James made his choice, floating in the vast expanse of the white void. The System's windows winked out one after the other. His heart, if it existed in this place, pounded with anticipation and a trace of apprehension. The moment he confirmed his decision, the serene atmosphere of the void shattered, replaced by an intense, all-consuming force that gripped him in its maw.
Where becoming a Psychic Juggernaut had been painful and profound, transforming into an Ethereal Champion was nothing short of cataclysmic. It began with a sensation of being torn from the inside out, as if his essence was being unraveled and examined by the System's unfathomable processes. Pain, raw and unyielding, coursed through what he perceived to be his body, though he had no physical form in this place. It was a pain of rebirth, breaking down the old to make way for the new.
James wanted to scream, to release the agony that enveloped him, but the process was so swift, so overwhelming, that his scream was more a construct of his mind than a sound that could echo in the void. His consciousness, tethered to the core of his being, bore witness to the transformation with horrified fascination.
His brain split open. His psionic abilities, once fledgling and confined to the realms of telekinesis and budding telepathy, were now being reforged into something far beyond his previous comprehension. In its inscrutable wisdom, the System dissected and enhanced every facet of his psychic prowess, expanding his brain capacity to several times its former size and infusing his very essence with a power that felt alien and intimately familiar.
Ethereal power, the essence of his new Talent, flowed through him like a river breaking through a dam he hadn’t known existed. It was a force that transcended the physical, tapping into the very fabric of reality itself. James could feel the boundaries of his mind stretching, touching concepts that he could have never hoped to grasp before.
Though it lasted only moments in the timeless expanse of the System's domain, the process felt like an eternity to James. Every second was a lifetime of pain and transformation, of being broken down to his most fundamental components and rebuilt into something greater, something purer.
And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the ordeal was over. James found himself "standing" once more in the serene whiteness of the void, panting from exertion and the residual pain of his rebirth. The agony subsided quickly, leaving him invigorated and a profound, almost overwhelming sense of mightiness.
He took a moment to acclimate to his new state of being, to understand the depth and breadth of the changes he had undergone. His telekinesis, once a mere extension of his will, now felt like an integral part of his soul, capable of feats far beyond his previous limits. His telepathy, too, had evolved. Despite there being no one to turn it loose on, he could tell that he'd be able to go much further into someone's mind, and comparably, the damage he could inflict was much more significant.
The increase in his brain capacity was perhaps the most disorienting change. Thoughts, ideas, and memories flowed through his mind with startling clarity and speed, allowing him to process information at a rate he would have found unimaginable before. It was as if the fog that had once clouded his mental landscape had been lifted, revealing a horizon that stretched into infinity.
Memories he had believed lost to the eddies of time were now open for his perusal. James knew he'd spend a long time reviewing them, especially concerning his parents. But now was not the time. He had something else to do first.
Satisfied for the moment with the understanding of his transformation, James turned his attention to the next step in his evolution. The System, ready as always, floated a new prompt before him, inviting him to begin the Skill rank-up selection. With a calm resolve, he accepted, ready to explore the new horizons his rank as an Ethereal Champion had opened.
As you have chosen the "Ethereal Champion" Talent, your Skill Evolution options have been updated.
Psychic Omniscience Evolution Options: Astral Beacon: This skill elevates Psychic Omniscience to a new level, allowing you not only to perceive everything in an area but also to leave a part of your consciousness anchored to a specific location. This enables you to maintain a constant sensory connection to that place, regardless of physical distance. It's particularly useful for surveillance, early warning systems, or maintaining a strategic overview of multiple locations simultaneously.
This sounds good. It is a straight-up increase in power and would provide a new capability. It would allow me to keep an eye on grandma and grandpa or set traps in dungeons.
Eidetic Echo: Enhancing your sensory abilities, you can now capture a "snapshot" of the psychic and magical energies in a given area at a specific moment. This skill allows you to analyze the residual energies and events, even long after they've occurred, providing invaluable insights into past actions, magical disturbances, or psychic residues. It's akin to having a psychic replay of an area's recent history.
Hmmm… This is good, too. It's all high-quality skills once you start getting into the upper ranks. Damn, this would be very useful to figure out stuff. I'd be able to know if a trap has been set, and I could probably replay secretive meetings, too.
Empathic Resonance: This skill amplifies James's ability to perceive not just the physical and magical aspects of his surroundings but also the emotional and psychological states of beings within his area of perception. Empathic Resonance can be used to understand motives, predict actions, and influence or calm hostile entities by directly engaging with their emotional wavelengths.
This is the first that I'm not interested in. It sounds like it does some of what Mental Assault does, but not as well. It would allow me to free up a slot, but it's not worth the loss of power there. As much as I would like Astral Beacon, Eidetic Echo is just too good. I could expand my range more and not need the first, while the second is irreplaceable.
Mentally accepting the prompt, James breathed out. He could always spend his life regretting his choices with hindsight, but in the present, he'd be decisive. He'd face whatever came his way head-on.
Psychic Overload Evolution Options: Mindforge Mastery: Building upon Psychic Overload, Mindforge Mastery allows you to temporarily amplify your psionic abilities to extreme levels at the risk of more significant physical and mental strain. Unlike Psychic Overload, which broadly boosts your capabilities, Mindforge Mastery can be finely tuned to specific abilities, dramatically enhancing telekinesis, psychic attacks, or defensive shields for brief periods.
Now, this is a good one. If I could use it to boost specific skills temporarily… Damn, that'd be scary. Just thinking of a psychic attack enhanced this way makes me excited. It would probably be enough to render even the strongest minds brain-dead.
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Ethereal Surge: This skill focuses on using the Psychic Overload principle to breach the boundaries between physical and ethereal, granting you an increased temporary ability to phase through objects, become intangible to avoid damage, or even interact with non-physical entities. It's a powerful augmentation that offers both offensive and defensive capabilities, extending the Talent's signature ability for longer.
My gut tells me this is good, too. I haven't had the opportunity to choose the signature skill yet, but it must be powerful. A longer duration sounds helpful, but I could probably achieve that with Mindforge. Not enough.
Psycho-Kinetic Amplification: Leveraging the concept of breaking one's limits, this skill enhances your telekinetic abilities. For a short duration, your telekinesis becomes vastly more powerful, allowing you to manipulate heavier objects, exert finer molecular-level control, or generate telekinetic waves that can serve as a shield and weapon. This skill requires intense concentration and can leave you physically drained, making timing and strategic use crucial.
Again, it is a skill to enhance another skill. I can see how one could build an entire battle style around it, so it's definitely useful, but it's not for me. I like having multiple options, and while telekinesis is good, it's not always enough. Mindforge Mastery it is. Next!
Adaptive Resistance Evolution Options: Elemental Stockpile: This advanced form of Adaptive Resistance enables you to not only become resistant to elemental damages (fire, ice, electricity, etc.) but also to absorb a fraction of that energy and redirect it. The more exposure you have to a specific element, the more proficient you become at harnessing it for your use, turning your enemies' strengths into advantages.
Interesting. This wouldn't necessarily expand my repertoire, but it would allow me to leverage my resistance in specific situations. I like it.
Psychic Mirror: Expanding on the concept of resistance, Psychic Mirror allows you to develop temporary immunity against psychic and mental attacks. Furthermore, it enables you to reflect these attacks back at the assailant, turning their own mental assaults against them. This skill evolves with repeated exposure, enhancing its reflective capabilities.
No. This one sounds good on paper, but it's too limited. I have found psychic abilities outside of my own only a handful of times, and dedicating an entire skill to defending against them when I can already do so on my own seems like a waste.
Mana Absorption: This skill allows you to become resistant to various forms of magical damage by slowly integrating that mana into your reserves. Over time, it mitigates the damage from specific magical attacks. It allows you to learn to repurpose absorbed mana, enhance spells, or even use it to fuel your other psychic abilities.
Ding Ding Ding. This is the winner. Stockpile is good, but it doesn't hold a candle to this. I'll be unstoppable if I can begin stealing my opponents' mana.
Willpower Projection Evolution Options: Void Grasp: Evolving from simple telekinesis, Void Grasp allows you to manipulate space to exert force on objects and enemies. You can create pockets of intensified pressure to immobilize foes or generate areas of repulsion to protect yourself. This skill can also be finely tuned to manipulate objects at almost any scale, allowing for unprecedented control and versatility in combat.
Uuuh. This is cool. Basically a better Projection, that also allows me to focalize my telekinesis. I might have to pick this one.
Etheric Manipulation: This skill allows you to emit and manipulate a new, powerful energy. The Ether permeates all realms, thus retaining its telekinetic capabilities but expanding them on new planes. Etheric Manipulation can disrupt magical constructs, push back enemies with sheer force, or allow for complex operations from afar. Its unique interaction with matter makes it particularly effective against entities that exist partially out of phase with the physical world.
Oh. Alright. This is basically what I tried to do when I first started experimenting with mana manipulation. I ended up with the corrosive mana, so it was a success. But who knew it would pop up once again? Also, being able to manipulate etheric energies is a must, considering my Talent. I'd need to experiment a lot since it would be a new addition, but I already made my choice during the Talent selection.
Kinetic Redirection: This advanced form of Willpower Projection allows you to absorb, store, and redirect kinetic energy encountered in battle. Whether it's a physical blow, a falling structure, or a projectile, you can nullify the incoming force and repurpose it as a powerful telekinetic attack, effectively turning your enemies' momentum against them.
Nah. It's not good enough compared to the others. I'm undecided because Void Grasp looked cool, but Etheric Manipulation is necessary for my Talent.
Mental Assault Evolution Options: Soul Rend: An advanced form of mental assault, Soul Rend targets the essence of an enemy, bypassing conventional mental defenses. This attack can leave foes disoriented and severely weakened or, in cases of extreme application, cause soul fragmentation. It's a daunting ability that reflects your status as an Ethereal Champion, capable of waging war on multiple planes.
That's what I'm talking about, baby.
Eclipse of Reason: This skill inflicts a deep cognitive dissonance, casting shadows of doubt in the minds of enemies. You can manipulate your opponents' fears, insecurities, and hidden desires, turning them against themselves or even causing them to flee in terror. Eclipse of Reason exploits the ethereal connection between mind and soul, making it a potent weapon.
It's a cool name, but it's just a better Mental Assault. It's a no from me.
Astral Storm: You can unleash a maelstrom of psychic energy that assaults the minds of all caught within its grasp. This storm not only causes direct mental damage but also distorts the victims' perceptions of reality, potentially trapping them in their nightmares.
Eeeh. The range would be good, but it depends on whether I can exclude people. Otherwise, I'd hurt my teammates, too. Anyway, no. Soul Rend it is. It's an excellent way to start working on Soul magic, and it sounds very nasty.
Mana Manipulation Evolution Options: Elemental Convergence: This skill elevates your ability to manipulate mana by allowing you to merge different elemental energies into new, unpredictable forms. Whether creating blasts of steam by combining fire and water or generating magnetic fields through the fusion of earth and air, Elemental Convergence provides a versatile arsenal of elemental attacks that can be adapted to any situation.
Nope. Again, it would mean expanding too much, and it's well-known that having too many elements means they are all weaker than having one or two.
Ethereal Leech: An advanced form of mana manipulation, Ethereal Leech enables you to drain not only the magical energy from his surroundings but also to siphon the ethereal essence of his foes. This ability replenishes your strength while weakening your enemies, making it a critical skill for prolonged engagements. The ethereal essence harvested can be used to fuel your reserves and also provide a minor regeneration effect.
Regeneration sounds good. I passed up on it the last time since I was becoming a more ranged fighter, but considering the damage I keep doing to myself, it would be helpful.
Nether Corruption: Building upon his mastery of corrosive mana, Nether Corruption allows you to imbue your surroundings with a mana that corrupts the essence of matter and energy it touches. This skill can degrade magical defenses, weaken structural integrity, and even disrupt the flow of mana in an area.
So, it's a skill for my corrosive mana. I have no doubt that it would be good, but it's already so powerful I have trouble handling it. Any more, and it might start doing unacceptable collateral damage. No, let's go with Ethereal Leech.
Having completed the skill evolution, James turned to the last window waiting for his input.