The Grade Evolution room wasn’t what I expected.

Inside the large room, a polished wooden floor stamped with a spiral pattern led to red painted walls tinged with gold at the edges. The middle of the room was empty, but old and expensive furniture decorated three of the corners, while the fourth corner contained a fully stocked bar.

This wasn’t a place for Tower Climbers to evolve themselves in. It was a parlor room.

First a washing machine as a gift and now this? I kept my expression neutral, but inwardly I was irritated by such a transparent attempt at manipulation. If Roan thinks he can bribe me like this, then he’s sorely mistaken.

Still, I studied the rest of the room in case I’d missed something important.

Chandeliers hung from a ceiling that contained several frescoes which caught my eye. As I continued to stare at them, the paintings began to shift. Armored knights of old would move back and forth as if in the midst of battle. The ones without helmets were the most captivating. The fear in the eyes of the losing side was palpable. As was the rage in those pressing their advantage. It almost felt like I was there.

A sense of dread creeped over me. I’d seen both expressions many times since entering the Tower. Hell, I’d worn both myself on several occasions. Usually it was something one only caught in brief glimpses. But here, they were eternally frozen in a conflict that would never end. It was a stark reminder of my own seemingly endless battle.

“Lucas?” Roan called.

He said my name like he’d already said it several times. I pulled my eyes away from the paintings and went to join him and Hugo.

They were both sitting on an ostentatious chaise lounge. Roan pointed to an ornate empty chair beside them.

I still didn’t care for the overfamiliarity, but it felt childish to remain standing.

Once I’d sat down, Roan gestured at the room and smiled like he was pleased with himself. “You like it?” he asked. “I’m told this was the height of luxury in your world.”

I found it to be gaudy and outdated.

“Did you pillage it from a 17th century nobleman?” I asked.

Roan’s smile dipped. “What, were you expecting a sterile all-white space like the aliens have in one of your science fiction movies? Because I can change it to that if this bothers you so much.”

He raised his hand up, ready to snap his fingers.

“No no, this is fine,” I hastily said.

He seemed oddly proud of this space, and my chair was comfortable. If we’re to discuss different choices, then this was as good a place as any.

Roan nodded and let the insult go. I was relieved. I’d let my big mouth get away from me. We weren’t here to argue about the décor. This process will only move as fast as he allows it to. The sooner I indulge him, the sooner Hugo and I can evolve.

“The furniture is very… nice,” I said.

Nice? Good one, Lucas. Looks like you missed your calling as an interior decorator.

Roan nodded again. “Yes, I think so too. I was lucky and managed to poach a few pieces before the System integration could destroy them. I took this room from a Russian oligarch who wasn’t using it anymore. Except for the frescoes. Those I brought with me from my homeland.”

I glanced back up at the paintings. Huh. I’d been so transfixed by their faces that I hadn’t noticed that the blades they held were of a strange design. There were more otherworldly details too. Like the one of them wearing a glowing amulet that spoke of magic. The emotion on their faces was so lifelike that I’d just ignored everything else.

It did beg the question of why bring such a thing so far from home?

This wasn’t just a Grade evolution room, or a bribe aimed at me and Hugo. This was a personal space for him. Was this his way of trying to open up to us?

“Did we really need to come here?” I asked. “Couldn’t we have evolved back in the apartment?”

Roan went to the bar to make himself a drink. He was unsure of what to pick and stared at the shelves lined with different bottles.

“No,” he replied. “The process can take a while and I wanted to be somewhere comfortable while it happens. Also, it is very difficult and time consuming to move the stones. I actually had to rebuild the whole room around them, so we’re committed to doing it here.”

“The stones?” Hugo asked.

Roan waved his hand behind himself while continuing to assess his liquor collection.

A large part of the center floor split in two and retracted back to reveal a large ring of connected stones on a platform. Each stone had a different symbol carved into it. The platform raised itself up until it was level with the rest of the floor.

“That still seems excessive,” I muttered.

“Evolving is a big deal, hence the sacred stones,” Roan said. “It’s one of the benefits of being a Climber.”

“Hmm, it could’ve used a smoke machine for a little more pizzazz, but I’ll take it,” Hugo said.

He jumped up and flew towards the stone ring.

“Hugo wait!” I shouted.

He landed inside the ring before I could stop him.

I cursed inwardly. I’d swear this bird had a death wish sometimes.

The symbols on the stones glowed blue and a yellow translucent barrier formed around the stone ring.

“Once somebody goes in, they can’t come out until the process is complete,” Roan said. “Don’t worry, he’s perfectly safe in there.”

“Didn’t you say something before about it being painful?” I asked.

“Wait, what pain?” Hugo squeaked.

“That’s only for some of the more extreme transformations. I’d recommend Hugo stay away from those anyway.”

“So no giant bird,” I told him.

“Aww, I never get to have any fun.”

[Grade Evolution Process Has Begun]

“What exactly is a Grade?” I asked.

Roan rubbed his chin as he thought about the best way to answer. “Think of your body like a balloon. The stats and abilities you receive are the water. Eventually there’s a point where you reach your limit. The balloon either bursts or halts growing. Evolving your Grade means replacing the flimsy rubber with a stronger material. That said, there should be some choices coming up that we should all see. Different choices will offer different benefits.”

[Hugo, Class: Psychopomp, Level: 93, Grade: F]

[You have three Grade Evolution choices. Choose wisely as this process cannot be undone once a decision has been made.]

“That sounds ominous,” Hugo said. “Lucas, I don’t like this. What if all the choices are weird? This thing could turn me into a magpie, or worse, a cat,” he shuddered.

“Or maybe a raven?” Roan joked.

Hugo gasped. “You take that back! Crows and Ravens have a long-standing rivalry. Everyone thinks ravens are so cool since Edgar Allen Poe gave them so much press. But we’re the smart ones.”

[Transition to Grade E has begun.]

[Here are your choices. Please note that all previous skills and abilities will be retained regardless of your choice.]

*Grade Evolution Path Identified!* [Path of the Steel Talon] – For those of the avian persuasion, this is an excellent choice if you want to get up close to the enemy. This path focuses on greatly enhancing Strength and Dexterity stats and abilities. It also provides Class upgrades in a similar vein. A great pick if you want to rip and tear your foes to shreds.

Contains:

+5% boost to your Strength

+10% boost to your Dexterity

Unlocks the Piercing Diver Ability

“Woah, this one sounds pretty good,” Hugo said.

Roan and I shook our heads.

“It doesn’t fit with your fighting style,” Roan said.

“Plus you hate it when you get blood on you,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but look at those stat boosts. Think about how much trouble I could avoid by increasing my dexterity that much.”

I looked at the path again. “Huh, I mean that is a lot of points. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing.”

Roan sensed he was losing me.

“How about we look at the other two options first before making any final decisions?” he asked.

“Fine,” Hugo huffed. “But first, what’s the Piercing Diver skill?”

Roan hesitated for a moment before explaining. “It allows bird races to build up enough speed when diving in the air that you become almost like a bullet. Your Constitution is temporarily buffed and you blast through enemies.”

Hugo’s eyes lit up. “Awesome!”

Roan shook his head. “No, not awesome. Stupid. There are so many ways it can go wrong. You can’t deviate from your path once you get going for one thing. You’re like a blind juggernaut when the ability is active. There are so many ways it can be exploited. Lucas, help me out here.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

There was something bugging me about the description of the path that Roan hadn’t mentioned yet.

“What are Class upgrades?” I asked.

“Oh, that’s something you’ll unlock after evolving your Grade. It’s a chance for you to change to a better Class or improve your pre-existing one.”

I pursed my lips.

“And when were you going to tell us this?” I asked, my voice edged with irritation.

He shrugged. “As soon as you asked, or it became relevant. There’s only one viable path for Hugo to take, so I wasn’t worried.”

Well I secretly was. Especially knowing how impulsive Hugo can be.

We moved on to look at the next path.

“Now this is the path that I think you should take,” Roan said.

*Grade Evolution Path Identified!* [Path of the Twilight Soul Dweller] – A path that many a mage and mystic have ventured down to try and unlock the secrets of the soul.

Contains:

+10% boost to your Willpower

+5% boost to your Perception

Unlocks the Arcane Core Shield Ability

I frowned. I couldn’t see it. While this was a magical path, Hugo’s current style was very different from this one. This one seemed to be as a great a deviation as the other while still being magic based. The description was also vague. I wondered about what exactly made this path so special and sought after.

“What’s the shield ability do?” asked Hugo.

“It’s a form of soul magic that would allow you to protect your spirit summons from spiritual attacks,” Roan said. “Those types of attacks do soul damage and have the potential to permanently destroy your spirit summons.”

This path makes sense as a choice then, but I still wasn’t sure if focusing on defense was the right move for Hugo. Especially for a niche area like soul magic that we’d yet to encounter. If Roan was pushing for Hugo to protect himself in this area, then the next question was obvious.

“Are we going to encounter soul magic on the next floor?” I asked him.

Roan remained impassive. “I can’t say. I can give you advice if you encounter such a force, but not before then. As a god, even one tied to the running of the Tower, I have to follow this rule. If I break it, then every other god can as well. Then they’ll be handing out the secrets like candy. It would defeat the whole purpose of training Climbers.”

“The fact that you’re favoring this path for me probably does mean we’ll face soul magic,” Hugo said, which surprised me. He was still paying attention. Under the boyish enthusiasm was someone who was taking this seriously and thinking about how a choice here could impact our future.

Roan grunted and gestured for Hugo to show us the final path option.

*Grade Evolution Path Identified!* [Path of the Spirit Keeper] – For those that wish to harness the spirits of the dead, this path will deepen your study of this discipline.

Contains:

+10% boost to your Intelligence

+5% boost to your Constitution

Unlocks the Spirit Vault Ability

“The Spirit Vault Ability is an upgrade to Hugo’s pre-existing Spirit Box,” Roan said, anticipating the obvious question. “You won’t need to physically touch the body of an enemy that you or Lucas have slain in order to claim them anymore. If one of your spirit summons is temporarily ‘killed’ for lack of a better term, you would then be able to supply them with magic in the vault to self-regenerate. There would also be space inside the vault for future upgrades, including the potential to turn it into a domain ability.”

“Yeah, I pick this one,” said Hugo.

I nodded. I had to agree this was far and away the best choice.

“Of course, too much soul damage to a spirit summon would still be permanently fatal,” Roan added pointedly. He took one look at our faces and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, these abilities aren’t always exclusive to a specific path. It is very possible to acquire a Spirit Vault after choosing the Soul Dweller path. I’m telling you that this—”

“Too late,” Hugo said.

He’d already selected the Spirit Keeper Path.

Roan grabbed the nearest bottle of brown liquor and poured himself a drink.

[New Class Options Available]

“Hey, what’s with the Class stuff and why don’t I feel any different?” Hugo asked.

“You won’t change until all your choices have been made. You’ve also unlocked new Classes to pick from,” Roan said. “Sometimes they’re better than what you have, sometimes it’s better to stick with what you’ve already got, and sometimes there’s an upgrade. Usually there’s a handful of options to sort through with one or two obvious frontrunners.”

[374 Class Options are now available]

“Oh wow, that’s a lot of choices,” I said.

“Yeah, is that good or bad?” Hugo asked.

In response, Roan opened the bottle of liquor again and poured until the liquid reached the rim of the glass.

**********

Hours passed. Every option has been read, considered, and then reconsidered. We go round and round in circles. None of us could agree on which Class Hugo should pick.

Roan is now lying on the chaise lounge. Several bottles of booze lay nearby. Some empty, some still waiting to be consumed.

I’m still sitting in the chair, though now I leaned forward with my head resting in one hand. Periodically, I would get up and pace back and forth to stretch my legs. This deliberation was insufferable. Worse still, was that Roan kept offering me drinks, which were getting harder and harder to refuse.

Hugo appeared immune to the effects of time and was just as bright eyed as ever when he said, “what about the Chainbreaker Class?”

Roan and I groaned.

“We’ve been over this,” I said. “It’s better to steer clear of the physical Classes. I’ll handle that side of things while you focus on the spirit stuff. That way we both play to our strengths.”

“Okay,” he said, sounding entirely unconvinced.

Roan blindly fished for a fresh bottle and knocked over some of the empty ones. He cursed when one of them broke.

“I’ve never seen someone this indecisive,” Roan grumbled. “Usually the Climber will have an intuitive sense that tells them what the right choice should be.”

Would that there was a patience stat we could level up right now.

I glanced at the crow, who had a faraway look in his eyes as he scanned the list. “Yeah, trust me when I say that you don’t want Hugo making any snap decisions.”

“It has to be perfect,” Hugo muttered.

Neither of us responded to that. I mean, what was there left to say? Each of us had suggested a Class that one or the other two shot down. Hugo wanted a more diverse set of powers and kept suggesting Classes that moved away from his current power set.

After the path he’d chosen, I doubled down on it and wanted him to pick a direct upgrade to his current Class. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. There wasn’t an option called Psychopomp 2 to select. Every choice had a unique name and a description that required digging through just to learn what the Class offered.

There were over thirty Classes that referred to using spirits. None of them listed any of the Skills or Abilities that could be gained from them.

While I knew this might be difficult, I had to say I was a little surprised at how quickly Roan had become frustrated.

“I thought you knew that this process could take a while,” I said to him.

“When I said that, I was picturing it taking an hour for both of you.” He snorted. “Like this would be simple. ‘Sponsor a Tower Climber,’ they said. ‘It’ll be fun,’ they said. ‘It’ll challenge you,’ they said.”

I shot him a sharp look. “Are you drunk?”

Roan blinked and sat up just long enough to take another swig from a bottle. “I’m getting there. I’m not used to staying in one place on such a mundane task for so long. You might think that by being an immortal god that everything slows down and that you gain endless patience, but it's just the opposite. Everything speeds up as I move around the cosmos. It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed so still.”

“Who told you that sponsoring tower climbers was a good idea?”

He smiled with a look of longing. “The Plenathian sisters. We’ve had an ongoing intimate liaison for quite some time and… Oh goddamn it!”

Roan shot up and pulled a potion out of his inventory. He downed it and then scrunched up his face in disgust.

“Those things never get easier to drink,” he muttered.

“What was that?” I asked.

“Instant soberfication potion. I still don’t feel great, but at least my head is clear.”

“No, I was asking about the realization you just had.”

“Oh that. I just realized that I got played.”

“Happens to the best of us,” I quipped.

“Damn straight. Been a while since it’s happened to me though. They pushed the idea of sponsoring a tower Climber. Before, I’d rarely seen the point. Tried it once, a long time ago. It turned out to be more like babysitting duty, not unlike now.”

“Well, don’t let us keep you,” I said. “If there’s something important comes up, we’ll use the chat function.”

“Nah, I can’t go back empty-handed. Now that I’m here, I’m committed. If you fail now, then I’ll never live it down. Plus, it would embolden the other gods to move against me more than they are already. No, the only way to beat the sisters is to have it backfire on them.”

“How are you going to do that?” Hugo asked.

His eyes twinkled. “I'm going to make you two the best Climbers in the Tower whether you like or not.”

Why does that sound so ominous?

“Of course, I still have to figure out why they wanted me out of the way in the first place,” he continued. “Damn, you think you know people.”

“Wow, life must be so hard for you,” Hugo said sarcastically.

Roan clapped his hands together so suddenly that we both jumped. “You’re right,” he said. “No more complaining. We’ll show them all how wrong they are. So, how far how you narrowed the Class choices down to?”

I’d honestly lost track at this point.

“Hugo?” I asked.

“Forty-seven,” the crow replied.

“Please tell me he’s joking.”

I shrugged. “Most of them are magic Classes and a lot of them let Hugo keep his current abilities, making the choice harder. Like Pyromancer would allow him to give himself and his summons control over fire, or Ghostwalker that allows Hugo to become incorporeal and move through solid objects. There are a lot of uses we could think of for either ability.”

“What about Thanaturge,” Roan said. “Pick that one.”

I frowned and scrolled through the list until I found it and rolled my eyes. It was literally the first option on the list. I said as much, and Hugo agreed.

“That’s just being lazy,” Hugo accused.

“It’s a direct upgrade to your current Class,” Roan said.

“Why didn’t you suggest it sooner?” I asked.

“Because you wouldn’t have believed me then. You needed to exhaust other possibilities and tire yourselves out before I led you to the water. I just didn’t think it would take this long.”

I didn’t like to admit it, but he did have a point. We would have been far more skeptical if he’d suggested at the start.

I scrolled up through the list and looked at the first option.

*New Class Option Identified!* [Thanaturge] – Much like how a Thaumaturge works with miracles, a Thanaturge works with death. While a Psychopomp is a keeper of the dead and a spiritual guide, a Thanaturge claims dominion over spirits. They mold them into whatever they desire.

“It’s still kind of vague,” Hugo complained.

Roan shrugged. “Fine. Keep looking then. But you should know that others have already made it down to the next floor. They’re starting quests, finding unique one-of-a-kind items, and slaying special monsters as we speak.” He feigned a look of concern. “I do hope there’s something left for you two by the time you get down there.”

Hugo looked at me for guidance. “Lucas?”

I tapped my finger against the armrest as I reviewed the other spirit Classes, before I made my decision.

“Your current Class has been incredibly powerful so far,” I said. “A direct upgrade would be even more so. I think he might be right and that you should pick Thanaturge, but ultimately, the decision rests with you.”

Hugo nodded, and we fell silent.

After a couple of minutes, I gave up hope and sighed. He was still undecided. This was going to take all day.

Then the message appeared under Hugo’s stats.

*DING!* You have been upgraded to the Thanaturge Class*

*DING!* You have gained [Spectral Touch (Uncommon)] – You now have the ability to absorb spiritual energy and deploy a ghostly hand to manipulate the physical space beyond your normal reach.

*DING!* You have gained [The Bell Toll (Rare)] – This is a psychic attack that forms a hundred meter radius around you. It magnifies the fear other creatures and sentient beings have for their mortality and causes them to panic. Note: some beings will have ways of protecting themselves from this ability and other extenuating circumstances will alter its effectiveness.

*DING!* You have gained [Spirit Vault (Legendary)] – The Vault is not merely a repository for spirits, it is your workshop. There, you can not only heal the spirits you control but also experiment with them. At the basic level, these spirits are still magical constructs. As your study of them in the Vault deepens, so too will your ability to alter and improve upon their design.

The barrier around the rings disappeared. Despite looking the same, Hugo zipped out of there like a new bird.

“Oh yeah! This boost feels amazing. I can feed so much magic into my summons now!”

It was great news as we would no longer have to worry as much about when to deploy his spirits now that he could simply heal them in his Spirit Vault. Spectral Touch and The Bell Toll would also have great uses. The former with Hugo’s ability to spy and the latter with crowd control.

I’d wanted him to wait until we got to the new floor to test these abilities, but a green skeletal ghostly hand appeared in front of Hugo. It then floated across the room to the bar before fading away.

“Is its range limited?” I asked.

The bird shook his head. “The further it went from me, the more magic I needed to use to sustain it. I’m saving what I have left for the next floor. We can experiment once we’re in a safe place down there.”

Wow, that was a very mature decision. I was impressed.

Roan looked at me. “Your turn.”

I felt nervous as I approached the ring. My current Class wasn’t exactly a pretty one, and I’d already seen it turn one person into a complete monster. This might be my opportunity for a fresh start. Roan couldn’t complain. He’d have to support me no matter what. Plus if I switched away from Blood Reaver, then Yakeshi wouldn’t have a reason to come after me.

I took a deep breath.

Yes, let’s weigh the options and see if there’s a way for me to get stronger that doesn’t put so much of a target on my back.

I stepped into the ring. The stones glowed, and the barrier formed.

I waited, but no System message appeared.

Roan frowned. “This is peculiar. I’m not seeing any options here. I don’t know why its not working.”

“That shouldn’t be happening,” Hugo said, sounding concerned.

“Don’t panic,” Roan replied. “Just step out of the circle and we’ll try it again.”

I put my hand out, but the barrier wouldn’t go down. I was trapped in here.

Roan’s frown deepened. “Okay, maybe panic a little.”