CHAPTER 80.

Amber was practically shaking in her spot, and that was because of the possibilities that awaited her. For now, she decided against trying her Legacy Branch Advancement in great detail, and that was because she wanted to see everything she got all at once.

And that was all the more reason as to why she couldn’t wait any longer.

“I want to receive my Class Advancement,” she said to the air, chirping.

And a moment later, her vision went dark.

What will be my advancement options this time around? I can’t wait.

* * *

The first thing Amber heard was a roar, it was reminiscent of the Abyssal Briroar but stronger, and then she saw the surroundings. She was in a jungle, a lush green forest with high humidity and an eclectic mix of plants and insects. Everything was big, even the leaves of the plants were at least one meter long or wide. Then, she heard footsteps and turned.

Coming out of the bush. She saw a large man wearing nothing but shorts made out of animal fur, he had a crude axe and his muscles were bulging with strength. He was a juggernaut through and through, and yet he also had tattoos, shining purple ones that emanated cursed energy.

And for the first time ever, Amber got to use Identify in the visions⁠— or Appraisal now.

[Berserker. Lvl. ???]

She supposed that wasn’t out of the ordinary, but the roar echoed again as the man simply smiled with a wide grin, and then the trees behind her split. Sharp Instincts blared as she turned only to see a large dinosaur⁠— it was massive, standing hundreds of meters tall with an elongated neck filled with spikes and black rugged skin, and its result was.

[???. Lvl. ???]

Unknown. She couldn’t glean any information, but before it, she felt like an ant. And yet, the man let out a loud war cry as he jumped and cleaved⁠— a flash of purple tore through a large part of the monster with the splatter of blood.

Amber expected the man to be thrown off at any time, but with every single one of his swings the curses he used exacerbated more and more. First she saw the Curse of Laceration, the Curse of Consuming Flames, and then she saw others⁠— she saw the skin of the monster flake and tear apart, she saw explosions of flesh, and then finally, the monster had enough.

With a loud roar, it thrashed, getting rid of the man before smacking him with a flash of light. Amber watched him fly into the distance and hit a distant mountain. Then, she blinked⁠— and she was standing next to him, the vision had moved her.

He was bloodied, his bones were piercing his skin and he was coughing up blood nonstop, and yet he glared with ferocity in the distance. And Amber, in return followed his gaze only to see the massive lumbering dinosaur preparing to shoot some kind of fireball or projectile in their direction, and in response the man pointed his hand.

“Budhar, nasr arksan.”

It wasn’t a language he understood, but his tattoos began to shine and then he clapped his hands. The wounds on the monster worsened as it trembled, then he pulled as blood exploded almost as if it was forcefully taken out of its body. And that’s when Amber realized⁠— the man was exacerbating the curses and modifying them to⁠—

And he tugged, causing the monster to tumble before he himself stood up and stomped.

The monster instantly died with an explosion of blood, and Amber blinked.

She brought a hand to her chest only to find it rushing, part of it was fear, and part of it was excitement. The man was remote-controlling the curses, and with them⁠— he felled a much stronger monster than him. And even though there had been no trace of Essence, that type of strength wasn’t one that Amber could acquire.

And finally, the Class Advancement option came.

[You have met the requirements for Class Advancement: ‘Cursed Ancient Berserker’ You have acquired a Legacy Branch, eight of your Core Skills are at 4th Rank, and have slain an enemy two advancements above you.

The Cursed Ancient Berserker is a berserker of old, the first group of champions that the gods chose. Each of them has paved a path for the future Cursed Berserkers, but they are the ones who invented it all. Breaking through what is normal and creating a new normal. They are the first Cursed Berserkers to come, existing to be extraordinary. A Cursed Ancient Berserker is a class that has not been seen in many millennia.

You may change class if requirements for a better class are met.

Would you like to acquire this class? Bonuses to stats will be applied, Cursed Ancient Berserker skills will become available on future level ups. Current Skills may see change. Class Advancement paths may be lost.]

Amber blinked. “Cursed Ancient Berserker.”

It was a near-unique class. One that was quite literally ancient. And yet, given that it didn’t include Essence, she knew that this was just the beginning. Even though this first option was already great, it was just the beginning.

With a smile, Amber waited for the next vision.

And it soon came.

She saw a shadowed figure fighting against a large lumbering monster, it was similar to the Abyssal Briroar but also different, they were in a forest. And at first, the figure couldn’t fight back, but soon they made the first counterattack and used⁠—

Cursed Battery.

The monster was blasted as Amber blinked she didn’t really expect that, but she watched as the hard battle drew on, and just like her, this person injured themselves with their weapon to use Cursed Battery again and again until they used it again⁠— with double the strength, then, the person used another familiar skill⁠— Abyssal Blast.

Once more she paused as the monster was injured, but soon it entered a rampage. However, her thoughts were elsewhere. There are others with my skills? Or there had been others? I thought Curse Battery was a skill only I had? Amber was puzzled, to say the least, but soon she calmed herself down and watched the bloody struggle draw on.

The figure seemed helpless until they turned the battle around via Cursed Reignition or a similar skill. And Amber watched it all next to them, she was somewhat nervous since it seemed like an unwinnable thing, and that’s when⁠— the figure made fire out of thin air and pulled an arrow that gradually turned blue.

“What…”

Amber blinked and the surroundings changed, suddenly the monster turned into an Abyssal Briroar, and the person next to them was… herself. Amber watched as her face twisted, speaking with anger and then she loosed the arrow.

An explosion of blue engulfed the cave and Amber was forced to take a step back from the force. Then, the Abyssal Briroar emerged and a battle between the two of them began once more, one where both were exhausted.

Amber watched it all, captivated by her own power and somewhat in disbelief that she had survived it all, but at the end.

She triumphed.

And then, the notification for her advancement came, but Amber didn’t immediately look at it, instead still staring at the darkness.

“That was me…” She didn’t understand. “Why did I see a vision of myself?”

She thought for a few moments and then realized that the answer would come from the notification ⁠— or had a good chance of it being there ⁠— so she glanced down at the window before her.

[You have met the requirements for Class Advancement: ‘Cursed Unbroken One’ You are unique.

The Cursed Unbroken One is a Cursed Berserker that has set on their own path. They did not falter, they did not stop, instead, they charged head on against any challenge. Carving what it means to be a berserker for themselves. They have trodden paths that no one else has. A Cursed Unbroken One is what you are, and what you represent. This class is unique and has been offered to you.

You may change class if requirements for a better class are met.

Would you like to acquire this class? Bonuses to stats will be applied, Cursed Unbroken One skills will become available on future level ups. Current Skills may see change. Class Advancement paths may be lost.]

“A unique class,” she whispered.

And it wasn’t any unique class⁠— it was a class that was made because of her, or that’s how Ambe interpreted it. It was a class based on her feats and achievements, and now it was being offered to her. Her heart was practically racing at the prospect, the System had recognized her as unique enough as to let her make her own path within it.

That was… amazing. She wasn’t a level 400 or level 500 existence like some people out there, no she was just a mere 150. And yet, she was offered this already. It was insane, and yet Amber knew that she still had two more options to go through. And it was all⁠— again, thanks to understanding the System better.

For a moment, Amber was tempted to pick up the class, but she decided to wait. It didn’t make any mention of Essence, even though she had seen it in the vision. And there were two more visions to go through. But even then, the prospect of having a class based on her was insane.

I want to go with this so bad. It was definitely an impulsive thought, so she held off and waited for the next vision to start, which thankfully took just a few seconds.

It was raining. The sky looked unassuming, and the surroundings were made out of stone, just a wide rocky plain. Then, she turned and she saw a man walking. He had a felt-lined cape and a military-like uniform with a single black sword hanging at his waist. Amber was just a few meters away from him, and from what she could tell, he looked unperturbed. He looked young, had no beard, and his eyes were golden yet looked dead. He was, for the most part, expressionless.

Or it remained that way until he frowned looking ahead.

Amber blinked, following his gaze only to see nothing. Or that was until she spotted a figure that was coming from the downward winding slope ahead. To Amber, she looked like a normal woman, except for her clothes that contoured her lithe figure as well as having a full black helmet that had horns sticking out. She didn’t have a cloak, but what she did have were two swords at her waist. And her level…

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[???. Lvl. ???]

Amber couldn’t really see anything.

“Ishtar,” the woman said, her voice low rumbling. “You have breached our agreement.”

In response, he said nothing as he unsheathed his sword and prepared himself.

The woman scoffed. “So that is your choice, very well then.”

Amber blinked, even though the previous visions had dialogue, she still didn’t expect to witness a conversation. But based on the little she had just heard, she was interested on who this Ishtar guy was, and his agreement. But she didn’t have time to think about that, as the woman in turn unsheathed her twin blades, and then⁠— she dashed.

With a burst of incredible agility, she appeared swinging her blades, the man parried and⁠— the ground exploded. Rock went flying everywhere as Amber’s eyes grew wide, that attack would have easily broken her arms, and yet the man had brushed it off. And that’s when she noticed it, both of the people were lightly glowing.

Essence?

“We told you that this was off-limits to you, and yet you did it anyway,” she said angrily.

His expression remained unchanging as he replied, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“There is a higher world and yet you continue seeking petty revenge and a throne you lost long ago in spite of what we’ve told you, ridiculous.”

They… knew about Ill’hine? Amber didn’t necessarily understand how many people had been trusted with that secret or anything like that, but she didn’t expect to see it in any of her class advancement visions. Yet, it was now happening.

Amber watched as the woman practically flashed from place to place, striking the man that remained unmoving only blocking. Rock exploded, the earth was turned, and the environment was torn asunder. Her movements were too fast for her to follow, and yet the man was brushing them off as if they were nothing.

“You are talented in the ways of Qi, I’ll give you that, but now I’ll show you what a real veteran can do.”

Qi? Amber raised her brow as the woman appeared charging her sword, she was holding it in a weird pose. But it was shining brightly, first was white, then blue, then yellow, and finally, it became iridescent. And all the man did was stare as she powered up. Her charge was accumulating so much Essence that it made Amber’s hair stand on end, then she dashed.

The man in response, just blocked the incoming strike⁠—

And everything exploded.

The vision ended as Amber felt danger like never before, and she found her heart rushing. Not necessarily from excitement, but from terror at the power she had witnessed. Who were those two people? She didn’t understand. Why did they have Essence? Who is ‘we’? Why call it Qi?

She had more questions than answers as she got the notification.

[You have met the requirements for Class Advancement: ‘Cursed Primordial Berserker’ You have acquired a Legacy Branch, eight of your Core Skills are at 4th Rank, and have slain an enemy two advancements above you, and more importantly, you have attained Primordial Power.

The Cursed Primordial Berserker is a berserker that has been favored by the gods themselves, someone who has obtained Primordial Power and uses it to empower their attacks. They walk the path of the Primordial Power, using it as their main source of attack. A Cursed Primordial Berserker is a class that has not been seen in many millennia. The amount of Cursed Primordial Berserkers in history is less than ten since the beginning of it all.

You may change class if requirements for a better class are met.

Would you like to acquire this class? Bonuses to stats will be applied, Cursed Primordial Berserker skills will seldom become available on future level ups. Current Skills may see change. Class Advancement paths may be lost.]

Seldom? Amber blinked. That meant that skills for this class were… rare. And in its description, it seemed to fully go into Essence most of the time.

Amber didn’t know how she felt about that, but ignoring that aspect. The fact that she had been offered a class with Essence greatly excited her. Then, she turned to something that caught her attention.

Less than ten since the beginning… Of course, Amber didn’t know how long ago was the beginning, but considering the System counted by the “many millennia” that probably meant there were a couple dozen millennia. If Amber had to lowball it, that meant that in fifty thousand years, there had been less than ten of this class.

And yet she still had one more option to go through, would she be offered a demon class or something? It had happened with her Legacy Branch, nevertheless, she was excited for what was to come next. All her classes had been nothing short of amazing, so she was sure that the last one would be too.

So she waited.

A few moments later, her vision changed and she found herself standing in a hall. There was rain again, and it pelted at the windows. The ground was a large red carpet⁠— she was surroundings were filled with banners and pillars, reminiscent of a castle. No, it was a castle. There was a burly man on the throne with a large hammer that was as tall as her, and in front of him, there were six guards with golden armor at the ready. They were pointing their weapons at a double door.

Something was coming, or at least that’s what Amber presumed.

She stared for a few moments as she heard hushed whispers behind her, she couldn’t quite understand them, only something about him coming. Who was him? Amber didn’t know, so she waited, and a moment later⁠— the door was kicked open.

Both of the doors went flying off their hinges with a loud bang and the knights screamed.

“Attack!”

“To defend our emperor!”

“Die!”

Amber meanwhile narrowed her eyes as the knights sprinted past her. There was a man slowly walking forward, a single black sword, he didn’t look muscular or anything either. He was lithe and had an athletic body build, he wore a felt-lined cape, and instead of armor he wore a uniform, and Amber finally recognized him, golden eyes, young appearance⁠— it was Ishtar, and his level…

[???. Lvl. ???]

She couldn’t really see his level or even class⁠— even if it would say Berserker ⁠given the fact that he was the target of the vision.

So the two people were berserkers? Amber frowned.

She then turned to the knights, and she couldn’t see their levels either, but from what she could tell Ishtar had grown stronger according to Sharp Instincts, so this was after the attack of the woman. Meanwhile, the knights were also strong, probably enough to overwhelm Amber, and she was sure she’d struggle to even fight a single one based on the danger inside the room, and yet.

The knights arrived in a moment and the man’s black blade, Ishtar’s blade turned purple then, he slashed⁠— a knight was cleaved in half. The others rushed and he side-stepped before bringing his sword down and killing another one. There were no flashy skills, no nothing, there was only strength and swordsmanship. Yet, Amber stared in awe, because the man raised his hand and⁠— grabbed an incoming sword before shattering it.

“M-Monster⁠—”

And the knight was stabbed. In a single moment, three knights were taken down. However, the knights of the golden armor seized the window and all three struck, their blades flashing with an gold. Then, they struck⁠—

A golden explosion rippled through the hall, Amber was forced to take a step back as the pillars, as the ceiling, as the walls all went flying, as her vision turned white; it all exploded into nothingness. The strength of Primordial Blazing Bolt not even being half of what this attack was⁠— it was comparable to the one the woman had thrown in the previous vision. For a moment, Amber thought that they had done it, that they had injured him.

But as the smoke cleared and he remained standing, her eyes widened. There was a light white aura around him, it was sparkling with iridescent hints, and he was unharmed. Ishtar’s countenance remained unaffected, and then he moved. Three quick slashes flashed through the air and the last knights were decapitated.

Then, Ishtar turned to the figure on the throne, who had yet to move. And he laughed.

“Very well, I guess I’ll entertain you, Ishtar.”

And that’s when Amber connected the dots⁠— this was the throne that Ishtar, the man that had appeared in both visions wanted to retake. Amber didn’t know if this would be a hard battle, but what she did know was that he was unstoppable.

The man on the throne hefted his hammer and then⁠— teleported. He swung upon Ishtar and in response he⁠— took it. The hammer hit his shoulder and he didn’t so much as move. The emperor’s eyes widened.

“H-How?”

And Ishtar, grabbed his face and slammed him on the ground.

“I’ve attained a power you cannot fathom, now we are no longer equals,” he said in a whisper. “Now, it is time for you to die as you should have decades ago.”

And he squeezed.

Amber winced as blood exploded along with chunks of bone, but the vision ended. And once more, her heart was beating, but she didn’t know if it was from curiosity, excitement or slight fear. She didn’t know who that man was if he was still alive or not, but part of her was curious. He had Essence. He had been involved with some other group that had it. And he had survived it all.

Then, the notification came.

[You have met the requirements for Class Advancement: ‘Cursed Inexorable Berserker’ You have acquired a Legacy Branch, eight of your Core Skills are at 4th Rank, and have slain an enemy two advancements above you, and more importantly, you have attained Primordial Power.

The Cursed Inexorable Berserker is a berserker that has been favored by the gods themselves, someone that has obtained Primordial Power and uses it with the single goal of destroying their enemies. They take the meaning of unstoppable to the next level, aiding themselves with their newly acquired Primordial Power. A Cursed Inexorable Berserker is a class that has not been seen in many millennia. The amount of Cursed Inexorable Berserkers in history is less than ten since the beginning of it all.

You may change class if requirements for a better class are met.

Would you like to acquire this class? Bonuses to stats will be applied, Cursed Inexorable Berserker skills will become available on future level ups. Current Skills may see change. Class Advancement paths may be lost.]

Once more, it spoke about the beginning, except…

This class is about being unstoppable whereas the other one was about specialization in Essence.

The visions had ended and Amber was conflicted, the first option even though it had been great was overshadowed by everything else. Her unique class was… it was unique, she wanted it, but it wasn’t related to Essence, and it was because of that that she begrudgingly let it go. Even if it kind of hurt.

Hopefully, I’ll be offered a much better unique class later…

So that left, Cursed Primordial Berserker and Cursed Inexorable Berserker. One leaned into being a proper class ⁠— as the skills did not say seldom ⁠— whereas the other one was much more Essence-focused than anything.

And Amber once more thought about Cursed Primordial Berserker, it was a class that would fully allow her to understand Essence. Something that would allow her to ascend to higher power and yet, it was also a class that sidelined the System into a more passive role based on the way it was worded.

“I don’t want that.”

Her words rang in the air as she frowned. Essence and the System were two things that were supposed to work together and complement each other, they weren’t meant to replace one another. That was the advantage that the Primordial Spirits had over other beings in Ill’hine, and she didn’t want to throw it away.

So, she picked the best choice for herself.

[ You have gained the class: Cursed Inexorable Berserker

Vitality +70

Strength +70

Dexterity +70

Endurance +50

Intelligence +50

Wisdom +50

Natural recovery has increased by 200%.

Body enhancements are 300% more effective.

Wounds heal three times faster out of battle. ]

Then, she saw visions, multiple notifications came and Amber felt her entire body change as she once more grew stronger.

The attribute enhancements were higher than what she got for learning Essence or from her Legacy Branch. And that wasn’t all.

She had obtained an Essence skill from her advancement. Or rather, something slightly different.

Inexorable Will.

And its effects were what had allowed the man do all of that and more. And that wasn’t all. Some of her skills had changed.

[Cursed Supreme Momentum ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 4, becomes Inexorable Momentum ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 4]

[Cursed Supreme Berserker’s Body ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 4, becomes Inexorable Body ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 4]

[Cursed Manipulation ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 2, becomes Inexorable Manipulation ⁠4th Rank — Lvl. 2]

Amber grinned, she didn’t want to sit down and slowly explore her skills. No, wanted to test them. She had a whole Legacy Branch to explore, a whole new class to explore and even the capabilities of her Essence to explore. Then, finally, her level-up notifications came.

[You have reached level 151. 10 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

…

[You have reached level 157. 10 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

Leveling seemed to only get harder from here, but she welcomed it. Amber laughed to herself and then stood up, feeling more alive than ever.

It was time to⁠— and then paused.

“Hm?”

The Abyssal Briroar was disintegrating and in its place there was a large black chest, one that was leaking a cursed aura. At that sight, Amber grinned.

She had three advancements to test, and now loot to see and also test?

Just great!

She immediately teleported onto the chest, and she already had a feeling that it would be good. So, without waiting, she opened it.

“A sword…? No, it’s…”

And when she saw the Appraisal result of it, her eyes went wide.