Alan had a strange dream, stranger than most he had. Though to be fair, he barely remembered his dreams at the best of times, but as it was now, he was sure this one would stick because of how off it was. He was in a vast empty plane of gray desolate sand, upon which a glaring red sun shone down on everything it touched, making the air around him dry and barren. His normal clothes were gone and he seemed to be wearing only tattered rags of cloth that made his skin itch. There was no plant life around him that he could see, no animals either. Just sharp jagged rocks of mottled grays and black that acted like an unfunny approximation of trees and shrubbery around the area he found himself in. Directly in front of him was a large manor or some noble’s house. It was a broken, ugly thing with rusted gates of pitch black metal that barely closed off a house of dark gray stone, similarly pale planks of wood, and too many windows to count. Despite its decrepit state, it was an awe-inspiring building. Even as worn down as it was, it still towered over the house that the baron lived in. Two stone statues that were half crumbled stood perched on the posts of the gate, destroyed by time and weather perhaps. Or something more deadly. In a time long since past, they had maybe been majestic and terrifying, guarding the gates of the house. But now, they were only rubbled granite.
As soon as Alan took a single step forward though, reality shook around him and the dream ended abruptly. Alan woke up slowly, hissing as the pain of his wounds, which were not yet fully healed, made themselves known as a strange buzzing sound rang annoyingly in his head. A shadow appeared above him and he squinted upwards while trying to make his eyes focus, slowly but surely he was finally able to make out a womanly shape that was looming over him.
“Are you alright, do you have brain damage?”
Alan looked up and squinted.
“Battle Angel…?”
The girl, who was now fully in focus, gave him a deadpan stare before snorting.
“Nevermind, you seem fine to me. Master, kid’s awake.”
“Kid? We’re like…the same age by the Nines.” Alan grumbled as he sat up and furrowed his brow. There was something different about him. That was when he felt the weight of something on his neck. Touching it, he found a rosary necklace, where there was a bright red jewel in the center which was embedded into a silver cross. He was about to take it off, when a gruff older voice stopped him.
“Wouldn’t do that if I were you, kid. Unless you wanna go bloodcrazy again.”
Turning his head up, Alan spotted a man in his early forties, give or take a few years, leaning against a tree as he sipped from a small cup that held some kind of fragrant beverage.
Seeing his inquisitive glance, the man heaved a sigh and explained.
“When that vampire bit you, it infected you with a disease. On this continent it is known as Sanguinis Potante. Basically it was trying to turn you into a feral vampire like the one that attacked you. You’re lucky I’m a talented alchemist and jewelcrafter, otherwise you wouldn’t be so lucid. Never take that thing off unless completely necessary or until your level reaches 25 at least.”
Alan took in the information and frowned. While he was grateful the man had stopped him from turning into a monster, the fact that he had to reach Level 25 in order to take it off safely made him laugh outwardly. Yeah, good luck leveling up as a Flawed.
“Thanks…uh, sir? But I’m not initiated into the System, I can’t gain experience to cultivate or level up. I’m Flawed.”
The girl and the man shared a look and both frowned.
“Flawed? You mean because your Leyline isn’t elemental? That’s a rat’s tail of a thing to be called.” The girl said, mostly to herself.
“What do you mean, all Leylines are elemental.”
The man to the right of the girl just shook his head. “That’s the damn problem with this continent. Your so-called king keeps you in the dark about that truth. While it’s true that people born here can only become initiated to the System if they have an elemental Leyline, that only applies to the three major races here. Humans, Dwarves, and Elves. But tell me, do you hear that buzzing in your head?”
At Alan’s nod, the man continued.
“Focus on it, and push mana into it.”
Having nothing better to do, Alan did so and was blown away as his eyes went dim as he looked at something he only could see. Transparent blue boxes popped up on his vision. This was…no way it couldn’t be. But indeed it was. It was the System. But how? He got his answer straight away as he looked at the first box.
Imperial Decree imposed on Alan of Huddleburg. Initiation into System is not possible—
ERROR: Imperial Decree only applies to the three Races as per treaty.
Current Race: Vampire (F)
Initiating into the System.
…
So whatever this Imperial Decree was, it was what prevented him from becoming initiated. He didn;t know what the decree was all about, but given the name, it had to do with the king. That made him frown as he thought about the implications. If he was being restricted like this, then was everyone on the continent? But why, that was the question. Also, his race was changed to Vampire…that didn’t bode well but at least the rosary seemed to be doing its job. He didn’t look or feel like a monster at the very least.
Initiation complete. Importing basic knowledge.
10%...25%...90%...Complete.
Another notification popped up and Alan felt his head burn and feel like it was about to burst before the temporary pain subsided. WIthit came a new clarity on how to use the basic function of the System. ALan looked from the man to the girl and they just shrugged.
“Go ahead, do your first steps and whatever, then we can talk.” The man said as Alan went back to notifications and prompts that now seemed to rush in towards him.
Your Leyline is currently Curses.
Please select a Path from the following that have been selected for you based on a variety of factors, such as Race and Leyline. Think carefully, as in Lethoria, all choices have consequences.
Bloodrager
Common
Your rage boils your blood and blood fuels your power.
Bloodragers are powerful melee warriors that can sustain even the most grievous of wounds, so long as they keep fighting.
Starting Skills: Rage, Power Attack, Pain Resistance
+2 STR, +2CON, +3 END per Level, and +7 Free Attribute points
Red Thief
Uncommon
You sneak in the shadows, eyes on your prize. Like all types of thieves, you are proficient with daggers and light weapons. Unlike them however, your kills and heists are a work of art.
Starting Skills: Performative Dodge, Coup De Grace, Light Weapons
+4 DEX, +3 CHA per Level, and +7 Free Attribute points
Cruoromancer
Rare
Curses and blood combined, you have found a way to imbue attacks, skills, and created items with your blood to give them esoteric properties.
Turn a water spell viscous, make fire-attuned attacks bleed. The limits are up to your imagination.
Starting Skills: Blood Imbuement, Regeneration, Crimson Strike
+3 CON, +5 INT, +4 WIS per Level, and +5 Free Attribute points
Sanguine Magus
Rare
You forgo all melee abilities and turn to magic for everything, using your very blood as a catalyst to rain hell upon your foes.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Bend the very vital essence of life to your whims in strands of razor-sharp blood blades, or suffocate foes in orbs of red, coppery fluid.
Starting Skills: Aura of Garroting, Blood Magic, Hexcraft
+8 INT, +5 WIS per Level, and +7 Free Attribute points
Alan had four choices to make. It looked like it was a choice of a bruiser, a rogue-type, a hybrid, and a pure magic one. He immediately ruled out Red Thief. It looked like something a noble would take, and it didn’t fit with what he wanted to be. He wasn’t sure why he got that since he was an orphan, and he didn’t feel like following a path that gave Charisma. Next was Bloodrager.
While it would be nice, especially starting out since it gave a skill called Pain Resistance, it was overall a more fitting Path for a meathead. Alan was many things, but he was not some musclebound brute. He was more wiry than anything. So he dismissed that one as well. That left the next two choices to look over and consider.
Both Cruoromancer and Sanguine Magus had the added effect of being rare, meaning they gave a total of seventeen attribute points per level, as opposed to an uncommon only giving fourteen. So they were, by raw point count, better. Both were a type of caster Path, but there were major differences between the two.
Sanguine Magus looked to be about being a pure caster, having no melee or up-close abilities to speak of from what he could see. In exchange, it allowed for a greater control of blood-attuned magic skills and hexes, which from the knowledge he got from the System, were akin to things like making enemies attack slower or lowering their attributes, just to name a few applications. It also seemed like the Path was fueled by blood, whether it be his own or someone or something else’s. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, but the idea he was focused solely on blood made him turn to the other Path.
Cruoromancer was a mouthful of a name, it likely stemmed from an older dialect that was forgotten, but he knew that the ‘mancer’ part was common among paths. Even before he had gained access to the System he knew tales of Pyromancers and Necromancers. Unlike the other Paths he had been offered, this one was less about bruteforce or pure destruction and seemed to rely on suffusing items such as scrolls, vials, and weapons with his blood to give different properties to them and make them better, or at the very least, change the nature of them. He’d need to play around with it if he chose the Path.
Both Sanguine Magus and Cruoromancer were calling to him, both for pure attributes and for the abilities they granted. His Leyline was Curses, after all, so he would have an easier time with using hexes and similar skills and abilities than if he chose Bloodrager or Red Thief. It all came down to why he wanted to become a cultivator. He wanted to help out the kids in the orphanage, and that meant not only being strong but also having a robust set of skills that didn’t focus solely on combat. That’s why in the end, he chose Cruoromancer.
As soon as he selected the Path with a mental push, colorless energy seemed to pour into him as he shook in place, his meridians being manipulated and shifted to better fit the Path he had chosen. It felt like it took hours, but in reality it was only a few seconds. When it was done, Alan found himself breathing heavily as he looked over his notifications.
Congratulations, you are now a Level 1 Cruoromancer. Would you like to see your status page?
Mentally exhausted, Alan simply grunted and mentally commanded his page to pop up.
Name Alan of Huddleburg Race Level 1 Vampire (F) Path Level 1 Cruoromancer Profession N/A Leyline Curses Health 108 Mana 109 Stamina 107 Primary Attributes Strength 12 Dexterity 14 Constitution 13 Intelligence 16 Wisdom 11 Charisma 10 Secondary Attributes Perception 10 Endurance 9 Luck 1 Skills Blood Imbuement 1 Regeneration 1 Crimson Strike 1 Titles N/A
At the moment it was barebones, but he took a few minutes to inspect the three skills he had gained.
Blood Imbuement
Uncommon
Level 1
As a Cruoromancer, your blood is an important part of everything you do. When you craft items and use your blood as an ingredient, said items gain an increase to power and effectiveness. Amount of increase increases based on your Constitution and scales with the level of this skill.
Regeneration
Common
Level 1
Your body has gained the ability to recover from wounds faster than would be possible for a normal person. Your health regenerates faster, and works even in combat, albeit at a slower rate. Speed of regeneration and the types of injuries you can regenerate from increases based on Constitution and scales slightly with the level of this skill.
Crimson Strike
Rare
Level 1
You have found a way to harness your own vital energy as a weapon to attack. Sacrifice a portion of your health to gain an increase in an attack’s power. Enemies struck by this skill have a chance to be Sickened, reducing their attributes by 10%. Added damage and chance to inflict Sickened increases slightly per level of this skill. Cost increases slightly per level of this skill.
Cost: 20 Stamina, 20 Health
It was a rather nice set of skills if you asked him. One for crafting, one for defense, and one for offense. It was pretty balanced, which was exactly what he had planned for. Closing his status page, he finally looked up and noticed the two people from before were looking at him expectantly. Alan rose an eyebrow at them before he got the gist of what they wanted.
“Oh right, I guess you wanna know about my Path? Cruoromancer. Whatever that means.”
The older man rubbed his chin in thought before he spoke.
“Been about two decades since I’ve seen a Cruoromancer. It’s a good starting Path, though takes a bit to level up since not only is it balanced around crafting and fighting, but it's also rare. Still, nice job picking it. What else were you offered?”
“Red Thief, Sanguine Magus, and Bloodrager.”
“Hm…” The man said again as he rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow.
“Bloodrager and Sanguine Magus make sense, both are classes that revolve around blood, and given you’re a Vampire now they’d be common. But Red Thief? That’s usually one reserved for nobles, at least where I’m from. Not important though.”
The man shook his head before extending his hand lazily and taking a swig from a jug of something in his other hand.
“Name’s Suyao, Drunken Brawler.”
Alan shook the man’s hand, noting the man’s hands were extremely callous. He wasn’t sure what a Drunken Brawler was but it sounded like an alcohol-based fighter path, which made him push the thought to the side and ask about later. That’s when the girl spoke next, putting her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest, what little of it there was at least.
“And my name is Freya Kolbek. My Path? It’s a Skald!”
Alan furrowed his brow. Both of their names sounded foreign, which was honestly strange enough. But her class didn’t ring a bell.
“A scald?”
Freya puffed out her cheeks. “No, not like scalding water. Skald, you gotta put emphasis on the K in the name. As for what it does, it’s uh…”
She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. “Sort of a combination of Barbarian and Bard. My skills empower my attacks in tune with the beat of my singing and stuff like that. It’s a Strength and Charisma based class and all that.”
Alan slammed his fist against an open palm. “Ooh, that makes sense. I was wondering why you were singing like you popped out of a child’s folktale. Those gauntlets are really something, though I don’t see them on you now.”
Freya gave Alan a glare, which made him raise his hands in defeat, before she answered. “Aye, they’re family heirlooms passed down from my parents when I came of age. Jormun and Gandr they’re called. They boost my physical attributes by 25% and I can sacrifice Stamina to increase their size. I keep them sealed in my family necklace right here.”
She pulled out a glittering orange jewel hanging from a silver chain and ran her thumb across it.
“Supposedly, if I can reach the first evolution, the gauntlets will become a set of summonable armor as well, and boost my attributes from 25% to 30%. Though that’s a long ways away.”
Alan tilted his head at that.
“First evolution, isn’t that a fairytale?”
Freya and Suyao shared another look before the man responded with a slight groan.
“No kid, maybe on this backwater continent, but even you should know that the king here is a Level 199 Elemental Lord. The first evolution just means reaching Level 100.”
Alan stared blankly. Level 199? That was insane. He had thought at most the king would be Level 99.
“Why do you keep saying backwater and THIS continent? You make it sound like you’re from a far away land.”
Freya rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated huff of air.
“That’s because we are, pretty boy. I myself was born in the northern continent of Faegulgard. While Master over here is from Shenyi.”
The knowledge made Alan frown. Sure, he had known Shenyi existed since the kingdom was apparently at war with it, but other continents existed?
“Isn’t the king at war with Shenyi though, not that I have much loyalty to the kingdom mind you.”
Suyao nodded. “That’s part of why I came here. Tell me, do you know why the king declared war on Shenyi twenty years ago?”
Alan thought over the question. Did he? Now that he took the time to actually ask himself that question, he didn’t. All he knew was that the king had met with some representatives from Shenyi, and shortly after had declared war on them. He had thought that something bad had happened, but when he thought about it, nothing made sense.
“No, I don’t. Dammit, don’t tell me it has something to do with whatever the Imperial Decree was.”
Suyao’s only response was a big grin.