After Ace left, Dan didn’t hit the Class Obelisk and spend his six Stat points. Instead, he went on a run and exercised.
When he was done, he still didn’t spend them or force another level up. He worked on mana techniques until his core went down to about a quarter.
Then he took out a beast core and meditated. He was able to drain it and fill his own much faster than usual, especially considering the size of his pristine core.
He then leveled up once. He filled his core, cycled a ton, and worked on mana techniques one more time.
He continued cultivating the beast cores until all three were fully depleted and he was level 6. He then withdrew all his XP from the reader. It comes in a little ball that looks like a beast core. We call it an XP core. It’s condensed artificial qi. He didn’t stop cultivating that little ball until he was level 10 with a completely full core again.
He put what remained of the XP core in his backpack, went to the obelisk, and raised his Stats.
His channels were already cleared, and he far exceeded the 1-Star Soul and Stat-grade requirements, so he sat down near the obelisk and ascended to Copper tier, level 11.
Since it seems you’re a fancy-schmancy hotshot from a much higher layer, I don’t think you fully appreciate how impressive this all is. How it usually goes for mortals is not so different than for the demons of this layer.
I’d have a Common Class if I had never worked on a Scourge crew. That means I wouldn’t have a Slot Bonus until I get a 5-Star Class. I’m lucky to have an Uncommon Class.
When I finally earn my 3-Star Soul and upgrade my Class, I’ll have my first Slot Bonus. Dan started with five Slot Bonuses.
Like the vast majority of us demons here, I had a 0-Star Soul from level 1 to 10. I only received one Stat point per level. I got stuck at level 10 for a long while until I received an insight into my revelation big enough to hit 1-Star Soul.
After finally ascending to low Copper, I got two Stat points per level until the next major bottleneck at peak Iron, level 40, and the 2-Star Soul bottleneck.
The Stat-grade requirements aren’t too hard to pass. Not for demons of my layer, unlike for mortals. It’s always the Soul-grade, but we have to waste a ton of Stat points increasing the rank of our core to pass the core bottlenecks too.
Even at level 0, besides Stat-grades, Dan was clear to ascend straight through to level 260, peak Fiend. That’s just insane. That’s not close to how it usually works for either mortals or demons. I mean the demons of my layer.
I’m just hoping you understand and appreciate this before I show his status.
[I do.]
Can I ask a question? Do you know if there was a reason he didn’t apply the Stat points until right before he ascended?
[I have no idea. It shouldn’t matter. Not as how I understand things to work. He also waited until he slotted his five Orbments to ascend to Foundation tier. He could have just ascended after he got his Class too, before he slotted the three Legendaries or farmed the bugbears.]
True. Wish I knew if that was done for a reason.
Anyway, around noonish, when my other team members were finishing up lunch, Dan finished cultivating the rest of his XP core. He had just enough to hit level 13. His core was a little under half full after.
Here’s his status. Just in case it works differently for you, Attributes increase by 1 each tier, so he received an increase to each at Foundation tier and another at Copper. We don’t receive a step increase to a Stat until we ascend to Iron tier.
Name: Daniel “Dan” Branigan
Difficulty: Hell (Increase XP by 100% and drop chance by 30%)
Tier: Copper (2)
Level: 13
Soul: SS+ Grade (5-Star)
Mana-type: Magma
Core: Pristine
Stats (capacity for and amplification of intrinsic qualities)
Agility, B Grade (100 Max): 13
Mana, B Grade (100 Max): 7
Reaction, B Grade (100 Max): 26
Speed, B Grade (100 Max): 26
Strength, F Grade (10 Max): 6
Attributes (intrinsic qualities averaged)
Durability (physical and void resistance): 3
Health (disease and poison resistance): 7
Spirit (mental and primordial resistance): 4
Class:
DISCIPLE OF MOLTEN STONE (Ph/D/Pw/U/S. Legendary 5-Star Class. Number of Slot Bonuses equal to Star Class)
Class Restrictions:
Defensive Orbment slot will not accept Indomitable, Resilient, Resistant, Resolute, Retribution, or Tough.
Power Orbment slot will not accept Barrier or any transformation Orbment.
Crown Orbment must be a Defensive or Support Orbment.
Orbment Bonus (2 of 5)
With five Orbments slotted, each Orbment gains the equivalent of 1 rank.
STORM [First Rank] (Physical Orbment, Legendary, unique-equipped, active): You must be holding a weapon to cast this invocation. Casting this invocation causes very heavy weapon-damage to all enemies in a 6.69-meter 60-degree cone in front of you. Higher ranks increase damage and mana cost by 10%, extend range of cone by 5%, and lower the cooldown by 5s. Medium mana cost, instant cast, 1m:27s cooldown.
Block [First Rank] (Defensive Orbment, Common, unique-equipped, passive]: This Orbment completely nullifies 1 damaging attack made against you every combat instance. Higher ranks add charges, nullifying one additional attack per rank. Must be out of combat for 1:27s for charges to reset.
SUMMON INFERNAL [First Rank] (Power Orbment, Legendary, unique-equipped, active): Casting this invocation summons an infernal guardian matching your level (minimum level 25) that lasts until its death or dismissal. The Infernal is infused with summoner’s mana-type. The Infernal can mitigate and absorb a lot of damage and it deals moderate to good damage to enemies with a ray spell and physical attacks. Higher ranks increase size, durability, damage, range of ray spell, and mana cost by 20%. Extremely high mana cost, 20s cast time, no cooldown.
SIXTH SENSE [First Rank] (Utility Orbment, Legendary, stackable (2), passive): You perceive more and are more aware of your surroundings and possible threats, both seen and unseen, in a circumference of 8.09 meters around you. This can manifest as a precognitive flash of impending danger. Higher ranks slightly increase effect and double circumference.
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Enhance Reaction (Support Orbment, Rare, stackable (3), passive): Increases your Reaction Stat by 3 per rank. Ignores Stat cap.
Slot Bonus (5 of 5)
(1) Inevitability of Magma: Killing or assisting in killing an enemy instantly fills your core with mana equivalent to roughly 24 minutes worth of the last meditation technique used and provides a minor healing effect. Lower-level enemies are worth less time but no less than 56 seconds. Higher-level enemies are worth more time.
(2) Lava Stomp: Stomp the ground, sending bits of lava spattering in a 4.81-meter 90-degree cone in front of you and trapping the parts of creatures touching the ground in lava for 1 second. Medium mana cost, instant cast, 3m:24s cooldown.
(3) Seismic Sense: You perceive more and are more aware of your surroundings and possible threats, both seen and unseen, in a circumference of 24.27 meters around you. This can manifest as a precognitive flash of impending danger. This provides the benefit of the Third Rank SIXTH SENSE Orbment, and stacks with that Orbment.
(4) Molten Armor: Hot lava covers your body, mitigating taken damage by 12% and returning 9% of all taken damage for a duration of 1:38s, as the Second Rank Barrier status effect and Third Rank Retribution status effect. The Barrier status effect given by Molten Armor cannot be overwritten by higher ranks of the effect and can only stack with the BALLAD OF PRESERVATION status effect. Retribution status effect given by Molten Armor cannot be overwritten by higher ranks of the effect and can only stack with the Reprisal Hymn status effect. Medium mana cost, instant cast, 4m:55s cooldown.
(5) Aspect of Magma: You take on aspects of magma. Your Agility, Reaction, and Speed increase by a full grade. Your Mana increases by a step. Your Durability and Health increase by 1 each. You gain immunity to slowing debuffs, most poisons, some diseases, and most sources of heat. Your skin becomes more like lava, giving you the permanent benefits of the Third Rank Tough, Resilient, and Resistant Orbments, and the First Rank Barrier and Retribution status effects. Your mind becomes more like that of a volcano, giving you the permanent benefits of the First Rank Enraged status effect minus the Stat increases.
Becoming more like magma comes at a price. Your Strength decreases by a full grade. Your mind becomes volatile and unpredictable. As per the First Rank Enraged status effect, you are as likely to lash out at friends as enemies. You are more vulnerable to cold and water damage.
Crown Orbment Bonus (0 of 1)
Inevitability of Magma also has a chance to instantly reset the cooldown of Lava Stomp or Molten Armor. If Block or Dodge is slotted, its charges are doubled. If Revenge or NULLIFY is slotted, its cast time, mana cost, and cooldown are reduced by 25%. If any chant, hymn, song, MANA BATTERY, innate attribute, or statistic enhancer is slotted, it functions as if it were two ranks higher.
Traits (3)
(1) Lone Wolf: Pick an additional Trait. Increase XP by 50% and drop chance by 25%. Joining a party removes this Trait. Fighting within 13 meters of a friendly participant inverses Trait bonuses.
(2) Stalwart Soul: Your Soul Stat is increased by one step (F to F+, F+ to C, etc.).
(3) Hardened Channels: Your channels are hardened and can handle a large amount of mana usage without injury or damage.
Seeing Block slotted still infuriates me. Even at Fifth Rank with the Orbment Bonus bringing it to Sixth Rank and the double charges from the Crown Orbment Bonus, it would only block 12 attacks per combat instance.
One Needles invocation would remove all charges. As you said, NULLIFY would be so much better. Even Dodge would be a far better use of the defensive Orbment slot.
[Considering his Stat point allocations and slotting SIXTH SENSE, I assume his plan was to not get hit. Block charges would be for when doing so was unavoidable. And it costs no mana.]
I see your point. And I’m just telling you what my thoughts were at the time. I would’ve put more points into Mana to make invocations more powerful. He dumped the maximum allowable of two points per level into Reaction and Speed.
Oh, did you notice he received a natural step increase to Mana too?
[I assumed. It should’ve only been C+ from the step increase Aspect of Magma gave.]
Exactly, Boss. After leveling up, Dan ran back to the Combat Trial and completed it once to get rid of all the trash and bodies in it. Then he ran to the Agility Trial and grabbed a spear from the big pile of weapons they had moved there before running to the Core Trial.
His cardio wasn’t so shitty after the 2-point increase to Health, but it was far from being good. I should probably add in more about how he’d huff and puff all the time, just covered in sweat like a filthy animal, but I think I stressed that enough earlier.
[You did.]
Good. He was still a fat at this point. Anyway, he got about 50 meters away from the group before stopping. He watched them train for a couple minutes before calling for Nick and Chet.
They made a big deal about his stupid eyes and healed arm. I’ll skip that nonsense. They talked about what had been looted from the corpses and other dumb shit which I’ll also skip. I should mention Becky was wearing pants and shoes now, and Leena had on a thick sweater. I don’t think Chet was happy about that.
“You get the transmitters connected,” Dan asked Chet.
“I did. The A-camera will always transmit to the B-camera, and I can connect the B-camera to any Profile Reader to show A’s feed.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. Mind connecting to the reader here and bringing me the A camera, please?”
“Of course,” replied Chet. “And I must demand my personal training begin soon. I did five different exercises until muscle failure again last night. I am very sore today. Ace has been pushing us very hard. I’m ready to become an OP killing machine.”
“You ain’t conditioned enough yet,” replied Dan. “Keep at it. You understand this Trial’s instructions? How to form a core?”
Chet sighed and said, “I understand the basics.”
“You need to understand a lot more than the basics. You get one shot at it. You need to succeed.”
Chet sighed again, slumped his shoulders, and said, “Understood,” before he headed back to the Trial to set up the cameras.
“He’s a good kid,” said Nick. “Most of the time. Guess what he was caught doing while looking at Leena sleeping last night? Didn’t seem too embarrassed by it neither. Just disappointed he was caught. Ace went at him hard for what he done. Becky too.”
Dan ignored what Nick had said and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder for a second before removing it.
For the first time I had ever noticed, it looked like Dan was giving his full attention to the person in front of him. He said, “Hey, I’m fixing to head over to the next area for a little bit. I got to take my infernal with me. I’m counting on you to make sure y’all here stay vigilant.”
“You need to go today, Danny,” asked Nick.
“I drive truck, break arms, and arm wrestle. It's what I love to do. It's what I do best. Being number one is everything. There is no second place.”
[What? What did he mean by that?]
I’m just kidding. He didn’t say that. That’s a Bull Hurley line from ‘Over the Top.’ You really must see it. It’s wonderful. We can surprise each other with quotes and demurely cover our mouths with a tentacle as we giggle like schoolgirls. If you have a tentacle, that is. A claw would work too. Or a leg. Anything, really, now that I think about it.
What Dan really said was, “I do got to. Still a lot of day left. Y’all have those weapons now. Just stay vigilant.”
Nick looked disappointed. He went to say something but stopped himself. He changed the subject by asking, “If we going to spend a lot of time up at this Trial learning about cores, shouldn’t we move camp up here?”
“It ain’t too far away from where camp’s at,” replied Dan. “Good chance to exercise a little. Listen, make sure you watching the camera when I enter the next area. I reckon that will explain better than anything I say why you need to train hard. And quit smoking.”
“I’ll be watching,” replied Nick.
“Good.” Dan rubbed his face. “Hey. Mind switching backpacks for the day? Mine’s too full.”
“No problem, man. All I got in mine anyhow is a couple meals, my water, some smokes I found on a body today, that tobacco Mr. Green gave me, and an extra vape pen.”
Nick dumped his backpack and switched with Dan. He said, “Damn, boy, your pack is heavy. What you got in here? Gold?”
“Naw. And please don’t mess with my stuff, Nick.”
“Don’t you worry none. You know I ain’t. Hey, while I got you, mind going over Stats with me? The way Chet explains it ain’t clicking.”
“Yeah,” replied Dan. “You got the Strong Trait, right?”
“Yeah. I got C-grade Strength. I’m definitely a little stronger, but not, like, wow, that guy is like Superman or nothing.”
“You ain’t got no points in it,” said Dan. “For the sake of argument, pretend you didn’t have that Trait for a second. F-Grade Strength with no Stat points in it is your intrinsic strength. Your baseline. Ain’t no number for it. You work out hard and build up how strong you are, your intrinsic strength increases. Doesn’t show on the status or nothing though, but that’s also how you improve a Stat’s grade naturally – by working that Stat hard.
“Every step and grade increase to Strength increases how strong you are by some, added on top of your intrinsic strength. Stat points increase it by a percentage. When your Strength hits S-grade and you have 100 points in it, how intrinsically strong you are doubles. So, you’d be twice as strong. At SS++++ with 100 points, it triples. As SS++++ with 1,000 points, that’s 10 times tripled, so you’d be 30 times stronger than you’d be otherwise.”
Nick stood there with a confused look on his face for a minute. Dan asked, “Make sense?”
“Maybe? Never mind. Maybe Chet did explain it better. I can’t tell no more. I’m starting to wonder how I got accepted into college.”
Dan actually smiled for once. But the smile immediately disappeared. He said, “I got to go talk to everyone. I hate that. I wish I didn’t mind being around people so much.”
“You got this, bro. Got to be easier than the Combat Trial was.”
“I wish,” said Dan. “No sense putting off what needs doing. And don’t worry none, I’ll be back, but if I ain’t, that backpack’s yours.”
I was practically salivating. We could use Az’ga’s Sortilege while Dan wasn’t there to save everyone. Wonderful! Ace Blacky’s luck was turning around! I hoped it held, and we were given a good Sortilege.
The little asshole Austin was in the Trial, so Dan addressed everyone but him. He basically told them what he just told Nick, to watch closely, yadda, yadda.
Oh. He had already told Nick to tell the rest before, but he told them all again that if a demon appeared they should never talk to us. He said to ignore us and never agree to any bargains ever. That was terrible advice.
He then said, “I see some of y’all don’t have one of those weapons. Y’all’ll be vulnerable after I leave this area. I’ll be back soon, but everyone’s got to have a weapon with them at all times. And stick together. In fact, it’s probably smarter if training stops until I get back. Just watch the reader, but…Ace, come up with some sort of guard rotation so someone is watching every direction while I’m gone.
“As I said, the infernal’s coming with me too. It got to. It would despawn if I left it. And don’t none of y’all be dumb and try and leave this area. I don’t need no help. It won’t let y’all leave without a Class anyhow.”
Just FYI, that was a lie. The requirement to use the exit is level 1, which requires a Class, and at least F-rating on all the tutorial area Trials.
Dan stood there awkwardly for a minute after spewing that lie. “Guess I should wait until Austin gets out of the Trial. I’m waiting over there though. Oh, I need the camera too.”
Once everything was said and done, Dan, with spear in hand, exited the tutorial area and entered the next one.
He said, “Shit,” and quickly set the camera on the ground after seeing what we had in store for him.
The second area was just packed with vicious creatures. And not just that, but an absolute shitload of techs hit their Sortilege all at the same time.
I didn’t tell you about some stuff happening behind the scenes while he was farming the bugbears and leveling up. To make this part more dramatic. We had that fat prick dead to rights. There was no way he was going to make it out of this alive.