Emerging from the portal on the other side of the temple, Lily stepped into pure darkness, the light from the gateway quickly fading behind her, sealing her exit and cutting off all paths of return. The silence enveloped her – a stark contrast to the chaos of battle she had left behind. For a moment, she allowed herself to ponder the fate of the sword-wielding statue.
I hope he’s ok, she bit down on her lip, shaking her head. The statue had saved her life, but now, she had more important things to worry about. The weight of her journey quickly reclaimed her focus, and the realization that she now finally possessed a class of her own sparked a surge of excitement within her.
Activating her Sphere of Perception to ensure her immediate safety, Lily saw, through the familiar sense, a beacon in the enveloping darkness. Then, she summoned the information she was looking for. The text that appeared before her eyes was both expected and, to an extent, astonishing:
Name: Liliana Claudia
Race: Human
Age: 13
Primary Class: Alchemist Lv. 1
This, with the addition of her class, heralded the beginning of a new chapter. And more followed.
[Extended Status Unlocked.]
[You can now access the following: Skills Info, Classes Info.]
[You have unlocked a Secret Class Perk!]
The first two notifications were anticipated, something she had studied before—a standard that everyone was subjected to. But the third, the mention of a Secret Class Perk, was a curveball that left her reeling. This was uncharted territory, a revelation that not even Hadrian had prepared her for. The concept of a Secret Class Perk was alien to her, seemingly an anomaly in the system.
[Secret Class Perk: Professions]
[You have unlocked Professions!]
[You can choose your first Profession among the five basic ones.]
[Blacksmith: Mastery over metal and fire. As a Blacksmith, you can forge weapons, armor, and various tools. Enhance your creations with magical properties to make them stronger, more durable, and imbued with elemental powers.]
[Potionmaker: The art of brewing magical concoctions. Potionmakers are skilled in creating potions that can heal, enhance physical and mental abilities, or cause harm to others. Understanding the subtle blend of ingredients is key to mastering this profession.]
[Enchanter: Enchanters imbue objects with magical properties. Whether it's a piece of jewelry, a weapon, or a piece of armor, enchanters can enhance these items with spells for protection, strength, or other mystical effects. The complexity and power of the enchantments grow with your skill.]
[Artisan: Craftsmanship of the highest order. Artisans create beautiful and functional items, from exquisite jewelry to intricate mechanical devices. Their work is not only practical but also highly sought after for its aesthetic value.]
[Tailor: Masters of fabric and fashion. Tailors craft garments and armor that are both beautiful and battle-ready. With the right materials, they can weave magical properties into the clothes, offering protection and other benefits to the wearer.]
What the hell is this? Lily’s eyes went wide.
She stood amidst the darkness, her heart racing with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. The window before her displayed options that blurred the lines between classes and professions in a way that contradicted everything she had learned. She knew, as clear as the stars in the night sky, that Blacksmith, Potionmaker, Enchanter, Artisan, and Tailor were classes, not... Professions. Yet, here they were, presented as separate paths she could embark on. This sparked a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind.
"Why are these classes labeled as professions?" she whispered to herself, her voice a faint echo in the vast emptiness.
Her finger hovered over the options, tempted to make a selection, but she hesitated. Deep within, she knew this was a pivotal moment, one that could very well shape her destiny. The allure of exploring these professions was strong, but the wisdom inherited from Hadrian and her father, Lucianus, urged caution. "I mustn't rush this decision," she thought, her resolve hardening. "There could be secrets hidden within these walls: something Alchemists left behind that could tell me more about professions."
With a deep breath, Lily turned away from the window of light and its inviting choices, her determination set on uncovering more about this ancient temple. She couldn't shake the feeling that there were no coincidences in her path, especially not here.
"No murderous statues this time, I hope," she muttered with a hint of humor in her voice to lighten the heavy silence that surrounded her.
Her focus then shifted as she summoned another window, this one detailing her current skills. The list that unfurled before her was extensive – a testament to the trials she had faced and the growth she had achieved. Lily first saw the very first skill that she had ever acquired.
[{Master} Mana Sense - Level 35]
[Sphere of Perception (Perk): because of your great proficiency and experience with Mana Sense during combat, you can now see through your Mana Sense in a sphere radius around you.
A skill she acquired barely a week after birth, the same that had given her her arguably favorite Perk, Sphere of Perception. It allowed her to sense her surroundings in a radius defined by her Mana, and also to move around easily in the dark and fight with more awareness. She smiled, reminiscing about the journey, from those first cries as a newborn to the skilled warrior she had become. "From the very beginning, huh?" she mused, the simplicity of the memory a stark contrast to the complexity of her current reality.
Then, Lily felt her heart skip a beat while she read the second skill.
[Light Magic - Level 0]
Light Magic had been the second skill Liliana had ever mastered, a testament to her innate talent that predated even her proficiency in Mana Shaping. This was nurtured under the watchful eyes of her mother—a time when Lily basked in the warmth of praise and still somehow believed in the depth of maternal love. Those days were filled with a brightness that rivaled the magic she used to wield, but it didn’t last long. Back then, she still treated Adriana’s approval like the sun shining over the darkness in her universe.
However, as the seasons of her life changed, so too did the nature of their bond. Lily began to discern the unsettling truth that her mother's affection was conditional, tethered closely to her magical prowess rather than the essence of who she was as a person. It was a painful realization, the understanding that her value in her mother's eyes was measured not by her existence but by her excellence. The unconditional love she yearned for was overshadowed by a relentless pursuit of perfection, leaving Lily to grapple with the notion that her worth was only synonymous with her achievements.
This dawning of harsh reality marked the beginning of a rift between them, a chasm that had widened by unmet expectations and the absence of genuine emotional connection. Lily couldn't comprehend how her mother, the woman who should have been her fiercest advocate, seemed incapable of offering the unconditional support and love that should be inherent in a bond between a parent and a child.
The presence of Light Magic in her list of skills, now conspicuously marked at Level 0, served as a poignant reminder of this complex relationship. Following the ritual she performed on Elysium—a moment that should have been a pinnacle of her early journey—Lily believed she had lost this skill entirely. It was a loss that seemed to symbolize the final severance of her bond with her mother, too. To discover it still listed, albeit without a level, was both baffling and unsettling. It raised questions about the nature of skills and the indelible marks they left on a person, even when their visible manifestations had faded.
Lily was left to ponder her abilities and the memories they carried, standing at the junction of her past and her future, contemplating the shadows that Light Magic had cast in the recesses of her heart.
Then, after memories had hurt her just enough to remind her that she was still alive, she moved on, looking at some of the minor skills she had learned next.
[Running - Level 77]
[Full-Body Combat - Level 47]
[Flexibility - Level 27]
Lily had shrugged at those abilities. They had seemed interesting at the time, but she hadn't considered them as important as the rest. Perhaps one day, she would need to master Full-Body Combat, but as even Hadrian had remarked, she would need an actual teacher of martial arts to do so—something she didn’t know where to find.
So, she only looked at the main skills on the list.
[{Master} Mana Sense - Level 35]
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[Sphere of Perception (Perk): because of your great proficiency and experience with Mana Sense during combat, you can now see through your Mana Sense in a sphere radius around you.
[Light Magic - Level 0]
[Minor Heal - Level 0]
[Mana Shaping- Level 89]
[Divine Geometry - Level 8]
[Lesser Mandala of Medicine - Level 0]
[Meditation - Level 99]
[Seven Worlds of the Soul - Level 100 (Locked)]
[{Master} Death Touch - Level 15]
[Pestilence Purge (Double–Perk): Exponentially increased efficacy and efficiency against diseases caused by pathogens. Attention: this is a shared Perk between [Death Touch] and [Lesser Mandala of Eradication]. Choosing this Perk resulted in no additional Perk being offered for Lesser Mandala of Eradication.]
[{Master} Lesser Mandala of Eradication - Level 38]
[Inferior Mandala of the Black Rain - Level 34]
[Alchemic Constitution - Level 18]
[Necrotic Restoration - Level 65]
[Wraithform - Level 78]
“Quite the list,” Lily muttered with a smile, searching for the enchanted torch in her ring.
With the flick of her wrist, it lit up, its glow piercing the overwhelming darkness of the ancient temple. Shadows danced across the walls, revealing intricate carvings of a time long forgotten. The eerie silence was a stark contrast to the chaos of her thoughts as she looked deeper into her skill inventory.
For the first time, Lily was able to view all her skills simultaneously, a feat previously beyond her reach. Among the formidable abilities that had shaped her journey, she found herself bemused by the presence of seemingly trivial skills. [Sewing - Level 1] stared back at her, its simplicity almost mocking amidst the rest. She chuckled softly, the sound echoing in the vast chamber. "Guess everyone needs to mend their cloaks," she mused, her humor a brief respite from the gravity of her quest. The armor her father had gifted her made some metallic sounds as she spasmed in laughter, probably lost in what was a minor mental breakdown.
Standing straighter and shaking her head, she looked at a few others.
[Basic Cooking - Level 1] brought back memories of a disastrous attempt at making stew, the taste so foul it could turn a stomach of steel. [Stone Skipping - Level 1], a skill acquired on a rare day of leisure by a serene lake with her father, its calm surface a stark contrast to the turmoil that awaited her.
Then, she finally opened her Classes Info.
Primary Class: Alchemist Lv. 1
Secondary Class: N/A
Profession: N/A
Attributes:
Physical Augmentation: Strength 1, Speed 1, Toughness 1
Magical Enhancement: Power 1, Control 1, Regeneration 1
Reservoir: Vitality 1, Mana 1, Stamina 1
Mental Attributes: Focus 1, Perception 1, Charisma 1
But as soon as Lily opened the Classes Info, she received a new series of notifications in her mind that she had never known existed, similar to her ‘Profession.’
[Common Feat – Baby, Don’t Hurt Me. You survived great physical pain at an early age! Congratulations on completing a Physical Augmentation Feat. You gain a permanent +5 to Toughness]
[Rare Feat - Early Bird Gets the Worm. You earned your first skill before one year of age. Congratulations on completing a Mental Attributes Feat. You earn +50 to Perception and Focus.]
[Rare Feat - That’s Real Magic, Girl. You learned magic before one year of age. Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +50 to Power and Control.]
[Epic Feat - Thine Be the Magic. You leveled a magical ability above level 25 before one year of age. Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +100 to Power, Control, and Regeneration.]
[Common Feat - Alphabetized. You learned to read before one year of age! Congratulations on completing a Mental Attributes Feat. You earn +5 in Perception.]
[Common Feat - The Cure. You learned healing magic before getting a Class! Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +5 in Power and Control.]
[Rare Feat - Be Well Again. You leveled a healing magic skill to {Master} before getting a Class! Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +50 in Power and Control.]
[Rare Feat - Words of Power. You learned the ancient art of Mandalas before getting a Class! Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +50 in All Magical Enhancement Attributes.]
[Common Feat - You’re So Dead. You learned death magic before getting a Class! Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +5 in Power and Control.]
[Rare Feat – Death-onator. You leveled a death magic skill to {Master} before getting a Class! Congratulations on completing a Magical Enhancement Feat. You earn +50 in Power and Control.]
Lily skipped forward with her eyes, seeing two Feats at the bottom that caught her attention.
[Legendary Feat - The Survival Guide to Dimensional Traveling for Dummies. You came from a world without magic and had to adapt to survive—you’re still alive, so… Congratulations on completing a Legendary Feat. You gain +200 in all Attributes!]
And then, the last one.
[Divine Feat - I’d rather die and suffer, GOD; this is my soul. For the first time in eons, someone defied the tempting and deceitful offer from a God. You earn a Divinity Shard.]
[Divinity Shard of Rebelliousness - Choose one of the following permanent changes.]
[By choosing a Divinity Shard of Rebelliousness, you can only accept future Divinity Shards with affinity to Rebelliousness.]
Lily paused. She had no idea what a Feat was. Hadrian had not mentioned it. She had never seen a mention of it in her studies either. And she was pretty sure that even her mother would be decent enough to tell her about something that would apparently grant her hundreds of free Attributes. The notion of Feats, particularly those ascribed to her, suggested that her path as an Alchemist was not merely unique but woven with threads of destiny far beyond the ordinary.
“Fuck,” she swore under her breath. “Hadrian why do you have to be dead when I need you,” she felt herself choke before deciding to switch her attention to the Divine Shard of Rebelliousness. “Let’s see,” she coughed back the tears.
[Skill Amplification: Choose one skill. This skill now levels up twice as fast, and its effectiveness is increased by 300%.]
[Aura of Defiance: Lily emits an aura that passively reduces the effectiveness of enemy spells and abilities by 20% within a certain radius.]
[Divine Insight - Gain the ability to perceive and locate magical and physical threats before they manifest. ATTENTION: If you choose Divine Insight, it will merge with your Perk Sphere of Perception, removing the Perk and turning both into a new Skill - Reality’s Whisper.]
[Divine Resilience: Gain permanent immunity to mind control, fear, and manipulation magic.]
[Rebel's Insight: Gain the ability to see the weaknesses in enemy defenses, 10% chance that any attack of yours will inflict double the damage.]
[Shard of the Cosmos: Choose one magical ability. This ability is now able to break through magical immunity or resistance that your enemies may have.]
[Defiant Heart: Health regeneration is permanently increased, and you gain an extra surge of regeneration when critically wounded.]
[Bane of Tyrants: You deal twice the damage to enemies who are in positions of power or who wield control over others.]
[Eternal Challenger's Might: Permanently increases all physical and magical attributes by 10%. Additionally, whenever you defeat a significantly stronger opponent, you gain a temporary boost in power for the next battle. ATTENTION: A great affinity to this Change has been detected. If you choose Eternal Challenger’s Might, its effect will increase to a 10% increase in All Attributes. Additionally, whenever you fight a significantly stronger opponent, you gain a temporary boost in power during the battle.]
“These are amazing,” she whispered. The selection was actually insane. Even in her precarious mental state, she finally started to feel the excitement about all the bonuses from her Alchemist class take over the worry and sadness. Unlike with the Professions, she sat down on the ground and started looking for the best chance to embrace. She was going to make her choice now.
The Divine Shard of Rebelliousness presented options that tugged at the very core of her being, resonating with her innate defiance. The constraint of choosing only shards aligned with rebelliousness did not faze her. "Rebelliousness suits me just fine," she whispered, a smile flickering across her lips.
[Skill Amplification: Choose one skill. This skill now levels up twice as fast and its effectiveness is increased by 300%.]
Skill Amplification initially caught her attention, its potential undeniable. Yet, as she contemplated the nascent state of her Alchemist abilities, a pang of regret accompanied her decision to set it aside. The allure of enhancing a singular skill was overshadowed by the broader views of possibility that awaited her exploration. In short, she wasn’t going to enhance a skill when she barely had one skill from her Class available to her.
[Aura of Defiance: Lily emits an aura that passively reduces the effectiveness of enemy spells and abilities by 20% within a certain radius.]
Aura of Defiance offered a tempting shield against the unknown, yet she found more limitations than strengths in it. It was a powerful deterrent, no doubt, but among all these, it seemed a lesser one.
[Divine Insight - Gain the ability to perceive and locate magical and physical threats before they manifest. ATTENTION: If you choose Divine Insight, it will merge with your Perk Sphere of Perception, removing the Perk and turning both into a new Skill - Reality’s Whisper.]
Divine Insight captivated her. The promise of precognition made her salivate—no one would be able to sneak up on her anymore. The ability to foresee threats, to navigate the treacherous waters of her destiny with the clarity of minor foresight, was an invaluable tool. "This could save my life," she acknowledged, the gravity of this choice resonating deeply within her. She decided to put this aside as the first real possible choice.
Yet, it was Divine Resilience that ignited a fierce longing in her heart.
[Divine Resilience: Gain permanent immunity to mind control, fear, and manipulation magic.]
The prospect of immunity to manipulation, to stand unyielding against the specters of control and fear, appealed to her core. But rationality prevailed as she considered her Alchemist's adaptability and the veiled strictures that governed even the gods. "If gods weren’t bound by rules, mind control would be their first weapon," she reasoned, her resolve hardening as she bypassed this option.
[Rebel's Insight: Gain the ability to see the weaknesses in enemy defenses, 10% chance that any attack of yours will inflict double the damage.]
[Bane of Tyrants: You deal twice the damage to enemies who are in positions of power or who wield control over others.]
Rebel's Insight and Bane of Tyrants, each carrying their distinct allure, flickered through her consideration. The chance to exploit weaknesses and wield enhanced powers against tyrants was tempting, but it paled in comparison to the transformative potential of the next choice. In fact, she skipped Shard of the Cosmos and Defiant Heart altogether to focus on the last option.
[Eternal Challenger's Might: Permanently increases all physical and magical attributes by 10%. Additionally, whenever you defeat a significantly stronger opponent, you gain a temporary boost in power for the next battle. ATTENTION: A great affinity to this Change has been detected. If you choose Eternal Challenger’s Might, its effect will increase to a 10% increase in All Attributes. Additionally, whenever you fight a significantly stronger opponent, you gain a temporary boost in power during the battle.]
Eternal Challenger's Might stood before her as she took her time to read through the change several times. The synergy between this option and her Alchemist class would be evident even to a moron.
"This might be it," Lily muttered. The permanent augmentation of her attributes and the promise of rising strength in the face of greater challenges spoke to her spirit, to the essence of her journey.
At the same time, Divine Insight...
With her choices narrowed, Lily stood at the precipice of decision. Divine Insight and Eternal Challenger's Might lay before her.
“Time to choose, then,” she said, her finger hovering over the intangible window.