"Class points can be used to purchase new skills and perks and to upgrade existing ones," Ragnan explained after the pair calmed down. "The points can only be earned by leveling your primary class and as quest rewards, however."

"To my knowledge, most classes receive one or two points per level. Some legendary ranked class owners have reported earning three." He continued as he began to pace again. 

"Almost everyone ends up with more class points than they can spend, and, as a result, many prominent scholars theorize that there is another use for the points that have yet to be discovered."

He turned to me. "You should check your options frequently and purchase everything that you can. The available options often disappear and reappear at seemingly random times. There have also been several reports of options being removed permanently."

I nodded, pulled up my status, and focused on my class points.

"I've got four options. Is there any way to see what they do before I purchase them?" I asked.

Ragnan shook his head.

"Unfortunately, no. The names often give a general idea, but not always. Skills frequently have differences, some minor, some major, from person to person. Even among those with the same class and skill name."

"Well, it's only eight points anyway," I said with a shrug and purchased them all.

I sighed in exasperation. I had expected Synergy to make changes, but I had foolishly hoped otherwise.

I shook my head and read the notifications to Ragnan and Elisia.

"Hmmm... Well, I can confirm that you are even more beautiful now, right, Ragnan?" Elisia said with a smirk and glanced at Ragnan. "We can test Dimensional Pocket and Elixir's active effect easily enough."

I shook my head. "I already tried to activate Elixir, and it didn't work. I don't think my body considers clone pregnancies as real. I'm not lactating."

Elisia stared blankly at my chest for a moment before dramatically huffing and stomping her foot. "No waaaayyyy! I thought that your tits were so big because they were full of milk!"

"I'm jealous! I'm barely a step above flat as a board!" She pouted and looked at her own chest.

Ragnan patted her head, and I giggled.

"Don't worry, dear. Your breasts are beautiful... " The orc said with a chuckle, causing Elisia to blush furiously.

"He's right! You have amazing tits!" I said with a laugh as she somehow managed to blush more.

I stood and walked to a nearby wall, gesturing to a sword I had mounted for decoration.

"Let's test this storage skiiiiiiillllllllllllll-" I started, trailing off as a contraction suddenly slammed into me.

The world faded away. My senses were wholly consumed by the pain shooting through my abdomen.

After what felt like an eternity, the contraction finally released me.

Without realizing it, I had positioned myself into a deep squat and had been rolling my hips in an attempt to ease the pain.

I jumped slightly when I noticed Elisia behind me, massaging my back.

"F-fuck. That was rough." I said, letting out a deep breath and slowly standing.

Elisia jumped back and stammered as if just realizing what she was doing. "U-uh. S-sorry, Lady Terra. I've seen back massages given to laboring mothers back in my village, and I just moved on instinct."

I hugged Elisia warmly. "No need to be sorry. It was wonderful. I'll definitely be requesting more!"

"Actually, I'd love it if you guys would stay with me for this... I've never done anything like this before, and I'm starting to get nervous now that it's picking up all of a sudden." I said sheepishly while releasing Elisia.

"I understand completely if you don't want to, though! I'll build another chamber off to the side to get out of the way." I quickly added.

Elisia glanced at Ragnan and grabbed my hand with a smile. "Of course, we'll stay with you. I'll do my best to be there for you every time you give birth. You don't have to go through it by yourself."

I thanked the pair with a smile and went back to my original plan of testing Dimensional Pocket.

I took the sword and gave it a quick glance. I shrugged and stuffed it, blade first, into one of the small pockets on my shorts.

Elisia gasped as the sword disappeared. "Amazing! I know it's called Dimensional Pocket, but I figured it'd have to be used on a chest or maybe a bag of some kind."

"Honestly, I didn't think that would work either. I was expecting it to just slice my shorts." I said with a chuckle and a wry smile.

"The description says that it can be used on any storage receptacle, however..." I stopped as a brilliant idea hit me.

"Oh! I hope this works! Women stored all kinds of things like this on my old planet!" I exclaimed and reached a hand between my breasts.

I grinned madly as I felt the skill activate as intended.

"Hahaha! Boob storage is now officially a thing!" I cackled and drew the sword forth from between my tits.

I then stored and retrieved the sword several times, gleefully laughing the entire time.

"I don't even have to wear a bra or tight shirt for it to work! Maybe it works because I consider it boob storage and not bra storage?" I murmured to myself and emulated Ragnan by pacing as I thought.

I stopped midstep. I could feel my womb beginning to tense. I could feel it preparing for another contraction.

I let out a sharp breath of air and groaned. Thankfully, I wasn't caught off guard this time and remained aware of my surroundings. I smiled gratefully when Elisia began to rub my back again.

"Ragnan, do you know anything about delivering a baby?" Elisia asked once the contraction had ended.

"I know the basics of the biological process, but not much other than that," Ragnan said with a frown.

"Lady Terra, we should get you as comfortable as possible," Elisia said, and the pair helped me walk to the couch.

"Can you feel what position the baby is in?" The scholar asked.

I nodded and sat with a wince.

"It's definitely where it's supposed to be. The damn head is buried deep in my pelvis." I said with a sigh. "This last stretch is going by very quickly. That last contraction felt different."

My womb tensed again and began building another contraction.

"O- Ooohhh fuck!" I exclaimed through gritted teeth. The contraction persisted for an eternity before finally releasing with a distinct feeling of movement.

"Ha- Ha- It's moving. Just went past something. My cervix, maybe?" I said while panting, trying to catch my breath.

"That's likely." Ragnan nodded and gestured to Elisia. "Elisia has your back. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"S-shorts," I said and began to fumble with my waistband. I could already feel my womb preparing for another contraction.

Ragnan lifted me slightly, gently pulled off my shorts, and sat them off to the side.

"Okay, now wh-" He began, only to stop when he turned back to face me.

I had wiggled myself forward and was now on the edge of the couch. My legs were spread as wide as I could get them, wider than I previously thought possible.

"Pushing!" I huffed as the contraction reached full force. I pressed my chin to my chest and bore down with all my strength.

I had hoped that giving birth would be easier than it had been for women back on Earth. After all, I was already several times stronger than any Earthling could have even dreamed of.

I quickly learned that reality was contrary to my hopes.

Labor was named as such for a reason. I was working against my own body. I was fighting to push the child through my body and into the world.

I was stronger, and I could push harder than any human could, but the path the baby had to take was equally strengthened.

I groaned as I felt the baby move through me. I could feel it all. Every. Single. Millimeter.

Finally, the contraction let up, and I shakily spoke between strangled breaths. "Coming... Fast... Catch!"

Another contraction began to build, and I braced myself.

I pushed.

"Shit!" Ragnan cursed as I felt my lips part and then stretch impossibly wide. I heard him drop to his knees and position himself before me.

I screamed and continued to push with all my strength.

The head fell free of my body just as the contraction ended.

I took a deep breath and continued pushing, uncaring of the lack of contraction.

A few seconds later, I felt my battered canal become empty, and I gasped in relief.

I took panting breaths as Ragnan stood and showed the clone to me.

"There's no umbilical cord... How strange... Is it because it's a clone?" He said as Elisia helped me move to a more comfortable position off the edge of the couch.

"Probably... I have no idea how this clone thing works. I don't even know if this clone is viable. Whatever that means." I said after finally catching my breath.

"Well, it's breathing and has a pulse..." Ragnan said with a frown. "Maybe it needs to connect to you somehow? It is a clone of you, after all."

I shrugged and reached out.

As soon as my hand made contact with the clone, my mana was ripped from my body, and my world went dark.

---

I groaned as my consciousness returned.

"Ah! You're finally awake!" I heard Elisia exclaim and scramble over to me. "How are you feeling? You've been out for roughly half a day."

"I feel like someone slammed my head into a wall a hundred times," I said and sat up.

I froze as my mind finally processed what was happening.

I had been speaking with two voices and was now looking at myself from different sides of the couch.

I watched my own shoulders slump from two vantage points.

"Ugh. This is weird. I don't know if I will ever get used to this." I groaned.

Elisia giggled at my suffering.

I looked around and asked, "Where's Ragnan?"

"He went out to look for medicinal herbs a few hours ago. We figured you would be fine after your clone started to grow rapidly, but we wanted to make sure." Elisia explained.

"He went out during the storm?" I asked.

She nodded.

I released an exasperated sigh and waved my hand, creating a circle to sry him.

The image took several seconds to form and was heavily distorted. I frowned and tried to work around whatever was interfering with my spell.

After a few minutes, I managed to clear up enough of the image to see that he was in no danger. I checked the map that I'd left running and nodded.

"Good. He's coming back. Should be here in a few minutes, actually."

Elisia smiled and hugged the me that had stayed on the couch. "Thanks for checking on him."

I took a moment to figure out how to move my bodies independently on purpose, then returned the hug with a smile.

Elisia broke away and looked my clone up and down with a smirk. 

"Between you and me, Ragnan didn't decide to go out during the storm until after your clone grew to adult size. We didn't have anything to cover you up with, and I think it made him antsy." She explained.

"I think he used looking for the herbs to get out of the room." She said with a sigh. "I still haven't convinced him that I have no problem with the orc's more... open marriage customs."

"Well... That's definitely something I want to discuss... But we should save that for later." I said with a smile. "And despite how much fun it would be to tease him, I should probably get dressed."