Ross awoke with a start, a spike of anxiety piercing his brain for half a moment. He didn’t know where he was or when he’d fallen asleep at first. He didn’t remember what had happened after the world went fully dark in front of him, nor did he know why he had sixteen system alerts.
Taking a few steadying breaths, Ross slowly sat up, feeling soft soil shift beneath him. In a flash, he recalled the shop he’d just been inside of. The door was immediately next to him, as though he’d taken a single step outside and immediately fainted. He took another couple of deep breaths, only to realize his entire body was wracked with a pain similar to the soreness one might feel after coughing far too hard for far too long.
He tried to stand, barely catching himself as he used the planks behind him for support. His body screamed, joints popping as he lifted himself slowly to his feet. His head throbbed with a migraine, and his muscles all felt as though they were being simultaneously electrocuted. He did manage to get to his feet, but decided that the sudden and intense vertigo wasn’t worth it. He made sure to sit back down away from the pool of fresh vomit as he eased himself onto a patch of grass, spitting the taste of bile out of his mouth.
He realized he didn’t know where Ruth was, but hoped Everest was still sitting inside the shop he was leaning against. He sent out half a dozen chat messages to each, then a half dozen in the group chat. After what felt like half an hour of waiting without a response, Ross took a shaky breath.
Unable to check in on his teammates, he forced himself to focus as he opened the first of several alerts.
[Please disregard the next three messages, Ross Olsen. They do not apply to you.
-Otectvurce ]
Concerned, Ross took a look at them regardless. It described how a sudden hardware update would lead to issues with the system such as losing progress or character options, and he hissed a string of expletives under his breath at a certain detail.
“What kind of moron would swap out hardware before shutting everything down?”
He shook his head, opening the messages informing him of what Traits and items he’d lost, but they were both bizarrely blank. He scratched his head in confusion, sure he had some abilities he hadn’t used in a long time relative to his situation, and was sure the system should have removed them based on his knowledge of such issues. He shook his head again, opening the next alert.
[Your body has undergone several changes as a result of inheriting a piece of {Deific_Core}. {Deific_Core} has melded with your {Terragnean_Core} to create {Enlightened_Core}. This will allow you unique benefits that you can find in your Character Sheet.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} while being a base Race (Unaligned_Firbolg) has granted you the opportunity for a Racial Evolution. Please select from the options listed at the end of this message.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} while having an unadvanced Prime Trait has advanced your Prime Trait by one Advancement. You can find the benefits in your Character Sheet.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} while having a single Class (Full_Counter) has granted you an experience boost. This experience boost will follow you throughout your other Classes and/or Prestiges.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} has unlocked a new Achievement tree. Please check your Achievements tab to learn more.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} has enabled a new transformation: {Debug_Mode}. This has been approved by an Administrator, and can only be activated or removed by an Administrator. You can find more information in your Character Sheet.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} while having all Stat values below 10,000 has granted bonus Unused Stat Points. You can find them in your Character Sheet.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} while having an unevolved Race and unselected Race Evolution has granted an additional Race Evolution. You can find this selection at the end of this message, and can only select the second evolution upon selecting and undergoing the first.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} has unlocked a new Class: Cleric of Otectvurce. This class cannot be removed, leveled up or otherwise influenced, and does not count towards your current Class limit.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} has increased all of your Stats by 100. You can find these changes in your Character Sheet.
Receiving {Enlightened_Core} has unlocked a new resource. You can find more information on your Character Sheet. ]
The flood of information caught Ross off-guard. He hadn’t the faintest idea what an enlightened core was, but figured it must have something to do with the system to some degree. Unlocking another class was surprising to say the least, but seeing as it was seemingly just aesthetic, he figured he’d look into it later. For now, he was concerned with finding out just how much he’d have to sort through on his character sheet.
He decided he’d check in on a different tab first, however; no sense in saving the worst for last. Minimizing the enlightened core alert, he pulled up a shockingly short list of achievements he’d unlocked recently.
[Achievements: 60/11,303 - Please speak the name of the Achievement for more details and to claim rewards for gaining that Achievement!
Enlightened Mortal
Acquisition: Unlock an Enlightened Core.
Reward: 1 Orichalcum Coin, 10 Electrum Coins, 100 Platinum Coins, 1,000 Gold Coins,
10,000 Silver Coins, 100,000 Copper Coins
Racial Evolution
Acquisition: Unlock one or more Racial Evolutions.
Reward: 1 Electrum Coin, 1 Legendary Unique Item, +100 Unused Stat Points ]
Ross blinked. He’d expected more achievements than this, considering his past experience with the system. He wasn’t complaining by any means - he actually appreciated the lack of sick humor this time around - but he was concerned over what so few achievements meant in the long run. He opened his stats first and foremost.
[Unused Stat Points: 525
STR: 351
DEX: 351
CON: 351
INT: 153
WIS: 153
CHA: 153
LUC: 191 ]
Ross was slightly taken aback. Over five hundred stat points was nothing to sneeze at, especially considering it was nearly a third of his current stat total, even after the boost of a hundred points per stat. He quietly pondered what the enlightened core actually was - or what a deific core was, for that matter. He set it aside for the time being, briskly allocating his unused stat points.
[Unused Stat Points: 0
STR: 451
DEX: 451
CON: 451
INT: 203
WIS: 203
CHA: 203
LUC: 266 ]
Next, he turned his attention back to the racial evolution alerts. He had heard Everest mention such things in the past, but he assumed it was a mid- to end-game kind of situation. He laughed coldly, recalling his epiphany with vivid clarity. This was all real, and he couldn’t set that aside anymore. It was dangerous here, and he had to make sure he kept living. If not for himself, then for Everest. After all, Ross was supposedly a rare commodity in this world; no sense in wasting the best it could get from Earth.
“...Damn. Does that mean I really have to call it Backwash now?” Ross thought aloud. After a few moments of waiting for a response that wouldn’t come, he silently reprimanded himself. Now wasn’t the time to be making jokes - now was the time to be making crucial decisions. He pulled the enlightened core window back up.
[Please select the path you’d like your Racial Evolution to follow. This will severely alter your physiology and stat gain, and may even influence your psychology. Any warnings will be in the racial descriptions, which you can access by saying the name of the race followed by “details”.
Racial Evolution Paths
* Giant
* Fae ]
Ross blinked. He knew that the giant realm existed for the titan flux and that the Fae realm existed thanks to Ruth, but he wondered how many realms were in Terraegnus. Was Terraegnus itself a realm? How could you travel between them?
He shook his head to clear it; he’d seriously dedicate his time to educating himself on this new world and all it involved later. For now, he had a decision to make.
He thought about selecting Giant, but assumed it was by far the worst option. Sure, it might be good for strength and size, but he knew most legends of giants from his own world had some sort of Achilles’ heel. In addition, the Titan Flux seemed to be the most serious Flux the world saw, at least from what he could make out. It was possible that any Flux drew out the sort of responses he’d received upon entering Sathenkura, but he couldn’t be sure until he had someone to ask.
Then, there was fae. He knew that Fae were known for trickery and stealth, which didn’t really seem to match up with his ‘sit there and take it’ approach to his abilities. Despite this fact, there was a specific ability he knew Fae held in most mythologies, and it was a trait he loved to use in his role-playing games back home. He selected Fae, but before confirming his selection, paused.
“Fae details,” he said. He didn’t want to jump into a decision like he had at the start of his journey, and being given a chance to actually see what he was walking into was an opportunity he planned on taking full advantage of.
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[Firbolg - Fae Lineage (Racial Evolution)
The firbolg species are ostensibly spread across two worlds; that of giants and fae. While many are starkly defined by their giant heritages, which lead them to taking up hobbies such as farming, crafting or druidism, those who choose to align with their fae heritage take on far more bizarre roles.
While it is true that they maintain their giant attunement, the evolutionary path of fae will bring any firbolg who walks it closer to the path of an adventurer. The fae blood within them allows for pacts to be made that are binding and, when broken, can provide rewards reaped by the injured party at a severe (and oftentimes lethal) cost to the offending party.
Additionally, the fae’s affinity for magic is carried over to this path. This allows for a significant bolster to any and all magic classes selected by the firbolg in question, though their Traits may undergo Trait Evolution to shift more appropriately to their strengthened fae lineage, and if advanced far enough down this path, can even gain an elemental attunement. This is entirely reliant on their selected Court, however.
Selecting the Fae Lineage will provide the following alterations to you:
* Unlock the “Fae” Title
* Unlock the “Racial Evolution” Title
* Unlock the “Realmwalker” Title
* Unlock the “Fae Pact” Trait
* Unlock the “Court Selection” Racial Evolution Selection
* Undergo Racial Trait Evolutions (x???)
* Mental stats will increase in a 1.5/1 ratio with applied stat points (only counts when allocating Unused Stat Points)
* The Luck stat will increase in a 2/1 ratio with applied stat points (only counts when allocating Unused Stat Points) ]
Ross nodded to himself. Sure, Giant would obviously be the best option for his build - it would indefinitely grant more health or inherent defensive capabilities, but he was never one for min-maxing or being a social outcast. He was about to confirm the Fae selection, but something in the back of his mind kept nagging at him. Something he felt he was overlooking…
Ross sighed in defeat, opening the description for the Giant path.
[Firbolg - Giant Lineage (Racial Evolution)
The firbolg species are ostensibly spread across three worlds; that of earth elementals, giants and fae. While many are starkly defined by their giant heritage, which lead them to taking up hobbies such as farming, crafting or druidism, those who choose to align with their fae heritage take on far more bizarre roles.
While it is true that they maintain their fae attunement, the evolutionary path of giants will grant their already impressive health with an immense boost. In addition, their chosen path of heritage and further evolutions will grant them abilities with great power at a great resource cost.
Selecting the Giant Lineage will provide the following alterations to you:
* Unlock the “Giant” Title
* Unlock the “Racial Evolution” Title
* Unlock the “Realmwalker” Title
* Unlock the “Larger than Life” Trait
* Unlock the “Runemark” Trait
* Unlock the “Lineage Selection” Racial Evolution Selection
* Undergo Racial Trait Evolutions (Number dependant on Subrace selection)
* Physical stats will increase in a 1.5/1 ratio with applied stat points (only counts when allocating Unused Stat Points) ]
Despite his skepticism at the option, Ross was curious about the Runemark Trait. He let out a sigh that shifted to a groan as he ran a hand over his face, before finally changing the groan into a yell as he reluctantly looked at the description of the Trait.
[Racial Trait: Runemark
Utility, Focus, Magic
You unlock the knowledge of a custom rune that is unique to your own Soul, engraved upon a stone. You are able to memorize the design of this rune, and nobody but you can replicate the design. Additionally, when using this rune as a signature, it holds the same effect as a Fae pact. Finally, you are able to use this Runemark while enchanting, spellcrafting or casting a ritual for bonus effects unique to your own personal Runemark.
Showing this to another Firbolg will set their opinion of you to at least neutral, but cannot atone for violations of the Code or immoral actions taken upon anyone or anything while in the presence of an affected Firbolg. ]
Ross blinked. That was actually interesting to him, much to his dismay. He cursed under his breath, deselecting the Giant lineage. He rubbed his eyes, trying to decide on the route he’d want to take. He was sure that coming across another Firbolg wasn’t going to happen, but if it did, a bare minimum of neutral moods all around would be incredibly helpful. He had no clue what ‘the Code’ was, but he could find out rather easily, he was sure. In fact, having a Runemark could even help Everest. Potentially.
If he selected Fae, however, he’d be able to make deals and play a role he’d always wanted to - that of a cunning and scheming superhero. Sure, it wasn’t the most moral thing he could do, but it would undoubtedly provide him with both leverage and a further means of progression.
However, picking Giant would indefinitely provide him with a way to make use of his class and not rely on bosses and constant pummelings for level-ups. He’d also be able to protect his party and possibly even innocent people far easier with a larger health pool. He’d also get Larger than Life, which he assumed would be fun to test the limits of. He hadn’t read the ability, but he figured it had to do with carrying capacity or his physical stats.
He realized how long it was taking him to decide then, and he cursed under his breath. He’d wait to see what all of this stuff was later - for now, he just wanted to get the racial evolutions taken care of. He wasn’t sure why, but his gut told him to get it done quickly, so he rapidly laid out his situation.
He was in a mysterious world with few allies and in a tenuous state with the locals due to an upcoming event. The system had just gone down, and he saw the sun quite literally blink before everything came back online a split second later. He didn’t know if he’d need to fight something soon, before thinking about needing to fight someone. He vigorously pushed that thought out of his head as he cursed himself.
If this was a world where people frequently died like his allies and the system implied, he’d need the best survivability he could get. If that meant min-maxing and leaning into whatever build his forced class told him to be, then he’d do that.
Ross selected Giant, and was greeted with another pop-up window.
[Your {Enlightened_Core} has allowed you an extra choice in your Racial Evolution! Please select your new Subrace from the options listed below. For more information, say “(Subrace) Details.”
* Storm Giant
* Cloud Giant
* Frost Giant
* Fire Giant
* Stone Giant
* Hill Giant
* Titan ]
Raising an eyebrow, Ross said, “Titan details.”
[Enlightened Racial Evolution - Titan
Racial Evolution Path of the Giant (Firbolg)
The Titans, entities older and grander than Gods, existed for aeons before being slaughtered, trapped or banished from any realm they had existed within due to their battle with the Gods. The only remaining Titans linger in the Bedlam, and as they grow mightier with age, so too does their regeneration. They do nothing but feed their flesh to the Bedlam’s unwavering tides, growing it back just as fast as- if not faster than - the Bedlam can strip it away.
Firbolgs who dare to tread the path of the heretical Titans will undoubtedly be frowned upon by the Terraegnan pantheon. However, when the end of days arrives, they will stand strong as the front line of defense against the multiverse’s greatest threat.
Selecting the Titan Subrace will provide the following alterations to you (in addition to the alterations of the Giant Lineage):
* Undergo 3x Racial Trait Evolutions
* Unlock the “Heretic” Title
* Unlock the “Titanblood” Title
* Unlock the “Godhunter” Trait
* Unlock the “Multifuel” Trait
* Unlock the “Truesight” Trait ]
Ross nodded to himself. It seemed as though the giants pulled directly from most fantasy ttrpgs, which meant he had a solid idea of what they did and thus didn’t need to read into their descriptions, but this Titan trait resembled Greek mythology from Earth far more than anything else. He recalled how powerful the titans were, especially in body, and silently hoped he’d be able to select from some known figures to focus his racial evolutions on moving forward. A new pop-up entered his field of vision after he confirmed his selection of Titan.
[Would you like to wait to undergo Racial Evolution until you complete all selections? ]
“I guess..?” Ross said aloud, voice raspy and gravelly. A familiar looking pop-up appeared before him.
[Please select your new Subrace Focus from the list below. For more information on a selection, say, “(Subrace Focus name) details.”
* Aether
* Cyclopes
* Hecatoncheires
* Nyx
* Tartarus ]
“The cyclopes aren’t even real titans!” Ross protested aloud, huffing. After realizing he wouldn’t get any sort of a response, he groaned and read over the options.
The Aether was all about magic pulled directly from the Bedlam, so he almost immediately dismissed that - he was running a melee build, which meant no magic-focused racial evolutions. He noticed that Nyx and Tartarus both also had a focus on magic; Nyx was about necromancy, while Tartarus was all about imprisonment and traps. He crossed those off of his options, as well; he wanted nothing to do with reanimated corpses or captive enemies. That left him with two options - Cyclopes and Hecatonchires. He read over Cyclopes first, and realized that his sight would be greatly hindered despite gaining a massive increase in strength and constitution. It seemed like the choice one might prefer if they were a barbarian or berserker, but he didn’t want that sort of build for himself. He was a defender, anyways - he was pretty sure any lack of sight or dexterity would hinder his job on the battlefield. That just left Hecatoncheires.
[Subracial Evolution - Hecatoncheires - Firbolg (Titan)
As descendants of both fae and giants, Firbolgs are typically drawn to one base heritage or the other. However, when a Firbolg is granted some form or another of deific power, they’re able to follow the path of the Archfae or the path of the Titans.
Titan Firbolg, in addition to growing in height, will grow in muscle density through the mere selection of the option. Their new appearance will be based upon what their Titan subrace entails, and the Hecatoncheires are no exception to this rule.
The Hecatoncheires Firbolgs have been blessed with far greater strength, dexterity and constitution than any other member of the Titan subrace. The reason they gain such beneficial traits over any other Titans is due to their primary Class being a Defender, and any Firbolg not starting their journey as that Class are unable to select the Hecatoncheires Subracial Evolution. Their spirits have been bolstered by the will to defend what’s right, and are commonly despised by other Titan Firbolgs due to their ancestors’ history.
Selecting the Hecatoncheires Subracial Evolution will provide the following alterations to you:
* Unlock the “Hundred-Handed” Trait or the “Fifty-Headed” Trait (Your choice)
* Hundred-Handed: Grants an additional number of arms up to a number determined by the Trait’s level OR up to 100. Further levels will bolster the effectiveness of your arms.
* Fifty-Headed: Grants the ability to partition off your mind into sections up to a number determined by the Trait’s level OR up to 50 sections, each taking after another task individually while still working in tandem. Further levels will bolster the effectiveness of the partitions.
* Unlock the “Hecatoncheires” Trait
* Unlock the “Multi-Limb” Trait
* Unlock the “Primordial” Title ]
Ross blinked. He didn’t remember the Hecatoncheires very well from his time exploring Greek myths, but they definitely seemed overpowered. He absently wondered what other primary classes could have netted him, but shrugged and re-read the information before him. It seemed as though this was exactly what Ross was aiming for - some sort of bulky hard-hitting tank build that still maintained a level of mobility if the need ever arose. He nodded to himself before confirming the selection.
[You may select a Trait from the options shown below. Which would you like to select?
* Trait: Hundred-Handed
* Trait: Fifty-Headed ]
Ross almost immediately selected Hundred-Handed, having made up his mind the moment he saw it. A certain six-armed, wrathful anime protagonist gave him tunnel vision, he would admit, but it was a choice he didn’t regret making a snap decision about. A new pop-up appeared in his view.
[You are now undergoing two simultaneous Racial Evolutions and/or Subracial Evolutions. The total changes are as follows:
New Race: Titan Firbolg (Hecatoncheires-Kin)
Racial Trait Evolutions:
* Hermit → Solitary
* Mountain-Dweller → World-Roamer
* Powerful Build → Titanic Build
Physical Changes:
* Physical stats will increase with a 2/1 ratio through unused stat points
* Muscle density will be multiplied by 10
* Speed and relative brain function will be multiplied by 1.5
* Max HP is multiplied by 3
Mental Changes:
* None
Please be sitting down in a safe area, as it is likely for you to pass out for a time. ]
“Pass out!?” Ross said. “What do you-”
He was cut off as his vision went black once more.