[You’ve guaranteed survival but can you thrive?]

I blinked at yet another sudden notification that disappeared as soon as it was acknowledged. I frowned mentally as I pondered it though, then something clicked. I remembered that no matter how much time I spent in the dungeon only an hour would pass outside. This meant I at least didn’t have to worry about Kori and given I was biologically immortal I didn’t have to worry about time. I wouldn’t die of old age and now neither from starvation. Perhaps I could try practising being a deity if there is another tribe of sentient beings in this wasteland.

If not I could at least practice and master my skills along with integrating what my six previous lives had to offer.

“W-what happened here?” Oh? Speak of the devil and he doth appear eh?

I turned my head and locked eyes with a trembling pair of humans, all they must be seeing is the remains of another tribe and a being made of stars sitting in the middle of the remains.

“They thought me a monster so I acted like one…” I telepathically told them and the two flinched as one of them must have asked before they’d spotted me. “What will you think I am?” I finished with amusement.

-

“Mistress are you awake?” Cane said as he entered the central chamber of the high Ziggurat. I opened one lid and huffed out a breath as I rose from the water fully. I stretched in a manner that made my shoulders, spine and wings let out satisfying pops as I flexed my chi out of my pours to dry the feathers from being submerged for so long.

“M-Mistress, how long were you submerged?” Cane hesitantly asked as he came running to the edge of the central pool that comprised a large part of the internal structure of the high Ziggurat. He handed me the robes that the two tribes now turned one civilization had woven for me. In the brief span of one and a half century. Granted I'd expended quite a bit of magic and power in general to help them build the foundations and frame of the Ziggurats but they'd managed it in about a century or so.

I looked at Cane and smiled softly as I used chi tendrils and draped myself in the robes, slightly flicking my wings to get comfortable. “I believe I managed to force the water adaptability to start stirring.” I hissed softly out as I started to change back into the form of Kainaat managing the robes to adjust accordingly until I took the other half of my humanoid mortal form.

I could take the form of any mortal race that I have encountered it was simply that I was the most comfortable with a slightly elven type of appearance so it was the default. In the end I’d just have the equivalent type of features for the mortal race I was portraying.

While Mors was the tall, athletic and slim adventurer type body that radiated precision and agile speed Kainaat was different. Kainaat was a fucking amazon, I thought perhaps the interplay of having named this form the goddess of life and oblivion made the body just radiate pure power. Her hair though was a strangely warm shade of white green with pitch black highlights whereas Mors’s was simply a slightly grey tinted black though I’d started to note that there were white highlights coming into being at the edges and sides. I suspected the hair colours were reflections of the aspects either form was representing. Then again being more mortal in my thought processes compared to other eldritch beings, should I be pondering my own being to begin with?

Both forms though, now stood at an impressive 2.2 meters and I was starting to think the titan was having more effect than I’d have originally thought. Kainaat was all wired with thick strands of muscle that left the body clearly defined. Kind of reminded me of some of the pictures of Oni women I’d seen on the internet back on earth. Clearly though I saw it was a perfect blend between the refined huntress like beauty of the elven druid Thennele Everwood and the muscled martial artist that the deceptively physical body of the mad cultivator Nabathi the formation witch had been. Though more muscled than either which I suspected was part of the Titan Arguran at play again. Perhaps the more nimbler and precise form of Mors was a reflection since death was skeletal most of the time so the near same muscle definition on the male form must’ve also been from Argurans influence.

I hadn’t advanced at all in levels for either race nor class but that was fine. I’d figured the trial had more in line with what the title would unlock for me. My sometimes rather loud grumbling at how I knew perfectly how to do something and could easily teach it yet somehow I couldn’t get past the level of passable beginner when I tried to put it all into practice. It had earned me some strange form of fondness from the tribes and their subsequent descendants.

I’d taken time to investigate it when I figured out how to change my size while I’m a Mingshe and according to their belief I was bound by the heavens to appear in the aspects mortals perceived me as. As their ancestors had asked for a protector, guide and teacher those were the roles I was now stuck with during this stage of my trial, thus unable to put my vast knowledge into practice for my own gain. I’d decided to lean into it a bit as it really wasn’t all that far from the truth so I didn’t need to lie at all if I didn't know the reason for it.

Sometimes in my deepest moods of frustration I feared they had a point, I’d done it initially as a simple joke and an experiment. Though I did have a small ray of sun from an interesting interplay with my skills, something I could actually raise, and Nabathi’s knowledge of formations.

I could form them with [Quintessence] and [Soul-fire] both of which had grown rather substantially alongside [Void Fire] as the dungeon seemed almost hell-bent on killing the two tribes in the first half century. It had lead to skill growth but nothing in the terms of levels, though I wasn’t complaining.

Most had not only managed to get to the Apprentice rank but had even gotten to journeyman and to Professional ranks. [Soul-fire] and [Quintessence] hadn’t changed much though it was clear they grew more powerful, easier to control and could be spread over a larger area at my will as they grew. [Void Fire] though had changed but didn’t have the same utility as the other two.

Where it had been capable of sending out bolts, crescents for a thin but wide area, exploding balls (if bolts were provided enough power) and act like a flame thrower before. It had only grown easier to control and more powerful as it grew. I couldn’t guide it into the exact form I wanted though thankfully I was immune to it. Once it had hit the journeyman rank it’s name had changed to [Void Blaze] and it had gained two more functions along with an ability to guide the bolts at my will at last. However it was just the bolts for some reason. The first of the new functions was to create a sort of crystal from the fire that if it came into contact with mater it would expend itself to corrode the contacted mater away, I was still trying to figure out a use for it as I couldn’t exactly just forge a weapon of this crystallized black fire to wield at a whim. For one it took a lot of power, power I still hadn’t manage to acquire or had managed to channel.

The second function was a wide area attack with me at the centre, fire like out of flamethrowers just exploding outwards in all directions from me. It certainly made a blaze of black fire in its wake and was over in about a moment or two from start to finish. My surroundings much clearer, certainly a good way to get rid of pests in my vicinity.

[Eldritch brain] hadn’t reached the next rank yet but it was teasing me as it hovered at level 9. Just telepathically speaking to the humans had been rather congruent to it’s improvement. That and the use of partitioning my mind to practice literal multi tasking.

Same could be said about [Manifest Physiology: (The sprout of Lusaaset)] though the skill hadn’t managed to go much higher than level 6. Thanks to [Eldritch brain]’s growth I was able partition my mind into three now. With one of the two extra minds focusing on two of the energies in drawing them in. It was the most fundamental type of cultivation, drawing the energy and feeding it into their representations in my inner world. However [Manifest Physiology] was a glutton as almost an eight of everything I drew in was drawn into the sprout to be used to grow.

Over the past decade since the civilization that I’d nurtured into being had created seven Ziggurats to live in, I’d focused on cultivation. Mine being the high Ziggurat that the other six surrounded in the middle of a jungle we’d fully tamed together a century ago had allowed me the peace and quiet that I required to the task at hand. It had allowed me to keep the growth of my internal stages to the same level of [Manifest Physiology] while the masteries had managed to reach rank 8 without going up a tier themselves.

It was jarring really, the sheer amount of time I now realized I required to grow in those ways. I couldn’t use much of Nabathi’s cultivation knowledge since I had realized I needed a balance to all four of the energies to progress anywhere and my chi was also somehow so overly pure. So much so that if I used any but the most basic, slowest yet purest technique of just slowly drawing it in, twisting it into thread like tendrils to squeeze out any impurities or the core would take much too long to digest it properly that chi would lag behind. The cores natural function of digesting digesting and automatically purifying the chi to its purest form was a blessing and a curse since its purification would leave me with about an eight of pure chi from a hastily filled core of plain ambient chi but was at least ten times as pure.

I couldn’t expand the core to reach the next rank without the purest chi as it wouldn’t even budge otherwise and it wasn’t the only one. Mana and Eldritch energies were ostensibly the same in different manners. Mana needed to condense and grow concentrated enough to change from thin mist to a drop of pure liquid Mana.

Eldritch on the other hand crawled along my heart and consolidated through the growing patches of outer veins turned to crystal. The electric nature of the Eldritch energy gathered in the crystals and both helped their growth while growing stronger and purer until my heart took the energy into the muscles of the six chambers. In the end it all took time and managing to intertwine and help condense the energies with the help of Aether which somehow was the easiest to increase. All I really needed was to grow the magnitude of the growing gale of etheric winds in my inner world. It was just slowed to the same growth rate as the others once I started to use it to help increase the rate of the others if only by a small margin.

I manipulated the Aether in a way that it created three funnels above my chi core, Mana puddle and heart and what Aether made it out of that funnel increased my own inner winds. Somehow it was lessened or was used up in some way I didn’t quite understand yet as it aided in the purification of the other energies in these funnels I didn’t mind the expenditure.

I’d also unlocked the basic tier of energy affinities in my status for reaching apprentice rank 7 in my energy mastery rank but as of yet I had no idea how I increased my affinity for not only Chi but apparently needed to do so with Mana as well.

Eldritch and Aether were apparently their own thing which was a small load off of the ever growing things I needed to do to grow as well as possible.

The Affinities being the basics of Air, Earth, Water and Fire with the odd addition of Lighting, Metal, Nature and Ice added into the mix. Somehow my mastery of [Void Blaze], [Quintessence] and [Soul-fire] didn’t count for affinity in fire nor lighting. More was the pity really, no short cuts allowed it would seem.

My internal musings came to a halt as I noted Cane was still staring at me and I softly scoffed in a good natured manner. “I think I was about an hour this time. You ought to know I’m not foolish enough to stay down there long enough to drown, I know my limits at this stage.” His continued stare made me realize he must have asked me something while I was deep in thought. “I’m sorry I must have been lost in thought, what did you say?”

“I asked if you really needed to split your mind like you do to achieve your growth?” Cane gave me that annoying fond smile that the later generations of the few I allowed into my ziggurat had begun using. I knew it was from the regret that their ancestors had somehow diminished me and yet I stayed to fulfil my obligation while knowing I could regain my full capabilities if I left., according to them at least. I wasn't so sure on that part. With them not having needed me to protect them for almost half a century now and my roles as a teacher and guide having lessened as they prospered following what I’d taught before hand.

I grimaced a little as I showed him the wounds I got now if I didn’t at least keep my internal stages of energies in balance after managing the uneasy truce between my aspects. “I must keep myself in balance or I risk injury until I manage to balance my aspects. Oblivion is not easily brought to heel.” I said sadly.

Cane nodded gravely as he grimaced at the sight of the slowly healing scars. He didn’t know and he wouldn’t, not until the very end. Humans were so annoyingly endearing when they weren’t the abhorrent malicious little jerks they so often were. All they needed in the end was a guiding hand to get there, firm enough to rip the weeds out when they appeared.

I tied the Black chain around my waist and started to make my way out to the main balcony veranda, Cane moving behind me.

My thoughts turned inward again as I pulled up my status and noted the changes my internal stages brought to my stats. While they hadn’t changed from having 28 in all but Presence, being at 26, they all had gained an addition to them. Chi had increased all the physical stats by a (+1) per each stage of the rank I’d reached once the foundation at rank 1 had stabilized. Wisdom, Willpower and Presence though didn’t increase until all the internal stages had reached the same stage and rank within said stage. I only knew I’d solidified my internal stages properly when they increased the corresponding stats as it took a while to manifest on my status. Now I enjoyed a (+6) to everything for my combined internal stage ranks being balanced and then a further (+6) to my more physical stats from chi. Maybe I was blaming the titan unreasonably for the powerful physiques in my mortal forms?

I walked past the gardens that were starting to grow in the soil that I’d painstakingly brought up to fill the balcony veranda built here for that purpose. I stopped at the edge of the balcony and looked down at the grand communal plaza bellow. “I’ve come to the final test now, at least for this stage of my journey.” I said softly but somehow the world had grown quiet enough so my voice somehow carried to Cane’s ears.

“Mistress Kainaat?” He asked softly.

“Take this, have everyone come together on the plaza bellow and hold onto it.” I commanded quietly, sadly smiling as I handed the black chain over.

Cane was baffled as he nodded and walked away marvelling at the chain, as it stayed wrapped around my waist while one end continually lengthened to follow him. I turned and watched the plaza bellow, lost in thought until it was filled with the thousand or so members of the community living in the surrounding ziggurats around the high ziggurat. Each and every one holding onto the chain that moved down over the balcony’s railing all the way down to their ranks so everyone could hold onto the black links. They’d dubbed it the chain of souls but besides this strangely accommodating size and length adjustment I’d yet to find another ability imbedded in it.

“My People, Children of Ktep!” I called out when they were all quiet and looking up at me as I started, infusing my throat with chi and aether to make it carry to all of them at once. “I have taught you much of my aspects, I’ve taught you the lessons of death both in how your ancestors came to find me, the journey here and to the rites of passing I’ve taught you all to honour the dead.”

I saw the few necromancer priests in the crowd puff up their chests a bit from being of the first lesson to be mentioned.

“I’ve taught you the lessons of life through guiding your ancestors from the wastelands beyond and into this land of abundant life. Leading your people from death to life as we settled here. How I’ve taught you to live with the land in harmony be it beast, tree, flower or stream.”

I continued and this time it was the druids, farmers and harvesters that looked proud.

“I’ve taught you the lessons of creation as I helped your ancestors make the tools for what we live in now. The professions of creation that have set your future as the guardians of this land as a near guarantee.

With each lesson I’ve placed down to your ancestors and to you all has solidified the aspects within me.” I saw the craftsmen and others of the community all look up in pride and worship as I spoke but I swallowed and continued.

“But there is one lesson left that I’ve yet to teach.” I began, and as I continued I saw their faces fall as they realized what was happening. “There is one last aspect that I need to teach you of, that I must stabilize so I can be in balance. The lesson I have left to teach is one of Oblivion and it is a heavy lesson. It is why I have let the chain of souls be lengthened so each of you can hold onto it. So that you know I am with you even in this lesson!”

Tears ran down my cheeks as I floated up into the air and spread out [Quintessence] and [Soul-fire] to create a massive formation in the sky. My aspects needed harmony and I had finally figured it out after so many decades. Life and Death were one half of the other, even if some said they were opposite, so too was the fact that they were nothing with out the other.

Life fed on life, bringing death, thus life fed on death and vice versa. Life to death and from death to life, a harmony of symbiosis through conflict and metamorphosis. And through both came creation when the spark of intelligence was brought out of the conflict and allowed to flourish. For truly Intelligent life was also defined by its capacity to create.

Then at the end of things oblivion would come for it all, for nothing was without an end. None could defy oblivion in the end. But I also knew now that sometimes from oblivion would come the cycle anew, renewed through wiping the slate clean to begin once more.

And I was the [The Autarch of the twin cycles], of life and death, of creation and oblivion.

I opened myself up to the aspect and shed the mortal form, turning to the star skinned Autarch I started to turn black once more as a black sphere appeared in the centre of the sky. Oblivion eagerly taking the reins for the price of getting in line with the others. Spreading out until it covered the sky fully above the people bellow. They had begun to fear and called up to me for answers but the most perceptive of them soon had them all silently looking up at me, they had seen my expression of despair for the actions I had to take.

“MY Children, hold fast to the chain and know I am with you during this lesson! You will not Fade from memory! You will live on!” I cried and the black sphere fell.

My vision blurred by tears could only see the message I received for my act. It being mentally projected forced me to acknowledge it.

[You have made sure you would survive any land. You have taken a people under your wing and they have thrived. You have also thrived yourself even with the imposed handicap, showing your wisdom through your guidance of the people first thought a weakness. Now you have solidified your first step down the path you are aspected to be, becoming balanced at last as you learn the last lesson you’ve put aside for one and a half century.

You’ve at last become whole and now close in on attaining Demi-godhood! Continue to grow in further trials!]

I had destroyed them all when my tears finally stopped falling and I had grieved for them. A Civilization I had raised by hand, now laid low without a soul left save myself. I sat there in the plaza, the entire city empty. I pulled on the chain slowly as I floated up to sit listlessly on the balcony’s railing. I stopped as I noted a small gem embedded in one of the links when I came to a point where I guessed the first person had held on to it.

I stared wordlessly as I continued to pull in the length, my heart breaking as I felt the touch of each soul inside the gems. I felt as they faded together to form a new soul as each gem combined turning into little gem or crystal boxes that came together, 9 into a cluster forming a sort of octahedron shaped crystal that hung off the chain like jewellery. In total there were 108 of the clusters and if everyone of the civilization had held onto it then that meant I’d just killed 972 people devoted to me.

I stared hollowly at one of the crystal cluster, it’s purplish blue hue might once have mesmerized but now the thing just left me with a hollow numbness and a feeling of distaste. It wasn’t even that large, about a thumb-length in truth, each of the nine component gems had been about the size of a fingernail.

[You’ll be now placed into the next trial!]

I had barely enough time to place the chain into my spatial ring before I was suddenly surrounded by a blackness.

Then I felt the cold creep in and I tried to breathe in only to fully realize where I was. I was in the black depths of either the sea or some other water and I couldn’t breathe. All I could do in the end was try to keep my breath held as I tried to figure out how to keep myself alive.

In the end I didn’t and continued to drown over and over and over again.

Somehow put right back to the beginning every time I was on the brink of death. Allowed a pair of lungs full of air again right at the moment of death over and over and over again for what felt like centuries. Well past the point I became almost numb to pain and the sensation of drowning as I retreated into my internal world trying instead to grow it for the brief flashes of coherence I had at each start of the dreadful cycle.

I ended up becoming a clinical automaton at the end, after I’d punished myself enough for what I’d done. Time had passed for so long that I’d completely lost my grip on the concept. All there was, was the cycles of growth achieved before the oblivion of drowning of the end before starting it all over again. Mana and Aether was the most abundant in these waters I found myself in. As if I was drowning in some liquid that was a combination of the two but that was a contradiction because I’d tried to make aether into a liquid before. It was as its name might suggest highly etheric in nature, it would stay as air or aura or dissipate entirely.

In the end I placed one of my three partitioned minds into cultivating eldritch and chi at the same time given how little there was of it here, while the other two got one energy each. Aether was channelled wholesale into my lungs to cycle there until it combined once more in my centre before at last moved to create the three funnels above my heart, chi core and mana puddle before the highly concentrated and pure aether joined into my own internal etheric winds. It wasn’t much more than I got for eldritch and chi in the end but it did do wonders for keeping me going for a little bit longer each cycle.

Mana I had to seep through my body first before it could be pulled in thick mist tendrils to the funnel above my mana puddle. It didn’t act like usual, with the occasional drop of mana dripping into the puddle before. Now it was like a stream and I felt the mana puddle grow to the point of breaking into the next stage but it was stopped there. Forcibly made to stay there at the very brink of advancing.

The water I was drowning in somehow empowering the mana as the stream became a river yet the banks of my puddle held firm. I felt the strain though but as the banks overflowed the sprout drank it all in like some strange floral singularity. Each cycle the mana grew more and more out of control making each new cycle more of a strain than the last until finally I got the notification.

[Forcefully mutating trait, [Maddening Sustainability 1 > 2/7]

[Fast tracking trials, consolidate your foundation faster young demi-godling.]

I’d just finally managed to breathe under the water in rapturous relief as the strain from the waterfall of mana lessened. I’d felt the banks of my puddle feebly keep the flood at bay while the sprout hungrily drank the ridiculous amount in without any change until this trial was apparently passed.

Then I was falling in an endless blue sky, only it was so chocked with aether that the previous cycle of etheric funnels I’d had going went insane, turning from a breeze to damn squall as quickly as the foundation managed to jump to the 9’th stage of the rank before once more the spout took in the etheric winds in greater and greater magnitudes. Turning that squall to a zephyr.

Meanwhile I suffocated by the simple act of being unable to do anything but breathe in, yet never out nor did I have the ability to simply hold my breath. All I did for endless more cycles was breathe in and similar to the waters before all I could do was endure it. I couldn’t even turn into the Mingshe nor fly for some reason and my body had gone cold and numb.

I ended up trying out a hunch I’d been scared to act upon before but given the circumstances I didn’t really think I had much to lose. I surged [Quintessence] through my body and felt how aether took to it like some long lost soulmate. The Zephyr turned to a damn storm in seconds as my surroundings also became filled with the lightning of [Quintessence].

I was helpless in the agony of the eye of this etheric storm. My body bathed and washed in the etheric storm.

[Forcefully mutating trait, [Maddening Sustainability 2 > 3/7]

[Endure]

I was able to breathe again as all of the sudden I floated in the void of space. My in taken breath feeling like the last breath I'd ever need. My body raw from the damaged caused by the forceful injections of the two energies and forcefully mutating my body. Least of all my ravaged mind from all the pain, the death through radiation almost a blessing given its quick nature, despite my newfound ability to not need to breathe at all.

[You endured more than a mortal mind should be capable of for such a prolonged amount of time. Your Skill [Mental Fortitude] has changed to and achieved the following growth [Mental Fortress: Master lvl. 1]! For managing to reach such a high state it has gained two aspects that now naturally effect your mind, one granted for reaching a rank higher than professional in a skill and the other for reaching a rank higher than Expert!

Your traits are the following,

Fortification: Your mind is a fortress that builds itself up slowly but surely, growing stronger with time and repairing any punishment survived.

Encroachment: Your mind has an easier time damaging other minds if allowed to do so, naturally eager to inflict a bit of the damage it has survived onto others. Can be activated to passively damage all minds in the mental field or concentrated down to a single point or more. The more targets the lesser the degree of inflicted damage until it reaches the same damage as affecting all in range.]

I stared at the only thing I could see from exploded eyeballs from radiation and fast moving space debris. My growing ambivalence to the constant pain having made me numb to it all as my knowledge of being unable to die from this torment left me apathetic in the end. It certainly wasn’t a source of hope for release nor a source of despair for how far away it all seemed, no the pain had washed that all away in the end.

I was bombarded by eldritch energy this time and while I was left flailing and twitching from its electric touch the outside veins of my heart had fully turned to crystal and the heart muscles saturated with the energy as it flooded throughout the organ. My body taking it in as well to heal, prolonging each cycle once again. Yet much like before the sprout continued to keep the core organ of an energy from advancing to the next stage while drinking in the torrent of energy I was simply forced to endure on top of the harsh environment.

[Forcefully mutating trait, [Maddening Sustainability 3 > 4/7]

I felt my being come back to life as power bloomed inside my chest. Had I just evolved to the point of being able to live in earthen, aquatic, aerial and cosmic environments? I felt a tug at my centre as I looked down and noted that the crowning ring of the ethereal blue fire of [Soul-fire] that surrounded the black hole in my chest was now joined by the crawling electricity of the same ethereal blue [Quintessence].

I plunged my finally functioning mind, pulled together after having been left numb from the agony only really kick started at the sudden lack of it, into [Esoteric Knowledge] to find answers.

The second stage of [Maddening Sustainability] had granted me free movement in aquatic environments and the ability to breathe in them.

The third allows me to summon the wings of the Mingshe in any form I wish, I can fly freely now like superman if I so wish and I don’t have to breathe any more.

The fourth stage, that I’d just gotten, had caused me to somehow evolve a personal void shield to protect from debris, immunity to cosmic radiation and a biological… warp core? It was my own way of achieving FTL travel apparently which had answered a question of how spacefaring Eldritch entities got around as I hadn’t believed they’d just fly around for those lengths of time… unless they were too mindless to do so or just didn’t mind the waste of time.

I felt oddly calm now before a spike of dread shot through me when I was given another notification.

[The last trial lies ahead]

I appeared in a vast white empty room. I instinctually knew that it was somehow endless and empty as I looked around before I found the energy of chi and a column of lava was this trials torturer. Much like the three before I was first bathed then drowned in Chi and lava. My agony just as soul wrenching but be it through my new skill or simply through forced familiarity with pain I endured.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

My core drenched in the purest of chi and body in scorching lava. The cycle this time was forcing my core to overeat and quickly digest the purest chi until my core couldn’t take it any more, and then spit it out. Then the pure Chi was forced into my body, pathways and very bones to cleanse it as it could before returning to the core. Forcing it to rise rank after rank until the end of the stage was reached and so it continued to stay at the same threshold as the others.

My core vibrating and cracking yet rapidly healing at the same time as my core was forced into enduring the same agonizing cycle of overeating, speedy digestion and regurgitation of the purest of Chi. Only now that I was kept at this threshold it was the damned sprout who kept drinking the excess Chi in. I was left there at my spiritual core organs breaking point while the sprout lazily and happily drank its fill. My bodies physical and spiritual wounds somehow feeding energy to my Death aspect which was then fed to my Life aspect to continue healing me in an endless cycle of renewal from Death to Life.

The last three stages like this one had felt forced and I'd figured the dungeon core’s avatar was simply bored given how much time I’d taken for the first stage of the trial. So now he’d decided to simply force me through the trials by making it an endurance trial by forcefully injecting the energies I needed to survive each stage while preventing me from gaining too much from it as well as forcing my [Maddening Sustainability] trait to evolve to some preordained point.

Giving me the most solid foundation at the cost of absolute agony of it’s many different flavours.

My slipped grasp on time made it almost feel like no time at all had passed when the next notification came up at last.

[Forcefully mutating trait, [Maddening Sustainability 4 > 5/7]

Thanks to [Esoteric Knowledge] I now knew I was quite literally immune to anything mundane. I couldn’t be shot, cut, burned or generally hurt by anything without any energy infused into it. It was kind of like being a boss needing magic items to hurt because normal physical attacks and materials were useless.

[You’ve ascended to a higher stage of being! You are now a [Lesser Demi-god]! Grow and ascend further!]

I stared at the notification with wide eyes. Not Noticing that I had been transported a few steps out of the Dungeon portal in the mausoleum. Not realizing until I took a step forward that was and promptly hit the sarcophagus in the middle of the structure. I had scarcely waved the notification away when it was replaced.

[[Manifest Physiology: Apprentice lvl. 6 (The Seed of Lusaaset)] has reached a new rank becoming [Manifest Physiology: Journeyman lvl. 1 (The Roots of Lusaaset)]!]

The name rang a bell... something about Egyptian creation myth? Either way I now knew the glutton was such for a reason at least. I grumbled a bit out of general principle of it having to be so focused on what I thought was needless suffering to acquire. Then again given that Eldritch beings were apparently cheaters in some way there had to be a cost in one way or another, and pain had slowly, reluctantly, become an old friend at this point.

I looked within and the sprout was now a thin tree, whose roots came down and created a basin for the mana puddle. Some of the excess of the mana water pooling were the puddle had been with the new basin held above it by the intertwined structure of roots.

This same puddle that now was overflowing with the regular pure mana water as before while I sensed an even purer and denser, “heavier?” mana water begin to bubble up from the bottom of the basin made of roots.

I’d have to experiment with it later but I figured this would be key to some limited energy to overcharge spell-craft in the future.

I wondered if it would work with enchanting too and if it might have any other uses later down the line.

I drifted up from the mana basin made of roots to soon find that the chi core had been placed inside its own hollow in the thin tree. Before I investigated closer I took a glance up and saw that were the grown of the tree began to spread out, almost like the veins inside of two massive lungs, I peeked my heart in a hollow of its own just bellow the crown.

With that next to be investigated, I peeked closer at my chi core. I was suspecting that each energy being forced to stall at the precipice to the next rank had brought with it unforeseen changes given it was all happening while bathed in the purest example of each given energy in hindsight.

My own pure mana had felt like only half the equation had been solved with what I’d felt bubbling up from the root basin and I now saw my chi core crowing its own miniature crystalline pure core inside itself. I was starting to suspect I’d find something similar in my heart and internal winds.

What I suspected to be the purest in quality, refinement and distilment possible of chi filled the tiny yet slowly growing mini-core inside my chi core.

I quickly moved up to see if my hunch was right and reached out at the same time. I felt it. My etheric internal winds having turned into a static breeze, after I’d had to bring it a full stage up after I’d managed to gain an internal stage of aether to reach balance, now filled with a static charge.

[Quintessence] had left it’s mark and it seemed Aether could affect the world outside the usual methods of empowerment, refinement aid, minor air manipulation and limited weight manipulation. Now it felt I could perhaps call forth etheric lightning in the future, or was it perhaps more of a charge to aid in overcoming some future barrier to my internal etheric winds growth?

With that in the back of my mind I peeked at my heart last of all. The six chambers had gained a minor if healthy eldritch green glow to it while the crystallized outer veins were at once filled with the purest eldritch energy I’d ever felt while also made of crystals of the same stuff mixed with the flesh of the outer heart veins.

It felt like an even further dimensional growth would follow into these veins while the heart slowly filled up with the pure eldritch energy that leaked out of the slowly overflowing veins. Drinking in the nourishment it could get from such a pure example of the energy of its origin, slowly purifying itself if in microscopic increments.

I was jolted out of my musings when I heard a scream outside and I hurried out of the mausoleum fearing another intrusion. Only I saw Kori, now adolescent, on top of the fading body of a dungeonborn human. She’d grown to reach 1.1 meters at the shoulders now and had a thicker shadow fog coating. Purple flames tipped each of her already spiked tails and her red eyes shared the same colour. Each eye burning with its own inner fire as the six eyes landed on me.

I knew then, I hadn’t been the only one in a trial. Even if hers was much more inducive to level growth and by the prideful yet almost dopey smile she shot me, she’d clearly evolved well too. The Dungeons torture of me had been a game for Kori.

Its energies and focus more on me had left it unable to summon more than some basic Neanderthal type humans one at a time. Which even if it wasn’t for the constant attack on their psyche from what I suspected was a passive effect of her fur, she was plenty strong on her own and I seen her move, she clearly knew exactly how to use her new body.

I decided to try to cast a sort of identify skill by reaching out with [Esoteric Knowledge] towards Kori and willing up a status for her and then followed by my own. I decided to pull up my own after wards given the limited information I was given but it answered plenty for me of how Kori had grown. With almost insulted annoyance I noted she could happily gorge on the dungeon creatures without them simply disappearing from her very stomach. At least I wouldn’t need to worry for her growth nor feeding her if I left her in Ktep in the future. Though would she follow in gaining my [Maddening Sustainability] trait?

Silver linings. Perhaps her titles could grow from minor to full titles too. Mine had updated quite a bit too now that I looked, a trait seemed to have been given more potential as well from the hellish process. Though first I opened the notifications clamouring for my attention putting the status of Kori and myself behind it.

I had to admit that silver lining felt as if it had been turned to sweetest ambrosia with the rewards for what had felt like centuries of my personal suffering I’d gained a freaking windfall. The quest system might be as sadistic as it appeared, it certainly was one to shower down the rewards when one goes beyond the base completion requirements.

Perhaps it too wanted the invaders gone in its own way and saw me as a potential chance to get from under them? It did make sense to me somehow, especially looking at the gains from completing the quest that this persistent notification was.

[Quest completed!]

[Quest: Earning the right to a name Results!]

You finished setting up the dungeon yet earned its ire and malevolence in showing it, its place and not caving in to its ego. You then went ahead and beat its initial challenge to earn the title of [The Star Wright] through means the dungeon avatar hadn’t even thought was possible from eldritch beings. Once you finished the stage of land in the trial in such an unorthodox manner the dungeon decided to bless you through a curse in the next stages.

By placing you into the depths of a never ending sea saturated in the purest mana and aether to drown over and over. The growth of your trait [Maddening Sustainability] and skill [Manifest Physiology] were accelerated to their next stages.

With the third stage being the stage of air consisting of a constant bombardment purest air and aether in a never ending sky. [Manifest Physiology] much like the previous stage drank in the energies as the trial participants internal stages were kept forcefully from advancing a stage.

Done so that [Manifest Physiology] could be forced to take in the needed energies in their purest possible form. This did however end up resulting in unforeseen changes due to the mutability of those of eldritch origin.

With the next stage being the middle of the void of space and the energy used being eldritch the forced evolution of [Maddening Sustainability] only compounded the eventual effect on [Manifest Physiology] from being saturated in the purest form of each energy in succession.

The Last stage of the trial being an empty white plane to force the last evolution required by a torrent of chi and flood of lava. This eventually finished putting [Maddening Sustainability] into a forcefully evolved enough state to pass the trial along side causing [Manifest Physiology] to reach the same required state. However due to being forcibly bathed in the purest examples of the affiliate energies has caused a secondary internal stage that will hold two full stages bellow the primary internal stage once it has stabilized.

This will not be accessible properly until you reach the first rank of the next stage in your Internal stages progression. The difficulty of the trial and subsequent completion of the trial has earned the best possible grade of completion!

You’ve been rewarded with the following.

Quest completion grade: (S)

Quest Rewards:

[Title unlocked: [The Star Wright]] - [Professions have all unlocked and become lvl. 1!]

[Opening of secondary Internal clarity stage cores, will unlock once next stage is reached in current internal stages.]

[A training module will be provided from the gestalt spirit of all sage-craftsmen of each profession. Each blessed with innate expertise of each energies possibility in each profession they are the sages of.]

[Workshop Core has been infused with the gain of a growth type trait to any manifested starting tool to all professions of the workshop. Same with automated refinement facilities. Let the title of [The Star Wright] echo through the cosmos!]

[Your dungeon core can now provide private levelling opportunities to your familiars at a steady pace dependant on the development of the resident realm. Allowing them to grow at their own pace and severity of challenge while the master of the realm is required elsewhere or is otherwise occupied and they have no duties other than to watch over the realm.]

[You’ve gained new profession skills with the unlocking of your professions, expanding your Status!]

[Your race levels by 6]

[You’ve gained +33 stat, +2 bio and +7 skill point]

[Your class levels by 3]

[You’ve gained +5 stat and +1 skill point]

[You can now acquire new skills if available for skill points, new General. Class and Profession skills available!]

[Quest given: The Cycles of the Autarch]

Master the basics of dao and bring your aspects from balance to harmony of being within yourself. Form the cycles of your rule and fully establish your domain to be able to embody them.

Unlocks the racial skill: [Aspect Manifestation: Basic lvl. 1]

[Quest given: The Forms of the cycles]

Martial arts are often thought of as knowledge needed for warriors but any deity that doesn’t want to come under the heel or be at the mercy of others knows the importance of being able to defend oneself from others. You are a being with four aspects, rely on your past lives and build a martial style around each of your aspects and your natural abilities.

Unlocks the General skill: [Martial Cycles of the Autarch: Basic lvl. 1]

[Gained!: Mystic Bag of holding]

[Bag of holding Contents]

Icon of being (x3) - The vessel from wish a true divine instrument is formed, with its normal form being a square it has openings for added materials before being able to attached with the bottom side onto the instrument to be imbued with divinity. Allowing for four materials to enhance the instrument with besides the required fifth material of a Divine crystal infused with the users essence. This allows for deities of crafts to create personal weapons for other deities.

Aspect Crystal (Empty) (x12) – These crystals are capable of harbouring an infusion of any one type of energy or a single divine aspect infused into it to the point that it can be used as one of the materials in an Icon of being or some other divine artifice. If half filled it can be used to create semi divine or mythic rank objects though most deities would see such use as a waste unless the user has the exceedingly rare ability to create these crystals themselves.

Aspect Crystal Shard (Empty) (x48) - A broken up shard of an Aspect crystal that can be combined to create one by fusing five together. Any infusion will combine in the same proportions from all five shards, (if any), inside the constituted Aspect Crystal if four are filled with the same aspect or energy the resulting will be the dominant generation of the crystal. By it self it can be used to create up to mythic grade items or equipment.

Embodiment Crystal (Empty) (x7) – Crystals capable of holding any type of energy fed into them until their vast empty reserves become filled at which point these crystals will need time but can begin to generate the energies fed into it, if at a slow rate.

Unconfirmed yet prevalent rumours state that these crystals might be capable of extending their miraculous capability towards other things than energy. Talk of undiscovered methods granting the ability to imbue aspects, daos, imprison ethereal or energy based beings within them and even create continuous spell nexuses with them. Somehow implanting them on an already filled crystal to make a near permanent spell or an incorporeal beings opposite energy to create an inescapable prison for them.

World-Tree branch log (x1) – A log of wood taken from a branch of the legendary World-Tree species of mystic dungeon trees most fabled for their connection to space, creation, dimensions and life. The log is processed for ease of further working and is measured at 3 meters long and 0.4 meters thick. Treat this material with the care and respect it deserves and it will serve the users purpose in turn.

[Gained!: Craftsman’s material Storage chest]

[This item can be integrated into the Workshop core once it’s been activated and serves as a growing storage and inventory management of all materials for the workshops user. Materials the user might have collected, refined or stored within. Capable of being called up before the user anywhere within the workshop or the realm of Ktep once the workshop core has been integrated to the realm and chest to workshop.]

[Craftsman’s material Storage chest contents, not showing all available categories]

Metals, Minerals, Stones and Ores

Basic

[Rough Stone (x1kg)] [Coarse Stone (x1kg)] [Coal (x1 ton)] [Clay (x1 ton)] [Flint (x1 ton)] [Copper Ore (x1 ton)] [Tin Ore (x1 ton)]

Uncommon

[Heavy Stone (x1kg)] [Silver Ore (x1kg)] [Iron Ore (x1kg)]

Rare

[Infusible Coal (empty) (x1kg)] [Infusible Clay (empty) (x1kg)] [Infusible Copper Ore (empty) (x1kg)] [Infusible Tin Ore (empty) (x1kg)] [Infusible Iron Ore (empty) (x1kg)] [Infusible Silver Ore (empty) (x1kg)]

Crystals, Gems, Crystallized ingredients, Powders, Dusts, Flux catalysts, Mystic components,

Uncommon

[Shadowgem (x1kg)] [Malachite (x1kg))] [Tigerseye (x1kg)] [Moss Agate (x1kg)] [Jade (x1kg)] [Pale Jade (x1kg)] [Precious Jade (x1kg)] [Lesser Moonstone (x1kg)] [Citrine (x1kg)] [Aquamarine (x1kg)]

[Jar of Energy Crystal Powder (unaspected) (x1)] [Jar of Energy Crystal Powder (unaspected) (x1)] [Jar of Energy Crystal Dust (unaspected) (x1)] [Jar of Vision Dust (x1)] [Jar of St Dust (x1)] [Jar of Weak Flux Catalyst (x1)] [Tiny Clear Gem (unaspected) (x1)] [Tiny Clear Gem (empty) (x1)][Tiny Energy Crystal (empty) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (unaspected) (x1)][Small Energy Crystal (unaspected) (x1)] [Medium Energy Crystal (unaspected) (x1)] [Large Energy Crystal (unaspected) (x1)] [Tiny Topaz (x1)] [Tiny Sapphire (x1)] [Tiny Ruby (x1)] [Tiny Opal (x1)] [Tiny Onyx (x1)] [Tiny Amethyst (x1)]

Rare

[[Jar of Soul Dust (x1)] [Jar of Dream Dust (x1)] [Jar of processed Illusion Dust (x1)] [Jar of Strong Flux Catalyst (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Air) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Fire) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Water) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Nature) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Metal) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Lightning) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Ice) (x1)] [Tiny Energy Crystal (Earth) (x1)]

Motes, Vials of liquids, fresh materials (outside powders, dusts and herbs) needed for Alchemy, essences, shards, Inks, Pigments

Basic

[A Full case of all Basic ranked Pigments (x1)] [A Full case of Basic ranked colours of Ink (x1)] [Basic Mote (unaspected) (x1)] [Vial of Oil (x1)] [Vial of Pure Dew Water (x1)]

Uncommon

[Essence (unaspected) (x1)] [Essence (Air) (x1)] [Essence (Water) (x1)] [Essence (Fire) (x1)] [Essence (Earth) (x1)] [Essence (Metal) (x1)] [Essence (Lightning) (x1)] [Essence (Nature) (x1)] [Essence (Ice) (x1)] [Earth Mote (x1)] [Metal Mote (x1)] [Nature Mote (x1)] [Water Mote (x1)] [Ice Mote (x1)] [Fire Mote (x1)] [Air Mote (x1)] [Lightning Mote (x1)] [Infusible Shard (Empty) (x1)] [Vial of containment (empty) (x1)] [jar of containment (empty) (x1)] [Bottle of containment (empty) (x1)] [Vial of Moonglow Ink (x1)] [Vial of Midnight Ink (x1)] [Vial of Hunter's Ink (x1)] [Jar of Alabaster Pigment (x1)] [Jar of Dusky Pigment (x1)] [Jar of Verdant Pigment (x1)]

Rare

[Essence (Spirit) (x1)] [Essence (Astral) (x1)] [Essence (Mystic) (x1)] [Spirit Mote (x1)] [Astral Mote (x1)] [Mystic Mote (x1)] [Vial of Viridescent Ink (x1) [Vial of Lion's Ink (x1)] [Vial of Dawnstar Ink (x1)] [Jar of Golden Pigment (x1)] [Jar of Burnt Pigment (x1)]

Textiles (Silks, cloths, Threads, hairs, Parchments)

Basic

[A Full case of all colours of Basic ranked Thread (x1)] [A Full case of all Basic ranked Parchments (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Linen Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Linen Cloth (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Wool Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Wool Cloth (x1)]

Uncommon

[Tiny bolt of Silk Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Silk Cloth (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Mageweave Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Mageweave Cloth (x1)]

Rare

[Tiny bolt of Spirit Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Chi infused Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Mana infused Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Starlight Thread (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Spirit Cloth (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Chi infused Cloth (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Mana infused Cloth (x1)] [Tiny bolt of Starlight Cloth (x1)]

Herbs, Seeds and other floral material

Basic

[Peacebloom seed] [Silverleaf seed] [Briarthorn seed] [Bruiseweed seed] [Attorlade seed] [Maegthe seed] [Wergulu seed] [Black Seaweed seed] [Bamboo seed] [Case of seeds for all Basic ranked trees]

Uncommon

[Mucgwyrt seed] [Stune Seed] [Wegbrade seed] [Sithe seed] [Fille Seed] [Stranglekelp seed] [Mageroyal seed] [Whipwood seed]

Rare

[Liferoot seed] [Kingsblood seed] [Goldthorn seed] [Finule seed] [Greenwood Seed] Wyrwood seed] [Darkwood seed] [Waterwood seed] [Unknown Infusible Aquatic flora seed] [Unknown Infusible Terrestrial flora seed] [Unknown Infusible Adaptable flora seed]

Miscellaneous

Basic

[Soil infused with Balanced nourishment (x1kg)]

Rare

[Soil infused with Spiritual nourishment (x1kg)] [Unknown Infusible Aquatic embryo (x1)] [Unknown Infusible Terrestrial embryo (x1)] [Unknown Infusible Adaptable embryo (x1)]

Epic

[Soil infused with Life nourishment (x1kg)] [Soil infused with Death nourishment (x1kg)]

Familiar Stat sheet: (Given familiar has a limited yet growing sentience and can reason enough, only an overview can be seen. Controlled growth of the Familiar is unavailable but loyalty to you is absolute.)

Name: Kori

Titles: N/A

Minor Titles: [Watch-Hound of the Autarch] [Guardian of Ktep] [Hound of the Beyond]

Race: [Adolescent Tartan Hound of the Beyond lvl. 18] [Evolution stage: 2]

Class: [Huntress: Apprentice lvl. 6] [Guardian: Basic lvl. 3]

Name: Kainaat Mors Alta’farud

Titles: [The Dweller from the Void] [The Star Wright]

Minor titles: [Father Death] [Mother Life]

Stage of Being: [Lesser Demi-god]

Physique: 28 (+18)

Agility: 28 (+18)

Wisdom: 28 (+9)

Toughness: 28 (+18)

Reflexes: 28 (+18)

Willpower: 28 (+9)

Resilience: 28 (+18)

Perception: 28 (+18)

Presence: 26 (+9)

Free Points in reserve: 38

Race

[Child of the Stars lvl. 8 / 10]

[Evolution stage: 2]

Classes (¼)

[Domain Lord: lvl. 4]

Professions (7/7)

[Alchemy (b) lvl. 1] [Blacksmithing (b) lvl. 1] [Druid (b) Lvl. 1] [Necromancer (b) Lvl. 1] [Shadow Adept (b) Lvl. 1] [Smith (b) Lvl. 1] [Tailoring (b) Lvl. 1]

Skills: Skill points in reserve: 8 / Bio points in reserve: 2

Racial Skills (2/5)

[Manifest Physiology: Journeyman lvl. 1 (The Roots of Lusaaset)] [Eldritch Brain: Apprentice lvl. 9]

General Skills (04/05)

[Soul-fire manipulation: Professional lvl. 1] [Quintessence manipulation: Professional lvl. 1] [Void Blaze: Professional lvl. 1] [Mental Fortress: Master lvl. 1]

Class Skills (1/4)

[Domain Lord] Skills (2/5)

[Domain Traversal: Basic lvl. 1] [Domain Confluence: Basic lvl. 1]

Profession Skills (7/7)

[Alchemy (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Alchemic Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Alchemic Fire Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Blacksmithing (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Blacksmithing Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Boon of the Forge (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Druid (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Druidcraft Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Foliage Manipulation (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Necromancer (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Necromantic Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Raise the Dead (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Shadow Adept (b)] Skills (2/5)

Shadowcraft Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Shadow Manipulation (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Smith (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Failure Detection (Basic) lvl. 1] [Boon of the All-Smith (Basic) lvl. 1]

[Tailoring (b)] Skills (2/5)

[Tailoring Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1] [Weaving Mastery (Basic) lvl. 1]

Traits:

Racial Traits (3/3)

[Alien mind] [Skin-changer 0/3] [Maddening sustainability 5/7]

General Traits (3/6)

[Threshold of The Caliginous Sanctum] [Profane Soul] [Esoteric Knowledge]

Energy Mastery

Aether

Chi

Eldritch

Mana

Mastery Rank

Apprentice rank 9

Apprentice rank 9

Apprentice rank 9

Apprentice rank 9

Internal Stage

Etheric breeze 9

Foundation 9

Heart of Nucleation 9

Mana Puddle 9

Energy Affinities

Basic 8/8

Mana

Chi

Air

0%

0%

Earth

0%

0%

Fire

0%

0%

Ice

0%

0%

Water

0%

0%

Lightning

0%

0%

Metal

0%

0%

Nature

0%

0%