Mosh sat contemplating his advancement. He had taken three days to do nothing but heal after he transplanted the Aether core and did nothing in that time but study the book, committing it to memory. Then, following Midkar’s advice, he tossed it into the fire. He had spent time examining his body, and the crystal that formed his aether core had dissolved and could not be felt beneath his skin.
He thought of his skin, the scales that covered it and formed a barrier almost as strong as the leather of his armour. He ran a hand across his head, feeling his scales and the short, non-functional horns, he now had. He sighed, he had given in to Midkar’s exhortations, and when he had killed what was often called a Draconid Kobold, but which the Mana records referred to as Ach Darkon, he had given in and accepted the skin and eyes. The skin offered enhanced armour and protection against environmental extremes. It seemed to have no downsides; he lost no sensitivity and it even lengthened his fingers slightly and hardened his retractable claws. But the image he saw reflected when he looked into the pool was now strange, it was not him!
And his eyes, ah they were just as bad. He had no whites, instead, they were a pale green with yellow irises which had slitted pupils. He had been startled the first time he had been shaving and looked into the pool to see his reflection and saw them reflect a bright green in the torchlight. They offered better vision, both during the day and at night and he saw details he had never noticed before and they offered something he would otherwise not have, Aether sight. He was still trying to figure out how it would help, but he could see it flowing around him. It seemed to ignore physical barriers and thus was not useful for sight. He knew it would have some function, he just had not discovered what yet. His eyes made him look fierce, perhaps that would be good while here, but he wondered how his family would take his new appearance.
He stared at the latest notification, the report that he had hit the cap for his current class level and his class was ready to evolve. In the end, he had advanced all the known cores by fifty, the minimum necessary to trigger the evolution, and put the remaining one thousand three hundred into his aether core. He wasn’t sure what it would do, but it promised power. Even with all the practice, all the battles, he had only been able to develop two Aether skills, one what the book had called the Foundational skill of Energy Manipulation, the other a spear of pure aether. Its damage against living creatures was not as great as his main weapon, but it penetrated rock, stone and armour, a feature he had used more than once to strike at a hiding enemy.
He glanced at the notification, the chance to evolve his class and breathed deeply, trying to control his nervousness and bring his emotions under control. An affirmation sent by thought and the Mana Records responded, his class choices laid out before him
The candidate has reached Class Level 5. Class evolution available. Any of the following evolutions may be accepted, or the candidate may continue in his current class until the next class evolution.
Master Energy Adept: A class that combines powerful mana, psi, chi, soul and aether abilities. The Master Energy Adept more easily develops enhancements and skills in each energy type and gains a reduction in energy usage.
Soul Bound Cultivator: A class that concentrates on a Soul Bond with a bonded creature to the benefit of both. All soul cultivation is shared with bonded creatures. The bonded creature’s evolutionary enhancements have a minor effect on the Soul Bound Cultivator. Soul Bound Cultivator’s evolutionary enhancements have a minor effect on the bonded creature. Moderately enhanced ability to gain Soul, Mind and Body enhancements and skills.
Apprentice Aether Traveller: The lowest level of this class is offered as though the candidate qualifies due to having an Aether core and the Astral walker spell, it remains at Tier 0 and Level 1. The Aether traveller gains abilities of short-range teleportation to visible locations. Medium-range teleportation is available at high cost and risk. Long Range teleportation is unavailable until the next Class evolution or Astral-walk advances to Tier 3. A major improvement to gain teleportation skills and enhancements regardless of energy type. Minor defensive bonus gained as the Aether Traveller is slightly out of phase from his current dimension.
Aether Assassin: A stealth-based class available due to the candidate having advanced Mana Camouflage to Tier 3, having one weapon skill at Tier 3, having sensory skills in at least three energy types and at least one energy enhancement that increases weapon damage. The Aether Assassin gains enhanced stealth techniques and enhanced weapon skills. Major enhancement to gaining offensive energy abilities of all types. Major enhancement to gaining stealth abilities of all energy types. Major enhancement gained to gaining masking skills of all types. Note: The Aether Assassin is seen negatively by many. It will show as Combat Scout to detection abilities. The Mana records enhance the privacy and security of the candidate’s mana records.
Bound Agent: The Bound Agent is sworn to a particular purpose. The candidate has been offered service to the Progenitors with the following benefits: Enhanced gain of evolutionary energy. Enhanced gain of Body, Mind, Mana, Soul and Aether energy. Medium improvement to gain enhancements and skills in all energy types. Note: The Bound Agent of the Progenitors is an enemy of the Greater Mileu and would be treated as a spy subject to questioning, torture then death. It will show as Enhanced Master Energy Adept to all detection abilities. The Mana records enhance the privacy and security of the candidate’s mana records
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Mosh looked at the offered classes, but only felt tempted by two. He was tempted, very tempted, by the Soul Bound Cultivator. In the last two weeks Silky had come out of hibernation, then gone into it again only to emerge a few days ago, but now at waist height. His snout had widened, a feline aspect becoming more pronounced, along with fangs that would make a sabre-toothed tiger jealous. His speed had grown, as had his stealth, supplemented by an unconscious usage of mana that hid him even from Mosh’s various sensory skills. Mosh felt that Silky’s intelligence had also grown, but it was more of a feeling than something he could measure, Silky’s reactions, and sometimes proactive actions, showed he thought ahead and reacted far differently than when they had first met.
And though he was tempted by it, it was the Aether Assassin that drew him in. He was in the Crucible, not civilization. Better stealth, better ways to defend himself, better attacks, all appealed. If it had not had its ability to hide and appear as something else, he would not have considered it, but as it was, it offered that ability and would help keep his other secrets. The Bound agent he did not even contemplate. He did not trust the Progenitors. The gift of the Aether core he saw as a bribe, and as benefitting them as much as it did them. And he did not forget the words of the one who gifted him the core, the Progenitors were only a pawn, and he did not want to be beholden to their master’s and whatever agenda he pursued.
The Mana Records reacted to his decision and the the notifications arrived.
Greater Energy Adept Class Evolved into Aether Assassin. Core Masking skill gained at Tier 9 level 1. Aether Blend skill gained at Tier 0 Level 1. Aether Strike skill gained at Tier 0 Level 1. Mana Records altered to show Class as Combat Scout.
Mosh revelled in the notice, especially at the Masking skill which started at his Aether tier instead of level 0. It made sense, it would have been useless if it had been at Tier 0, all too easily penetrated by the investigative skills of others. The Mana Records protected your privacy, but it allowed breaches to those with sufficiently advanced skills, though the records of his actual thoughts would never be available no matter how high the skills of the other person.
He glanced down and allowed his new abilities free reign. He moved his hand, and he KNEW where it was, exactly where it was, but when he looked with his normal or mana-enhanced vision, it was never in the right place. A minor displacement, a slight shift in perception, but it may well save him from the strike of an assassin from ambush in the future as they struck where he wasn’t. He smiled, looking forward to the battle to move to the first ring, he was ready.
The Elder council
Myrddin watched the boy. He had seen the images of him as he lay wounded, and like Arbiter Zak he suspected there was something, someone more in play. The armour scared him. He had seen armour similar to it in the past, on those who commanded the Progenitors and sent billions to their deaths. He remembered a callous commander wearing that armour, and how he had casually slaughtered tens of thousands of his men to fuel an array to defeat the Graeter Mileu in what was nothing more than a skirmish. It hadn’t worked, the lives of those foolish enough to follow him forfeit to his ego and scramble for wealth and power.
He remembered the boy’s wound, the deep gash in his chest. From what he saw as he watched the broadcast, it had taken days to heal, it should not have been that long. Some foreign energy had to be within, but it was an energy type he was not aware of. He searched through their library trying to find something, anything, in the tomes that had not been destroyed, he looked for any hints, anything that might have been ignored in the past. In a medical treatise, he found a table of elements and how to treat them, but the names were unfamiliar and he was unable to identify which of the unknown elements afflicted Mosh. His frustration built up, he ordered his subordinates to even buy the information off-world if they had to, but nothing was forthcoming.
He watched the boy, sending his analysis skills whenever he could, trying to dig ever deeper into the boy’s psyche and secrets, but hit a wall his skills could not penetrate. It was a good exercise for his skills and he felt them gain progress as he struggled against the boy's shield. At least this wouldn't be a total loss.
Barmenash House
Sarah sat in front of the viewscreen. It showed some unknown candidate making their way through rocky terrain somewhere in the second ring, unaware they were being stalked. She wasn’t really watching as she absent-mindedly ran her kitchen knives over a leather strop, sharpening them. It was make work, no one would go hungry as long as the farms produced crops, and the hunters brought in the meat, no one would go hungry. She jumped as she heard the front door being slammed shut, she had forgotten she had closed it, and between her keeping an eye on the screen and making sure she did not cut herself, the slamming door startled her.
There had been no displays of Mosh since the day of the breakdown of the presenter, but what he said went unremarked on and unexplained. Enquiring too deeply or too obviously, and you would be subject to hours of questioning. She longed to see Mosh and know how he was doing, but he was never shown, a media blackout that stopped the speculation and hid the originator.
She sat up straight, shouting for everyone to come as the announcer stated that a Gamer was moving towards the border of the First Ring, the Gamer Mosh Bermenash from Earth, and the camera focussed in on him. Sarah, along with Avrami, Simo, Loni and Mindi made various sounds and signs of surprise. The last time they had seen Mosh, he had still looked human aside from longer fingers. Now his fingers were even longer, but they were the smallest change! What they could see of his skin was lightly covered with scales, that moved and shifted as he did so. He had no hair, a thick layer of scales covered his head instead, and he had small horns. His face was alien, eyebrows gone and scaled ridges covered his now yellow and green eyes that were reminiscent of a reptile’s.
The room remained silent as the family and friends gathered. There appeared to be a tacit agreement that no one would mention how Mosh now looked, though inaudible whispers from those who left and then returned were most likely on the topic.
The chatter stopped as they watched Mosh arrive at the base of the mountains and look across the ravine that bisected the zone. Beasts prowled their territories, few were willing to share their territory with another. But on the edges a pack grew, one that sniffed the air and moved towards Mosh. The camera moved to Mosh, showed him, but the normally crystal-clear image was blurred. They watched as the camera operator tried to focus properly and then gave up, the battle was about to start.