cost: 10
- Brown Granite Storm II- MP Cost: 25 + 2/min
Burst Spells
- Red Burst 0 – MP Cost:1
- Blue Burst 0 – MP Cost:1
- Yellow Burst 0 – MP Cost:1
- White Burst 0 – MP Cost:1
Double Techs
- Inferno Blade - With Lucia
- Holy Nova – With Lucia
- Holy Drill – With Nydalea
Special Traits
- Obsessive Focus: +20% skill progression when working on single project
- Artistic Purist: Cannot create/accept currency; unable to sell created items
- Certainty's Chosen: Chosen champion of Certainty (Have absolute conviction)
- Pyrographer - Artist of Flame: +15% fire spell damage, burn 10% longer
Skill Branches
Metalwork Illustration (Level 7)
- Materials: Iron, Steel, Mithril
- Quality Levels: Poor, Normal, High
- Weapon Types: Sword, Dagger, Spear, Mace
Consumable Illustration (Level 3)
Potions
- Current: Water, Small health potion, Small mana potion
- Quality Levels: Poor, Normal
Food
- Current: Sushi Set
- Quality Levels: Poor, Normal, High
Architectural Illustration (Level 2)
- Current Structures: Tent
- Scale: Single to Double
Equipment
- Artist's Sketchbook: 10 pages, regenerates daily at dawn
- Canvas of Reality: Pre-paint background spells once per day
- Novice's Paintbrush: Basic tool for chromatic spellcasting
- Professional Color Palette: 15 colors + 5 mixing slots
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