[Please wait…]
Cecillia’s heart nearly froze, her eyes widening when they scanned across the system screen that appeared in her sights. Jolting forward, she almost fell off of her seat, just barely catching herself and balancing on the edge. She remembered the too recent incident with the anomaly or error and the false memories flickered across her mind.
The darkness, the crimson blood. Cecillia wanted to vomit and an unwilling shiver ran down her spine. But a rescuing second quickly passed and she was thankful that her fears were for naught.
[Displaying pending notifications!]
Cecillia released a relieved sigh and allowed herself to recline back into the cushioned seats. Though, she did frown when one of the bandages on her thighs started to undo itself from its earlier sudden movement. Regardless, she had no choice, all she could do was ask the butler to help with it later.
[Defeated (Entropic Aberration - Level 170)]
A series of notifications suddenly burst into view. The light was blinding, like a flashbang, and Cecillia was forced to blink rapidly to even see. But even as her eyes stung from the sudden light, she couldn’t tear her gaze from all the messages floating in front of her.
‘...No wonder Doran was incapacitated so easily…’
Cecillia picked her brain for the memories of the fight. She couldn’t quite remember it exactly as the entire fight was still hazy, with only bits of it remaining unfractured and blurry in her mind. But her muscles retained the brutal abuse that she had forced them to endure, and the bare thought of it seemed to cause them to ache. Still… she at least could recall the overall atmosphere, and the sheer scale of magic that she had borrowed was… intense. If all that power was needed, especially with her doubled—no sextupled stats when factoring the literal base values—just to even stand on even ground with that monster; it was laughable really.
And deep down, Cecillia knew that the only reason why she even managed to win in the first place was because of her previous life’s experiences of war. Without that, any normal person wouldn’t have been given the liberty of just losing their arms.
‘Ugh… this is too much of a headache.’
Calculating stats—Cecillia cursed that she had ended up into a world akin to a video game. It was as if she was thrown into nightmare mode, but even then— she didn’t think that the monster would be… exactly 154 levels above her own. If this second life were really a video game, then it most definitely would be considered a bug. The thought suddenly sprung into her mind, would she be considered a cheater?
Cecillia let out a sigh. It didn’t matter anyways. Strength was strength, and the ways she gained it didn’t matter, because the only thing that did, was the option of choice. The choice to kill, to save… it was selfish really, but only strength could allow that to happen.
[You have gained 1 soul.]
Cecillia remembered seeing that line earlier and it was without a doubt somewhere on her status sheet. But she hadn’t noticed anything when it had been consumed, nor had she had any of the stat in the first place. She didn’t doubt that it was important, but perhaps it would be a good idea to experiment with it later on.
[For killing an enemy one hundred and fifty or move levels above your own, you receive bonus experience.]
[Congratulations! You’ve leveled up many times!]
[Congratulations! Cryomancer Skill ‘Cryomancy’ has reached level 2!]
[Congratulations! Cryomancer Skill ‘Cryomancy’ has reached level 3!]
[Congratulations! Cryomancer Skill ‘Cryomancy’ has reached level 4!]
…
[Congratulations! Cryomancer Skill ‘Cryomancy’ has reached level 20!]
[Warning! Cryomancer Skill ‘Cryomancy’ cannot progress any further. Please ascend your class to continue leveling.]
Cecillia was somewhat surprised that all it took was just a single fight for her ice magic skill to reach level 20. The effects were immediate, and if she even thought of summoning her mana forward, she was sure that it was possible to incase the interior of the cabin in ice.
Continuing to scroll downwards—which somehow occurred without any need of scrolling with her lost fingers; just her thinking about seeing the next lines caused it to shift downwards. And as Cecillia kept going, she was surprised to see just how many notifications there were. Although, just before she could read them, a pop up message suddenly appeared in her vision.
[Would you like to view your current status before continuing?]
“Sure, why not,” Cecillia mumbled. It had been a while since she had actually looked at the screen itself and it wouldn’t hurt to document the changes.
[Displaying current status page.]
[Please wait.]
And a second later, her entire status sheet sprang up into view.
Name: Cecillia Black
Title: Mage
Race: Human (Hidden)
Attunement: Ice (Hidden)
Aspect: Retribution (Hidden)
Origin: ??? (Hidden)
Age: 19
Classes
— Class I: Cryomancer
— Class II: [Locked]
Jobs
Slots: 2/3
— Cook (Level 2)
Skills: Sizzle (Level 3)
Sizzle: [Intensifies the heart of the cooking flame.]
— Tamer (Level 3)
Skills: Contract Creator (Level 3)
Contract Creator: [Allows the user to create a mutual, binding agreement with a creature.]
Current Condition:
Level: 16
Resistances:
— Heat Resistance Lvl. 1
Afflictions:
King’s Valor
Mana Corruption [Cleared]
Divine Seal (XX) [Cleared]
Health: 589/600
Mana: 180/180
Stamina: 800/800
Attributes:
Available Stat-Points: [Calculating]
Strength: 80x2
Constitution: 30x2
Endurance: 40x2
Agility: 60x2
Wisdom: 18x2
Intelligence: 22x2
Soul: 0
Basic Skills:
— Identification (Active, Level 4)
* Glean the basic information of any creature, construct or environment within direct line of sight.
* Range: Limited to 50 Metres
— Elysian Standard Language (Passive, Level None)
* Fluency in the Elysian language.
Class Skills: Cryomancer
— Cryomancy (Level 20)
* Form ice from your mana to cool a drink, or build a ‘cool’ sculpture.
— Frostblink (Level 1)
* Swap places with a fragment of ice under your command. Upon arrival, additional mana can be expended to release a blast of frost in all directions.
It didn’t take long for Cecillia to finish reading through the entire status screen. Usually, she had the non important details hidden, but it seemed that the system had decided to display everything this time. One thing she noticed was that her aspect of Retribution mirrored that of a notification she had seen appear in the fight against the Aberration; the one that had enabled her to stand on equal footing against that wretched creature.
[The Crimson Death calls out for harmony. Your aspect ‘Retribution’ reveals a gleaming smile. All stats are tripled for five minutes.]
It was one of the memories of the fight that remained crystal clear, but everything about it screamed of malice. The exact wording related to her aspect was strangely horrifying in a way, and she knew for a fact that there was some kind of connection between it all. But currently, Cecillia wasn’t too keen on finding the truth behind her sister’s body’s past.
As for everything else—other than the Frostblink skill which was pretty straightforward, it proceeded as normal. Her mana had been restored and Cecillia noted that the total amount of mana followed the constitution and endurance functions where each individual point would equal to five of their respective resources. Both afflictions—the Divine Seal, and the Mana Corruption were from what she assumed to be the aftereffects of crossing worlds, and thankfully they were cleared as well.
However, Cecillia found her gaze lingering on the attributes section of her status sheet. She contemplated over the numbers because as a supposed mage, it hurt to see that her strength was so much higher than the rest of her stats. Regardless of her annoyances, there was nothing that could be done about it. The allocation had been an accident, but it was later deemed necessary for survival.
Cecillia knew it wasn’t worth fretting over and she embraced the flashing notifications right behind her status screen. Closing it away, the bombardment of messages erupted into her face all at once.
[Congratulations! You have achieved a monumental feat.]
‘Then the rewards would be…?’ Cecillia raised a brow.
[Displaying levels gained…]
[You are now level 17!]
[Updated Available Stat Points: 10]
[You are now level 18!]
[Updated Available Stat Points: 20]
[You are now level 19!]
[Updated Available Stat Points: 30]
[You are now level 25!]
[Updated Available Stat Points: 90]
Cecillia watched the unallocated stat points pile up and stack into a huge number. For a moment, she considered which attribute was most important to allocate into, but the thought flew out of her mind and she found herself full on grinning when the next message came into view.
[Warning! Cannot receive additional Stat Points until class ‘Cryomancer’ has achieved ascension]
[Upon reaching level 25. All requirements have been met for class ascension: Cryomancer.]
[Congratulations! You have six options available!]
[Display class ascension options?]
“This really is like a video game…” she muttered, blinking before confirming. “Yes.”
[Displaying Class Ascension Options…]
[Please wait…]
[Congratulations! You have 3 Hidden Requirements that have been fulfilled for class Ascension.]
[3 Additional Options have been made available to you!]
[Emergency Alert! Due to your extraordinary feat of defeating a high class entity, all class ascension options have been enhanced.]
[1) Magic Swordswoman - > Bladesinger]
[2) Mana Ranger - > Pathfinder]
[3) Triple Elemental Mage - > Arcane Sorceress]
[4) Frost Draugr - > Cryonic Revenant]
[5) Ice Mage -> Freezing Exarch]
[6) ??? -> Epilogue’s Eternity]
[Would you like to view the descriptions of your options?]
As soon as Cecillia’s eyes landed on the screen, her eyes widened ever so slightly. All of them looked interesting, but she focused on just a single one.
‘Wasn’t tha—’ Cecillia sighed as the system interrupted her thoughts.
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Bladesinger.’]
[Bladesinger]
— Enkindled with song, let your blade sing true.
The name of the class, or upgrade… whatever. It was familiar and Cecillia quickly remembered the Crimson Squadron’s lieutenant who had that title appear when she had used her identification skill on the woman. Sadly though, she wasn’t able to have seen Naira’s swordsmanship in direct action, likely because…
‘That crazy bitch tried to kill me twice already,’ Cecillia’s eyes flashed with disdain. Even if Doran had done some pretty unspeakable things, the rest of the squadron had seemed to let go of their grievances, but Naira… Cecillia didn’t care much for the woman.
She released her frown and continued with the rest of the system notifications, dwelling on how she had almost been killed twice by the same woman wouldn’t do anything.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a class relating to magic at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have the strength attribute at 100 or higher.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have the agility attribute at 100 or higher.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have displayed exceptional performance whilst wielding a blade.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have engaged, and claimed victory in a duel of blades.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have exceptional proficiency in an instrument, with the ability to create song.
If the system referred to the instrument section as her being an instrument of destruction, then sure, Cecillia could agree with the fact. But if it didn’t, then it was just blatantly wrong. At no time in her life had she played an instrument—correction, there had been that time when she was a wee little child and she had attempted to play the piano, but it had turned out drastically. On the other hand, her sister could only be described as a prodigy in all instruments. Whatever she had picked up she had mastered all the music scores in days.
‘Ah.’ Cecillia thought. ‘That must be why.’
There was another theory that she had thought of where when the Crimson Death had created a harmony with her aspect, it could’ve counted as song and she was therefore allowed an option to choose this class. Though, she thought it was unlikely and discarded the idea. But just as she did, her necklace seemed to hum, or maybe not… perhaps it was the wind blowing strangely.
“Anyways…”
[Description: You have rejected the natural magic of your blood, though not to the point of completely admonishing your arcanic heritage. Instead, you have chosen to take up and wield the blade of song. The Bladesinger is one who dances with elegance and music, harnessing the airs of harmony and steel to slay their enemies.]
[Upgrades Entailed:]
Strength + 50
Constitution + 20
Endurance + 20
Agility + 50
Wisdom + 30
Intelligence + 30
[Additional Bonuses.]
* Agility and Strength will increase by 200% of their current values.
* Stamina decline slowed by 150%
* Base health regeneration improved by 15%
* Base stamina regeneration improved by 30%
* Base mana regeneration improved by 5%
[Unique Effects.]
* Your body becomes highly sensitive to music.
* Different types of song will empower your body in altered ways.
[Major changes due to selecting this option.]
* Attunement Switch: Ice - > Wind
[New Skills Unlocked!]
— Songsword
* Materialize a blade of mana.
* Additional Effects, Tinkledeath: When tapped against solid surfaces, a tinkling chord will echo out.
— Galewind
* Call upon the spirits of wind to envelop you in an aura of grace. Incoming attacks are diverted, slipping past you as though guided by the will of the breeze.
* Additional Effects, Rabbit’s Foot: Your steps grow lighter.
— Elemental Infusion
* Infuse your Songsword with elemental power.
* Additional Effect, Anemo Hypostasis: Your attunement will convert all elements into wind.
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Crescendo
— Of orchestral harmony.
Rank: I
[Effect: Consecutive strikes against an enemy with a blade will build up notes and compose a song.]
[Staccato: Increases health regeneration.]
[Arpeggio: Increases mana regeneration.]
[Legato: Increases effectiveness of all stats by 200%]
[Warning: Song upkeep will wear off if no successful attacks have been made.]
[Skills lost due to selecting this option.]
— Cryomancy (Level 20)
* Form ice from your mana to cool a drink, or build a ‘cool’ sculpture.
— Frostblink (Level 1)
* Swap places with a fragment of ice under your command. Upon arrival, additional mana can be expended to release a blast of frost in all directions.
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Bladesinger’?]
[Warning. Choosing this option will cause other Ascendancies to become unavailable.]
Cecillia read through the description for the Bladesinger class, raising a brow as she went over the information stated more than twice. It was certainly a long read, and if every single class option was going to be like this, then the system’s earlier claim of 32 pending notifications was starting to feel like a joke.
‘32 my ass.’
Perhaps it was the universe’s way of telling her that it was time to pick up a book as it had been a long while since she had the free time to sit down and actually read a piece of literature. Still, those days were in the past and at least she could read a litrpg whenever she wanted by opening up her status menu.
‘Because this thing… is way too big.’
Still, the class itself was interesting, and undeniably powerful which would’ve allowed Cecillia to seriously consider it an option, that is… if she still had her arms. She wanted to ask the system why it had allowed her the choice in the first place if everyone single skill needed a sword to function. And that wasn’t adding the fact that she didn’t even like using swords in the first place!
At least she liked the musical aspect of the class, the mere thought of singing a tune whilst on the verge of death was almost amusing. Cecillia imagined herself accidently bumping into a wall—not that she would—but in the case that she did, and a chord rang out. Would people just start dying?
Cecillia chuckled hollowly, and continued to assess the Bladesinger class. In front of her was the image of a viridescent shard, shimmering with a pale green light. It almost seemed like the mana cores that she had dug out from the monsters a time ago, but she knew instinctively that it was the Core Keystone thing.
That part Cecillia assumed was the most important area of this… ‘Class Ascendancy Process’. If all her classes had a keystone, with their own individual perks, then this would have to be the deciding factor. For the Crescendo keystone, the ability on paper was extremely powerful. After every attack or strike, notes would be built up and formed into song. And from then on, various structures of music would grant her a buff of sorts, with the best giving her yet again another multiplier to her stats. Cecillia guessed that it was extremely powerful in practice as well.
For a battle of attrition, or any fight really that involved endurance, it would serve as the greatest trump card. It was a pity she couldn’t choose the Bladesinger class; the keystone ability alone would have made it entirely worthy of her choice.
As for the stat increase and the additional stuff, it could only be described as insane—but it still wasn’t as defining as the Crescendo Keystone. Cecillia bit her lip in thought, not dismissing it entirely as she had already factored it into the pros of the class.
After that dungeon, or tombs of Elendar thing, she had already received a multiplier to all of her stats. Now, the choice offered by the Bladesinger to multiply further her already doubled attributes was just plain stupid.
‘So what… if my strength is at 160…’ Cecillia’s eyes widened. ‘Then if I choose this… is it really going to be 320? And if I have Crescendo activated… it can’t be at 640 right?’
At 160 stats allocated into strength, Cecillia felt strong enough already. Her body felt like it was more than capable of lifting 160 kilograms on her back, which was simply insane to even think about considering her new feeble and frail body. However, she shuddered at the mere idea of 640.
With the thought having already entered her mind, Cecillia found herself unconsciously staring down at her chest. The scars that were once there, on her rough and warforged skin; she was starting to miss them. For so long had they been a part of her, and now, in this perfect unblemished body… well—not exactly perfect—it made her feel weak.
Cecillia paused and rolled her eyes. Who was she kidding, weak? It had only been two weeks, plus the month of coma since she had arrived, and without any implants or augmented organs through ether, her natural physical strength had skyrocketed past what she had on earth. Without even accounting for mana, at this point, she was just a hypocrite.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Cecillia shook her head and continued onto the next option available.
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Pathfinder.’]
— Let no prey escape your sights.
Cecillia slowly started to frown.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have the agility attribute at 100 or higher.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have displayed exceptional performance whilst wielding a bo—
‘Nope.’
If it meant using a bow, then like the Bladesinger class, the Pathfinder option was a non option. Thus, Cecillia scrolled to the next class in store.
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Arcane Sorceress.’]
[Arcane Sorceress]
— Fear not the elements, for they are but yours to command.
To Cecillia, the Arcane Sorceress seemed like a class that didn’t involve any weapons and was purely fueled by mana. If it was like so, then it would be a perfect choice.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a class relating to magic at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have an attunement related to a force of nature.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have displayed exceptional performance with magic.
‘So far, so good,’ Cecillia thought.
[Description: Blessed by the powers of the arcane, you are now capable of wielding the raw forces of magic itself. Your seemingly endless mana reserves coupled with spells capable of catastrophe proves the Arcane Sorceress as one with the opportunity to stand above all.]
[Upgrades Entailed:]
Wisdom + 100
Intelligence + 100
Mana Reserves increased by + 2000
[Additional Bonuses:]
* Wisdom and Intelligence will increase by 200% of their current values.
* Stamina reduced by 100%
* Base Mana Regeneration improved by 50%
[Unique Effects.]
* Your body becomes highly sensitive to mana.
* Spells consume less mana when cast consecutively.
* Your incantations gain additional potency when your mana reserves are above 80% of their maximum values.
* Impurity of Elements: Gain Base Level Resistances to all Elements.
[Major changes due to selecting this option.]
* Attunements gained: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning.
[New Skills Unlocked!]
— Cataclysm
* Expend all available mana reserves to summon a catastrophic burst of magical energy.
* Additional Effect, Disruption: Enemies will have their mana regeneration disrupted.
* Requirements: Incantation - Explosion
— Arcane Barrage
* Unleash a volley of pure elemental energy.
— Power Siphon
* Fires a projectile, draining mana from enemies hit to replenish your own reserves.
— Pyromancy
* Form fire from your mana to heat a drink, or ‘melt’ a cool sculpture.
— Geomancy
* Form earth from your mana to create a cup for a drink, or ‘build’ a cool sculpture.
— Electromancy
* Form lightning from your mana to kill someone with a drink, or ‘electrocute’ a cool sculpture.
— Anemomancy
* Form wind from your mana to cool a drink, or swirl leaves around a ‘cool’ sculpture.
— Hydromancy
* Form water from your mana to drink a drink, or ‘wash’ a cool sculpture.
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Arcana
— Of the wills of magic.
Rank: I
[Effect: At varying levels of reserved mana available, gain powerful buffs.]
[Surge: Upon reaching 50% You have increased Cast Speed and Mana Regeneration.]
[Resurgence: As long as you are above 80% mana, you have massively decreased Cast Speed and Mana Regeneration. Instead, increase the effectiveness of intelligence by 1000%.]
[Arcane Resonance: Upon complete depletion of mana reserves, spells and abilities will instead cost a portion of your life reserves. Beware, skills fueled by your lifeforce will gain increased potency, but will leave you vulnerable to further damage.]
[No skills lost due to selecting this option.]
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Arcane Sorceress?]
[Warning. Choosing this option will cause other Ascendancies to become unavailable.]
‘Huh, okay…’
Weren’t these numbers a little too high? Cecillia stared at the description of the skills, both dumbfounded and stunned. She had expected the Arcane Sorceress class to be centered around magic, but these specific combinations of abilities were just confusing. To clarify, confusing as in Arcane Sorceress did not seem like a suitable name for a class like this; something like mana nuke explosion maker whatever would’ve sufficed.
‘Endless mana, then more mana regeneration,’ Cecillia squinted. ‘Flat attributes, multipliers and more and more elements.’
Cecillia glanced out the window and began thinking. If she managed to stagger her mana at its maximum value, then subsequently activated the Arcana Keystone’s ability Resurgence to fuel the skill Cataclysm… The sheer power imaginable was not imaginable at this moment in time. If something like this was available back on Earth, where one had the capability to obliterate entire battlefields at will—it was terrifying to even think about. On top of that, unlike the Bladesinger class, she could also keep her skills if she chose this option, with the Cryomancy ability continuing to level thereafter.
‘Not bad.’
Yet, despite all the positives of the class, Cecillia wasn’t exactly set on the option. The 100% reduction in stamina was brutal, and after the fight against the Aberration, the feeling of lethargy when facing death itself was something she never wanted to bear again. It was also the type of description for a more… team oriented soldier. Unlike her, the soldiers whose sole lives were meant for operating weapons of mass destruction usually required assistance in every other aspect of combat.
If she went with this choice, any scenarios that she couldn’t deal with within the span of minutes would become increasingly dangerous compared to the alternative well rounded out classes.
Even so, the endless destructive potential whilst being the only option that would allow her to continue leveling without any weapons already made it the priority choice. She would be stupid to cast it aside so readily, but then again… there were three options left.
‘Next,’ Cecillia muttered.
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Cryonic Revenant’]
[Cryonic Revenant]
— Unbound by death, lay claim to devastation.
Cecillia shivered, something about this option was sinister in an unnerving way.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a class relating to ice at level 25
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have fought and won in melee combat.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have endured a critical injury and survived.
[Description: The Cryonic Revenant is one that has endured a thousand deaths, and risen each time stronger. Embody the wrath of winter and ensure that your enemies will find no warmth, no solace, and only death.]
[Upgrades Entailed:]
Strength + 50
Constitution + 100
Endurance + 50
Health Reserves increased by + 2000
Stamina Reserves increased by + 1000
[Additional Bonuses:]
* Constitution will increase by 200% of their current values.
* Strength and Endurance will increase by 100% of their current values.
* Base Health Regeneration improved by 30%
* Base Stamina Regeneration improved by 15%
* Base Mana Regeneration improved by 10%
[Unique Effects.]
* When your health reserves drops to below 20%, a shroud of frost envelops your being, instantly recovering 50% of your total mana reserves as health.
* Gain, Cold Resistance: Your resistance against cold is improved drastically.
[Major changes due to selecting this option.]
* Renewal: Your body will undergo rebirth, completely restoring all injuries.
As soon as Cecillia’s eyes crossed that exact line, her lips started to tremble. If she chose this—her gaze fell to her limbless sockets—could she really get them back?
“Young mistress, isn’t there something you are forgetting?”
Her head snapped to the front window where his yellow eyes pierced straight into her soul. A sour expression came across Cecillia’s face as the butler’s gaze finally receded. How did he know? And how did he manage to look at her without her even noticing?
Cecillia’s eyes hardened and her glare sharpened into icy daggers, stabbing into the back of that stupid butler’s head. Yet no matter how weird he was, he was right, Doran had indeed left behind a message for this exact scenario.
After the battle, you may have received many rewards and boons from the system. But please do take care, and do not make any large decisions rashly. Anything you do within the system cannot be reversed without special means, and any regrets you have will be everlasting. Take your time, and consider first what your desire is within this world.
Her stare remained on the butler for some time while Doran’s words echoed through her head. Rebirth was a strange word, and sometimes it didn’t usually mean great things. With the reminder, the choice of the Cryonic Revenant was already cast away from her mind, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least see the rest of the class overview.
[New Skills Unlocked!]
— Howl of Hoarfrost
* Unleash a powerful cry that summons a storm of ice and snow.
* Additional Effects: Enemies affected by the howl are embrittled.
— Glacial Prison
* Summon a glacial prison into existence. Within your realm, every individual’s stats—including your own is reduced by 50%.
* Additional Effects: Your Constitution and Intelligence are raised by 100%.
— Everything will Freeze
* Sacrificing health will release a blast of frost magic in all directions with you at the core.
* Additional Effect, Eternal Frost: Enemies hit will be afflicted with Unmelting Ice.
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Apotheosis
— Of the undying.
Rank: I
[Effect: You transform into a vengeful wraith.]
* Physical and Magical damage received is reduced.
* Your form becomes incorporeal. Inanimate objects can be phased through.
* Enemies within six meters around you are drained of their health and mana, with the lost energy restoring your own health.
[Duration: One minute.]
[Cooldown: 24 Hours.]
[Additional Bonuses: Killing an enemy while transformed extends the duration by five seconds.]
[Additional Not Bonuses: After the transformation ends, your health regeneration will stagnate by 100% for one whole minute.}
Just reading Keystone's description solidified her previous thoughts on the class. Sure, the prospect of gaining her arms back was great and all, but transforming into those very same monsters that she had sworn to kill wasn’t exactly what she wanted for her future.
[No skills lost due to selecting this option.]
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Cryonic Revenant?]
[Warning. Choosing this option will cause other Ascendancies to become unavailable.]
[Emergency warning! Choosing this option will completely transform you into a mo—
‘Hell no.’
Well if polishing came after solidifying, turning into a monster outright polished her vehement denial of choosing the Cryonic Revenant. Cecillia grumbled and scrolled further down.
‘Two more now.’
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Freezing Exarch’]
[Freezing Exarch]
— Turn your world to ice.
Cecillia liked this one already. Nothing about the quote was over the top, or sinister in any way. It was just like the feeling she had when calling forth the powers of ice.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a class relating to ice at level 25
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have defeated an entity one hundred levels above her own.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have an ice category skill at level 20.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have the Attunement of Ice
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have created a skill.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have saved a life.
[Description: As a Cryomancer that has proven worthy to become a ruler of ice, you are allowed ascension to become the Freezing Exarch. With the arctic powers of frost and hail, wield the authority of a monarch over the cold. Embrace the pale wings of snow, and arise above the flames of hell.]
‘Wings?’
Wings.
‘Wings…?’
Rolls eyes, yes… wings.
Cecillia couldn’t believe what she was seeing through her widened eyes. In the reflection of the window, her entire face lit up and a delicate chord of a laugh left her lips. On her face was a large smile and every single cell in her body was filled with exhilaration. Just the bare thought of having her wings back; the feeling of soaring across the skies and zipping through the clouds was one of the only things that had kept her sane.
Cecillia found her cheeks warm, flushing red with elation. But she soon calmed a moment later. The description was only just a description. There very well could be no wings, after all… the description for the Cryonic Revenant stated that she had died a thousand times, and well, she hadn’t.
Though, the woman remained hopeful and allowed the class overview to continue.
‘Then, let us see.’
[Upgrades Entailed:]
Agility + 40
Endurance + 10
Wisdom + 80
Intelligence + 80
Mana Reserves increased by + 1500
Stamina Reserves increased by + 500
[Additional Bonuses:]
* Wisdom and Intelligence will increase by 200% of their current values.
* Base Mana Regeneration improved by 30%
* Base Stamina Regeneration improved by 15%
* Base Life Regeneration improved by 5%
[Unique Effects.]
* Your body becomes highly perceptive against changes in temperature.
* Your body passively emanates with the essence of frost. This can be controlled at will.
* All skills relating to ice gain increased potency.
* Arctic Resonance: Within the cold, mana regeneration is significantly increased.
* Gain, Cold Resistance: Your resistance against cold is improved drastically.
* When the environment has a temperature below thirty celsius, mana costs are reduced by 25%.
[Major changes due to selecting this option.]
* Due to already possessing the Attunement of Ice, no changes in Attunements are necessary.
* Due to already possessing the Attunement of Ice, your magic will now contain the properties of Tranquility.
Even if everything was interesting, Cecillia’s smile started to slip, nothing was about wings just yet. She released a sigh and continued on.
[New Skills Unlocked!]
— Mirror of Lamentation
* Summons a reflective construct of ice that Hypercharges any projectile that passes through the mirror with additional cold damage.
* Additional Effect, Cannot Return To Sender: Projectiles that return through the Mirror of Lamentation will become embrittled.
— Frostflux Mirage
* Enwreathe your body in an ever fluctuating veil of frost and mist. Perceptive eyes that should rest upon you will find their view distorted.
* Additional Effect, Mirage: A transient phantom of yourself will help to mask your location if you would wish.
— Chronostasis
* Perceivable time is frozen.
* Additional Effect, A Brilliant Petal Frozen In an Everlasting Moment: Za Warudo.
‘Still nothing,’ Cecillia chewed her lip and hoped that the Core Keystone would deliver the good news.
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Tsukuyomi
— Of the 44th glacial moon.
Rank: I
[Rin: The Lost]
* Effect: Upon sacrificing 80% of your total mana reserves, summon the ghost of Tsukuyomi, the 44th Glacial Moon. Once conjured a frigid blizzard will envelop your surroundings. All entities save yourself will have drastically reduced visibility and hearing.
* Additional Effect: The cold saps stamina from all entities, except those attuned to Ice.
[Eis: The Hatred]
* Effect: Convert sapped stamina into lifeforce.
* Additional Effect: Overcapped life will instead be converted into mana.
[Selene: The Algor Halcyon]
* Effect: Increases effectiveness of all stats by 20%
* Additional Effect: If the temperature is below fifty celsius, all stats increase further by 10%.
[Isolde: The Cruel]
* Effect: Pain is exquisite. All wounds will be agonizing.
* Additional Effect: All base regeneration—including user ‘Cecillia,’ is halted.
[Yuki: The First Lunar Maiden]
* Effect: Those that gaze upon Tsukuyomi will become cursed. All stats reduced by 5%.
* Additional Effect: Those that have fallen whilst cursed, will rise again in the form of spectral wraiths.
[No skills lost due to selecting this option.]
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Freezing Exarch’?]
[Warning. Choosing this option will cause other Ascendancies to become unavailable.]
After reading through the overview, even going back to read it a single time, it only resulted in Cecillia returning glum and crestfallen. Other than that video game lore like description, nowhere else in the overview entailed anything about wings and a frown soon came onto her lips. She had been so hopeful for them too…
Her gaze drifted towards the window and she released a hollow sigh. If anything, she should’ve been content with the Freezing Exarch class. It only slightly edged the Arcane Sorceress out in utility, but she wondered if her pets would be able to come along with her if she used that moon ability.
‘Blackie, Bluey.’ Cecillia faced the road and a small smile replaced her pouting look. It had been a while since she’d seen those two little rascals.
‘I’ll see you soon…’
For now though, there still was the last class.
[Displaying overview for selected class ‘Epilogue’s Eternity’]
[Epilogue’s Eternity]
— Not all good things must come to an end.
‘Strange,’ Cecillia murmured. Like with the Cryonic Revenant class, just simply reading the first quote brought about an odd feeling. However, it wasn’t sinister, nor evil. It was only… fleeting, like she couldn’t quite grasp it, or it was somewhere on the tip of her tongue.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘C■■l■ia’ m■s■ ha■e a ■x■ x■ ■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■
* I■d■v■d■■l ‘E■■■r’ m■ ■■ ■ ■■ ■d■■■u■l E■s■ ■ ■s■ ■
* ■L ‘■y ■ ■r ■ ■ i ■ c ■IV ■ IV ■ ■ ■k ■■ ■i■ ■l■ ■■l m ■ e...
* Love me L■ve m■ Lo■ ve ■e Lo■ e me L■ o■ ve m■ e Lov■ e me L■ ove me L■ve me L■ ove■ me Lov■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■ve m■ L■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■ Love me
Cecillia shivered and she felt her throat start to constrict. She didn’t know why, but the world was dying. The lights were dimming then flashing monochrome, the stagecoach was spinning… She suddenly glanced around, there was no carriage interior, only ankle height water and darkne—
“Young lady, are you alright?” The butler’s voice slashed through her haze. Cecillia’s eyes snapped wide open, her vision blurry at first as she struggled to comprehend reality itself..
‘W-what… happened?’
The first thing she saw was his face, hovering just inches away from hers. She blinked several times, leaning backwards but his hands were tight on her shoulders.
“I apologize, young mistress,” the butler quickly released his hands. “I just wanted to assess your condition. Are you alright?”
Cecillia stared at the man blankly for several moments before nodding slowly. She examined his face, whereas his lips were creased into a thin line, and his brows were furrowed quite roughly. Now, he almost seemed… human.
“That’s good,” the man murmured, his head turning towards the carriage window.
Cecillia’s gaze followed stiffly and she was able to see that the stagecoach had stopped. Through the windows, which were now tinted with a rosy red, buildings that she had once seen from afar now surrounded them while the occasional person walked past. Some even stopped to glance at the carriage, but it seemed that none could peer inside.
Cecillia’s eyes returned to the man. “...Are we in the city?”
Her voice was soft and the butler’s expression softened further. He nodded and took a seat at the other end of the coach.
“We arrived minutes ago, but there is still thirty minutes left until we reach the manor,” the man explained. He then sighed and placed his hands on his knees. “Are you sure you’re alright young mistress? It has only been half an hour since you’ve left the hospital.“
Cecillia opened her mouth to answer, but she soon found herself narrowing her eyes into a glare. Whatever it was, the errors, that feeling that happened earlier with the Cryonic Revenant. It couldn’t have been a coincidence twice now couldn’t it? Just how did the butler know?
So thus, since she felt fine, Cecillia shot the man a question of her own.
“How did you know?”
“Know what?” The butler skillfully dodged the question. “I noticed that you were unconscious and it is my duty as your servant to keep you healthy.”
‘This little…’
Cecillia glared at him again and the man raised his head to the ceiling, chuckling softly. He almost seemed to be deep in thought before suddenly, his face melted with dark shadows.
“The system isn’t to be underestimated,” his yellow eyes flickered.
“The system isn’t to be underestimated?” Cecillia echoed. “I don’t understand.”
“You don’t need to,” the butler said flatly, “It’s better that way.”
‘But why?’
Although Cecillia did not voice her thoughts. She could already tell that the man would not reveal any more no matter how much she pushed. In the end, she settled with a small nod in response. The butler stood, pausing to briefly glance at her face before opening the door and stepping out. In just a few seconds, the carriage resumed rolling over the cobblestone road.
Cecillia felt the notifications blaring out from within, but for the moment, it wasn’t something she wanted to see. With everything that happened today, the errors with the system, the news of adoption, losing her arms and on top of that being thrown into a new world. The overwhelmingness had finally caught up with her, and now, she was just… tired.
Still, only about two hours had passed since her waking and the need for sleep wasn’t there at all. Rather, the tiredness came in the form of a mental burden, and as she sighed, Cecillia found that it wasn’t something that could be rid by a heavy breath.
‘Thirty minutes huh?’ her eyes trailed after the scenery blurring past before releasing yet again another heavy sigh. ‘Might as well then.’
Opening her notifications back up, Cecillia was more shocked than surprised to see that all the errors had all disappeared.
[Epilogue’s Eternity]
— Not all good things must come to an end.
[Requirements: Listed Below]
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have a basic class at level 25.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have the agility attribute at 100 or higher.
* Individual ‘Cecillia’ must have won a major battle.
‘What the fuck?’
At this point, everything felt like a lie. Cecillia didn’t doubt she had seen the errors, and even if they were gone now, and the class was way better than all the rest, she absolutely wouldn’t choose it as her option. Still, something inside of her wanted to see what the Keystone was all about, so she skipped all the way down to that section.
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Genesis
— Of the Original Sins.
Rank: I
[Apophis]
* Effect: Will we devour the very gods together?
* Additional Effects: Soul + 10000
[Locked]
* ■
‘Nope.’
All it took for Cecillia to instantly close down the screen was to see a single black square. At this point, she really hated seeing the black squares and almost wanted to abandon her own last name. She wasn’t sure why she was curious in the first place. None of the keystone abilities made sense, and most of them were locked anyways. The only thing interesting about the Genesis Keystone was that instead of the crystal mana core like image that appeared for the other classes, this one was a reflective silver, like it was a broken shard from a mirror.
Regardless, she wanted to make the choice before she arrived at her new home and quickly brought up the system messages.
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Arcane Sorceress’?]
[Class overview complete. Would you like to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Freezing Exarch’?]
Of the options available, only these two could really provide an accessible strength for her. Otherwise, if she still had her arms, she would always go with the bow.
‘Let’s see…’ Cecillia thought, biting her lip. ‘Pure strength, or utility.’
Both were equally enticing in their own ways, with one allowing her to possess near infinite reserves of mana with unmatched destructive capability, and the other enabling her to gain an upper edge in nigh every situation.
Yet, Cecillia didn’t have to do any thinking at all, the choice was simpler and easier than anyone would think.
[Are you sure you want to ascend the class ‘Cryomancer’ into ‘Freezing Exarch’?]
‘Yes.’
The messages started to rapidly appear before her eyes and a rush of power flowed into her being. Cecillia gasped, exhaling as frost started to build upon the interior windows.
[Congratulations! Your class ‘Cryomancer’ has ascended into ‘Freezing Exarch’?]
Agility + 40
Endurance + 10
Wisdom + 80
Intelligence + 80
Mana Reserves increased by + 1500
Stamina Reserves increased by + 500
[Additional Bonuses:]
* Wisdom and Intelligence will increase by 200% of their current values.
* Base Mana Regeneration improved by 30%
* Base Stamina Regeneration improved by 15%
* Base Life Regeneration improved by 5%
[Unique Effects.]
* Your body becomes highly perceptive against changes in temperature.
* Your body passively emanates with the essence of frost. This can be controlled at will.
* All skills relating to ice gain increased potency.
* Arctic Resonance: Within the cold, mana regeneration is significantly increased.
* Gain, Cold Resistance: Your resistance against cold is improved drastically.
* When the environment has a temperature below thirty celsius, mana costs are reduced to 0.
[Major changes due to selecting this option.]
* Due to already possessing the Attunement of Ice, no changes in Attunements are necessary.
* Due to already possessing the Attunement of Ice, your magic will now contain the properties of Tranquility.
[New Skills Unlocked!]
[Core Keystone Gained!]
Tsukuyomi
— Of the 44th glacial moon.
Cecillia smiled at her reflection in the glass, satisfied with the class ascension. She looked different… prettier in a way that wasn’t conventional, and that only someone like her would understand. The white streaked tips of her hair also seemed to now glow, emanating a faint aura of frost.
‘Well Doran, I made my choice.’