If you want to get to lvl 16 in anything specialty or not, it's going to be tedious as crap, and utterly pointless since you don't need to in order to massacre anything in the game. Getting things to level 8 is relatively easy, and allows you to use it effectively up to the end of the game. 3 or more lvl 8 weapon skills, lvl 8 toad, lvl 8 elemental spells, lvl 8 beserk/haste/aura, level 8 flare and you are all set.