After one last check on the status of the archipelago, I triggered the fairy circle and teleported to the mainland. From there, a series of small jumps took me to Ackerton's palace. Cadrel had one of the apartments in the inner palace set aside for me permanently, with a tall tree in the middle of the winter garden. This section didn't even have a door leading to the outside, since I could just go through the walls. It also didn't have any staff waiting for me. It was secluded and private, just as I liked it.
The room had enchantments to clean up and keep dust from accumulating as well as killing and disposing of vermin.
I laid on the bed and sunk deep in my thoughts. Ackerton was fine. The former Duke was doing great in his job as "The Master", directing the ever-growing band of [Assassins] under his wing. Kazuyran returned to Windemere sometime ago. The number of nations I gave more than a fuck about was only growing.
To keep my mind away from worrying too much about the world, I pulled my Status.
> Level 168
>
> Strength: 79+12 (91) / 86 - Dexterity: 71+14 (85) / 86 - Endurance: 72+14 (86) / 86
>
> Mind: 72+19 (91) / 86 - Willpower: 72+19 (91) / 86 - Charisma: 75+12 (87) / 86
>
> Magic: 84+12 (96) / 86
>
> Ego: 68+17 (85) / 86 - Luck: 73+17 (90) / 86 - Soul: 69+17 (86) / 86
>
> HP 34.604.535 (212.891 HP/s)
>
> Energy 71.612.641 (59.145 E/min)
>
> Total Perk picks available: 38
I needed one hundred and twenty-five Attribute Points to reach the new cap. The important part was the last line. Thirty-eight Perks to pick. Onward. Time to get more mermaid-ish than before. The second rank species, Veiled Dolphin-Mermaid was focused on stealth and the ethereal realm. After reviewing the Perk list for a while, I made my picks.
> Blurred Afterimage (very rare): During combat, every time you evade an enemy line of sight, you can attempt to hide again.
Hiding again gave me a chance to use my Assassin abilities that required an unaware enemy.
> Ethereal Healing (very rare): While in the Ethereal plane and out of combat, you recover resources 50% faster.
>
> Ethereal Jump (very rare): When moving alone, you can travel to and from the Ethereal world in 1 second.
>
> Arcane Imprints (rare): Spells cast closer than Mind/2 meters of you linger in the Ethereal world for 1 hour.
At first, the imprints looked like a novelty Perk. But it opened a sleuth of forensic Perks that allowed me to screw the living shit out of any caster that dared use magic next to me.
> Arcane Secrets (very rare): You can study an arcane imprint to gain information regarding the spell and the caster.
>
> Arcane Comprehension (ultra-rare): You can study an arcane imprint to learn the spell.
>
> Arcane Tracking (very rare): You can track the spellcaster by studying an imprint.
>
> Lingering Imprints (very rare): Your Arcane imprints now last for 24 hours.
>
> Wide-Area Imprints (very rare): Increase the range for arcane imprints to Mindx2 meters.
>
> Invisible Imprints (ultra-rare): Arcane imprints created by your ability are hidden by your best stealth skill.
>
> Imprint Resonance (ultra-rare): After studying an imprint, you can cast a spell on the imprint's caster as if they were there.
>
> Imprint Tracing (ultra-rare): If you have a specially prepared surface, you can transfer a copy of an imprint into the surface. You know how to make them if you have the relevant skills.
The next species rank-up, Ethereal Dolphin-Mermaid promised even more utility for that esoteric world.
Stolen story; please report.
> Ethereal Skip (ultra-rare): You can transition to and from the ethereal world instantly, with a 1-minute cooldown.
>
> Ethereal Sight (very rare): In a range of Mind/2 meters, you can see both the ethereal and material worlds overlapped.
>
> Ethereal Hearing (very rare): In a range of Mind/2 meters, you can hear both the ethereal and material worlds overlapped.
>
> Ethereal Senses (ultra-rare): In a range of Mind/2 meters, all your senses work on both the ethereal and material worlds.
>
> Ether Counterspelling (ultra-rare): if you are aware of an attempt to cast a spell in the range of your Ethereal senses, the difficulty and cost to counterspell are halved.
>
> Ether Lanes (very rare): You can travel along with the Ethereal world at ten times the speed over the material one if you follow the veins of magic.
>
> Ethereal Stealth (ultra-rare): When in the material world, you can hide your magical signature from the ethereal using your best stealth skill.
The previous perks were all useful and pretty self-explanatory. After I got the last one of them, another one appeared, a staple of fantasy magic.
> Blink (ultra-rare): You can enter the Ethereal world, move up to Mind/2 meters at 10x your best movement speed, and exit back to the material world. Each transition takes 1 second.
>
> Instant Blink (ultra-rare): As Blink, but transitions are instantaneous and the movement speed multiplier is 50.
Then it opened some very interesting combat options.
> Flash Blink Step (ultra-rare): Combine the effects of Blink and Flash Step. Flash step now works regardless of obstacles unless those obstacles exist in both the ethereal and material worlds.
>
> Arcane Rend (ultra-rare): Attacks immediately after a flash blink step damages both HP and MP.
>
> Blink Slash (ultra-rare): Slashing attacks used with Flash Blink Step deal 2x damage as part of the target is shunted into the ethereal world.
That was as good as I could get regarding teleportation magic. Also the end of my allotment of Perks for Ethereal Dolphin-Mermaid. Finally, my fourth-tier species. Eldritch Dolphin-Mermaid. The last time I had anything with eldritch in the name, I got the mana-storm, the most broken AOE spell I've ever seen.
> Imbue Weapon (very rare): Empower your weapons or natural strikes with eldritch power, increasing base damage by 3d8 and allowing you to strike creatures immune to material weapons.
>
> Torrent Channeling (very rare): You can overcharge your magic faster and with deadlier effects. Pay as much MP cost as the original spell for each combination of an extra Element to which you have an affinity to increase damage by 200%.
That ended my allotment of species Perks. Since I spent most of my Class perks to re-acquire my spell-singing Perks, I only had a few picks. Twelve left. One for [Siren Diva], ten from [Siren Muse], and only one from the fourth-tier [Eldritch Muse].
> Diva Aura (ultra-rare): Double the range of your Diva Presence. Modify reactions by one step for each extra "aura" Perk you have. Diva Presence and Captive Audience work even when not performing.
Then we reached the [Muse] Perks. While the [Diva] was focused on being the center of the stage, the focus of all attention, the [Muse] was meant to inspire and entice. That didn't mean she wasn't the focus of all attention. Just that her strongest weapon was her allies. I think there might be other [Muse] classes out there, with impossible requirements to unlock. Mine was based on music.
> Muse Inspiration (very rare): You can inspire a target to greater heights. While you take no actions and concentrate on the target, they gain +10 to all Attribute and +20 to all Skills.
>
> Unblemished Skin (rare): Your skin cannot be permanently damaged. You are immune to skin afflictions. All scars and skin damage fade and/or heal over 24 hours. Bleeding effects' duration is halved.
>
> Mass Inspiration (very rare): After a token performance, you can inspire a group up to Charisma creatures. Inspired targets gain +10 to their three highest Attributes for as long as you pay 100MP/second. You can still act while Mass Inspiration is active.
>
> Song of Heroism (very rare): While you perform, allies that can hear you deal 50% more damage and take 50% less damage.
>
> Song of Sacrifice (very rare): While you perform, you take 50% of the damage and effects inflicted on allies that can hear you. This effect ends if you drop below 10% of your maximum HP.
>
> Undying Music (very rare): Your songs are twice as hard to counter or dispel. Normal noises and sounds cannot drown out your music. Double the range of your musical effects.
>
> Sing to the Heavens (ultra rare): Multiply the range of your musical performances by sqrt(Ego).
>
> Untouchable Performance (ultra-rare): If you sing and take no offensive actions, you reduce all damage you take by 75%.
>
> Song of Healing (ultra-rare): While you perform, you can cast healing magic on all allies that can hear you.
Then we had the capstone of the [Muse] abilities.
> Muse Aura (ultra-rare): While you perform, spend 1.000 MP/second to empower all allies in a radius of Soul meters that can hear you sing. Empowered allies add half your Charisma Attribute to all of their Attribute and Skill tests.
In my crazy drive for vengeance, I missed out on this Class. Had I not killed the God of Rising Towers, I wouldn't suffer from [Bygone Hero]. But he would probably mess up my fight with Carcinodon anyway. No crying over spilled milk. There was only one more Perk pick for me. The [Eldritch Muse] retained the [Muse] denomination but added, once again, that dreaded term. Most of the Perks were locked under a single one. Like the {Mana Wellspring} that opened all others up to the {Manastorm}, I had to start climbing the Perk tree of this ultimate class. Once it reached level 20, that was it. Level cap and boom!
What weirded me the most was the rarity of the Perk.
> Eldritch Presence (unique): You are calamity incarnate. A source of hope for allies, despair for enemies. Regardless of allegiance, all shall fear your unbound power. You passively gain +5 in Magic and all spiritual Attributes. All creatures in Soul meters around you suffer a penalty equal to your Ego score plus the level difference between you and them, reduced by (their Ego)%. Enemies whose highest Attribute drops to zero are paralyzed while they are in range. Allies and neutral creatures whose attributes would drop to zero retain at least 1 point in all attributes but must move away from you.
I used {Tree Stride} to move to a place without people around me and triggered it. A wave of power flew from me, pushing the vegetation away and causing every single critter ninety meters around me to cry out in panic. My body glowed like one of those dance club dark lights.
I quickly turned off {Eldritch Presence}. Too sinister. it was worth just for the Attribute bonuses. I needed to level up to know what other Perks derived from this crazy shit.