I shake my head in disappointment. Predictable disappointment, but disappointment nonetheless.
“Yazula was busy! And, and-” she stammers. “Yazula was not expecting you to level so fast. Yazula thought Yazula had plenty of time. Yazula does not think anyone prepares so far in the future so quickly.”
I sigh. Then I glance at Mus. “Mus, how far is your planning for your champion?”
“Um.” Her tail swishes left and right as her ears flicker atop her head. “I’ve already planned to level seventy-five.”
I raise an eyebrow at my goddess. Yazula's face is now flush red as she does everything to not look at me.
“Yazula would like to argue that Mus is not normal.”
“Uh-huh. Right. Have you at least prepared anything?”
She immediately perks up to my question. “Yes.”
She extends her hand with palm up for a moment. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a bowl filled with folded papers appears.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. Not so much that I’m upset, but that I’m delegated to quirks of fate. Granted, said fate is heavily skewed toward my benefit on account of Yazula being a goddess of luck. But still, luck only goes so far.
I sigh as I stare at the bowl. “Alrighty then. How do my next class choices work?”
Yazula smiles happily. She closes her eye and then reaches inside. While her eye is closed, her hand swishes the pieces of paper around. Then she grabs three and pulls them out.
The moment she does, a screen appears in my vision.
…Level 25 has been achieved.
…Unlocking Class upgrade.
…Three class upgrades are available.
Please choose one of the following classes:
[Rapid Shifter]Increase Max number of souls by 4[Shift] ability cooldown is reduced by 95%[Shift] ability cost is reduced by 20% maximum mana and an additional 5% per soul acquired.[Numerous Shifter]Increase max number of souls by 4Max soul count is increased by 300%All shift forms gain 5% improved traits per soul acquired.[Armament Shifter]Increase Max number of souls by 4Items equipped are placed in stasis up to 10% of form weight.Increase weight threshold by 5% per soul acquired.
Reading through each class, I can’t help but find them following something of a three part diagram.
First, my main class ability where I can gain souls and transform into beasts that I have souls for is improved in the number of souls.
Second, the unique class changes are added, all of which improve my [Shift] skill.
Third, the unique class changes gain the ability to scale in regards to the number of souls. Such an ability allows growth over a course of time.
After thoroughly reading and checking each class, I look at Yazula. The goddess is standing silently and expectantly with what looks like a dumb grin on her face.
“Yazula, what happens after I choose my new class?” I ask.
The bowl in her hand disappears and is replaced with another one. “Yazula will give a blessing.”
“Right. Am I allowed a choice?”
She shakes her head. “Yazula must choose.” She wiggles the bowl in front of me. “Yazula will find the best blessing.”
“Do I get any say over what you choose?”I ask.
She pouts. “Yazula can try to find something specific, but Yazula believes luck is better.”
Honestly, she’s not wrong. The mimicus blessing gave me the ability to communicate vocally. Also, I don’t think her judgment will be very good. Far better to leave it to luck.
“Alright, we’ll go the luck method. But first, let me choose a class.”
I return my attention to the screen and begin contemplating my choices.
Let's see. [Rapid Shifter] promotes the ability to rapidly change forms. Considering there is a good half minute before I can transform back, a 95% reduction of such a cooldown would allow me to transform every second and a half. On top of that, my transformation cost could become free in the long run. The only problem with the [Rapid Shifter] class is that my base form is probably far superior to anything I could reasonably transform into. Maybe I’d find something in the future, but until then, I’d have a thoroughly weakened class until then.
[Numerous Shifter] on the other hand has something of a similar problem. The class allows me to get a large number of transformations, which in theory would allow me to have a transformation ready to deal with various circumstances. Unfortunately, my base form is as a Fenrimorph, which is not considered a shift form. This means that 5% per soul boosts would not improve my traits as a Fenrimorph.
Unlike the other two, [Armament Shifter] seems to be a better option, but also a riskier one. Having the ability to keep equipment equipped on my person is a boon. In the short term, It will allow me to always have my gauntlets equipped. But in the long term, I can imagine a full suit of armor.
“I’m going to choose [Armament Shifter].”
The moment the words leave my lips, I am met with an onslaught of screens.
Class: [Armament Shifter] has been chosen.
Installing [Armament] Specialization to [Shifter]...
Installation Complete.
[Armament Shifter] Class level 25
You are a man who is connected to the material and immaterial plane. You are capable of absorbing the souls of those freely given and then transforming into the species the soul is of.
Your stasis is capable of carrying equipped items up to 10% + 5%(2) of total weight.
2/6 Souls
I read the description and nod to the changes.
“Alright, next is the blessing. Go ahead Yazula.”
Yazula un-summons the last container and then summons another filled with even more pieces of paper.
“Yazula will choose the best blessing.” Once again, she closes her eye and reaches inside. She grabs a piece of paper and pulls it out. Then a screen hits me.
Initiating second blessing from entity Yazula…
Blessing Loaded: Adding Baby Undammota soul to shifter class…
Baby Undammota (Soul)
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Monoculus are the rarest bird species in all of Tristique. They have the unique ability to sense all forms of seismic energy waves around them.
I read and reread it for several long seconds. My first instinct is to be upset. In my head, I hope for something interesting or immediately useful. But, I get a bird transformation. Granted, the description sounds fancy and all, what with the seismic energy sense, but I doubt it will be of great help.
I guess the ability to turn into something that could fly is useful.
“Is something wrong?” Mus interrupts my thoughts. The diminutive goddess, somehow even shorter than Yazula, is looking at me with concern.
“No. I’m just trying to figure out my blessing based solely on the description. I’m going to have to test it when I’m done here.”
“Yazula believes her choice is the best choice.”
Mus ignores Yazula. The goddess of magic just continues staring at me for long moments. “You are displeased.” She finally says. “You wish for less chaos in your choices.”
I frown at her words. Goddesses of magic are generally intelligent. Well, most gods are intelligent. But gods of magic are exceptionally so. Such a thing tends to come at a tradeoff. For magic, that is generally in wisdom. Reading and comprehending emotions is generally what such gods struggle with.
I guess a Goddess of Nature Magic is a bit of a different breed.
“It would be nice, but I wouldn’t trust Yazula to choose properly-”
“HEY!”
“-without using her skill.”
She tilts her head. “Luck can run out.”
I shrug. “It can, absolutely. But it hasn’t yet, so I’ll deal with it if it comes. Anyways, do I get anything else? Or are we done here?”
Yazula opens her mouth to speak, but my answer is immediately answered by a portal opening next to her.
All I hear is a surprised squeal as her body is suctioned through.
Me and Mus just stare surprised while the portal closes.
Once the portal is closed, Green converges into existence at the same location.
The floating eyeball blinks at me, and then blinks at Mus.
“Error. Unauthorized Divine Entity Present. Purging divine entity.”
I hear Mus squeal as another portal appears and suctions the women through the same way as Yazula.
Once she is gone, Green turns to me.
“You have gained a single level. You have 11 attributes available.”
Eleven?
“Show me my full traits.”
“Acknowledged.”
Traits.
Human Average
Individual Base Calculations.
Level modifications
Trait Actual Value
Strength
10
41
+33%
54
Endurance
9
46
+0%
46
Vitality
12
0.27%M/R/M
28
0.63% M/R/M
+0%
+9.31%
28
9.94% M/R/M
Perception
9
29
+0%
29
Intelligence
11
16
+0%
16
Mana
388.8
510
+0%
510
Control
12
10
+0%
10
Attributes Available/Attributes total:
11
44
Level:
25
Titles Obtained: 3
Title Name
Leviathan Slayer
Title Rank
Legendary
Title Effect
+10 Attribute points
Title Name
Underdog Boarder
Title Rank
Rare
Title Effect
[Captain’s Authority] stat decay is slowed when boarding enemy vessels.
Title Name
Mana Fur
Title Rank
Divine
Title Effect
Increase Mana Regeneration by fur density.
Current Bonus: +9.31% M/RM
“Why do I have eleven attribute points? Shouldn’t I only have one?”
“That information is restricted.”
I sigh. “Of course it is. I’ll have to ask Myers. For now, what should I do.”
I tap my chin as I stare at my traits.
I could continue to add points into strength. Myers mentions that strength is capped at twice the endurance, and my endurance is very high. So I still have a decent way to go. Alternatively, I can increase endurance, which would give me the highest stat gain. But, I doubt endurance would be a good idea. Doubling or tripling my resilience will make me more durable, but nowhere near durable enough to ignore a runed sword.
“Lets just keep putting my points into strength and that will be it.”
“Acknowledged.”
_________________________________________________________________
One moment I was staring at green, and the next, I’m sticky, wet, warm, and surrounded by gore.
The fuck am I?
Moving about, I feel meat shift easily against my muscles. I stand and move, ripping sinew and organs apart. Eventually, I feel a hard exterior. Touching the exterior, my memories flood back into me at the feel of the chitin.
Right. I went inside the matriarch as a cat, transformed back. And then I had a feeding frenzy before passing out.
Finally mentally caught up, I continue slicing and dicing through innards until I find an opening. Squeezing myself out, I am met with blazing sunlight.
Wary, I glance around in case there are more scorpions, but there are none. The tower is firmly nearby and is probably keeping the other scorpions from approaching.
Now then, it should be somewhere, probably by the tail end.
I walk to the behind of the scorpion and then check the area. After a good five minutes and a bit of digging, my search bares fruit. I grab my gauntlets and quickly put them on. A more difficult prospect on account of my larger hand. Eventually, I get it done.
Once they are firmly in place, I return to the matriarch corpse. The corpse doesn't look much like a corpse other than the bloody hole behind it. The carapace is doing a fine job of keeping the internals from just gushing out into the sand.
Climbing on its back, I walk to the center where the key is embedded. I kneel down to pull the key out, only to find that the thing is firmly in place.
Raising my arms, I push my weight into my punch. Armored fist meets carapace, and carapace barely loses. A tiny crack forms from where I struck.
Thank god I didn’t try to break through its armor.
Raising my fist, I continue my onslaught, creating more and more cracks until the carapace shatters. With the carapace broken, It was easy to retrieve the key.
I raise it up to the sunlight.
The key is black like obsidian, but also shinier. It also feels very sturdy.
With the key in hand, I make my way to the tower entrance. I insert the key and turn. I hear a click.
The door opens on its own.