Are you well, Aurelian?
“I’ll live.” He grunted in reply to the inquisitive sending of his dragon while slowly pushing himself up. While he did a chime sounded in his mind, and Aurelian warily glanced at the alert populating his HUD.
Body Temper (Aspirant) 1 of 3 Complete!
Congratulations, Aurelian Lucis Imperius!
You have successfully Infused the [Monarch’s Bloodstorm] into your Body!
Please review your Tempered Skill for further details!
“I wonder what that me—?”
Another chime lit up his mind, and Aurelian braced himself when he sensed another cavalcade of alerts blazing their way toward him. It was as if the System had given him a momentary reprieve, and reneged on it the moment he was ready to accept the following wave. He barely had time to curse before the deluge crashed into him.
Breath Control is now Level 13!
. . .
Breath Control is now Level 19!
Congratulations, Aurelian Lucis Imperius!
You have met the requirements to unlock the skill Poison Resistance (R)!
Poisons, toxins, and animal venoms are a common part of the Prime Material and other Realms, though surviving exposure to them unprepared is far rarer. As you are exposed to more and more such potent mixtures, so too shall you gain a higher level of ability to ward them off!
Deny those toxic people, Reclaimer!
Poison Resistance is now Level 2!
. . .
Poison Resistance is now Level 13!
Congratulations, Poison Resistance has reached Novitiate tier!
You have gained Experience!
Mana Control is now Level 25!
. . .
Mana Control is now Level 30!
Congratulations, Mana Control has reached Aspirant tier!
You have gained Experience!
Would you like to Temper your Spirit with Mana Control?
Y / N
Aurelian snatched up the flask of shimmering golden essence and tore off the cap in his haste to throw the entire mixture back. Much like when he’d first ingested the draught for his Body Essence, the Spirit Essence flowed down without issue. It reminded him, in fact, of perfect honey. Not too sweet, not too bland, and not too viscous or runny; it was just right.
When it settled into his stomach he could feel it shifting out and toward his Core and Soulforce, and he felt nothing but adulation at the feeling. There was something inherently and palpably soothing about the way that the Spirit Essence flowed through his body, and Aurelian couldn’t help but revel in the joy of it.
While saturating in the happy feeling, he opened his alert and chose ‘YES’.
Tempering request confirmed.
Searching for valid Essences . . .
Essences found.
Populating . . .
[Essence of the Leviathan] (L)
No other Essences found.
Would you like to use this Essence?
Y / N
This time when Aurelian selected ‘YES’, he ensured he was firmly on his back and his body was placed in a comfortable position. The platemail had the unexpected but welcome bonus of defending his skin from the marble when he writhed on it.
He had found himself writhing a lot of late.
It was annoying. And stereotypical.
“Fucking Isekai…” He muttered while waiting.
Who is Isekai? Bahamut enquired curiously.
“A mistake.” Aurelian said dourly.
[Essence of the Leviathan] has been selected for Tempering.
Infusion parameters have been confirmed.
[Essence of the Leviathan] will grant the [Monarch’s Everflame] Infusion.
Spirit Skill [Mana Control] will now be Infused with [Monarch’s Everflame].
Beginning Spirit Temper (Aspirant) 1 of 3 . . .
To Aurelian’s great surprise when he prepared himself for the worst, there was no pain from the Spirit Tempering. In fact while he lay on the ground waiting, his eyes firmly locked on the ceiling and his right foot twitching nervously in anticipation; the only thing that actually occurred was a faint warmth spreading throughout his mana channels in a rolling wave.
When he closed his eyes he could visualise it taking root within his Core and expanding out into the channels that ran across his body. The Essence appeared like golden-white tongues of ephemeral flame, coruscating and shimmering while they danced along the rushing tides of his mana and entwined themselves with its potency.
His Root Chakra buoyed its flow and even when the spreading flame encountered the tight and knotted gates of his remaining Chakras, it flowed through with only moderate dispersion. It sank deeper and deeper within him, reminiscent of warm hugs as a child, soft blankets on a rainy day, and a merry flame crackling in the hearth.
Beneath it all he felt a kind of regal confidence suffuse his entire self.
The calm control of a monarch settled over his Spirit, and he smiled.
Spirit Temper (Aspirant) 1 of 3 Complete!
Congratulations, Aurelian Lucis Imperius!
You have successfully Infused the [Monarch’s Everflame] into your Spirit!
Please review your Tempered Skill for further details!
Aurelian closed his eyes and sighed at the feeling of absolute peace that followed the System’s alert, and the faint solidity that had come to his Spirit and core. He felt… more complete. More fully himself in a way he couldn’t quite articulate even in the space of his own mind. It certainly reminded him of all the descriptions he’d read of Cultivation within the myriad tales he’d perused on Earth, but there was reading about something and experiencing it, and how the authors of those stories had ever managed to even begin to capture the utter bliss of what he felt… He shook his head.
He’d never possessed that talent.
Aurelian’s eyes opened and he flicked them upward when another chime sounded.
Spirit Bond: Dragon is now Level 6!
. . .
Spirit Bond: Dragon is now Level 12!
Congratulations, Spirit Bond: Dragon has reached Novitiate tier!
You have gained Experience!
Calamity’s Blade is now Level 7!
. . .
Calamity’s Blade is now Level 15!
Congratulations, Calamity’s Blade has reached Novitiate tier!
You have gained Experience!
Endurance has risen to 34!
. . .
Endurance has risen to 40!
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Perception has risen to 24!
Perception has risen to 25!
You have reached Level 20!
. . .
You have reached Level 24!
Aurelian grit his teeth through the last of the crashing waves of System energy and alerts, and only when the level alerts had come and gone and the space in his mind reserved for warnings had gone blessedly silent did he let loose a shuddering breath. So much had happened. So much had changed in such a relatively short period of time. When he’d set out to fight the Necromancer, he’d never expected… all this.
His attention shifted toward where Bahamut maintained a weather eye on the still-unconscious Necromancer in question, and then Aurelian did what actually somewhat excited him after the grumbling irritation of sadomasochism that was his alert wave: he reviewed the changes he’d acquired to his abilities, his new titles, and his new traits.
Name: Dragon’s Sanguination
Type: Body Skill
Rarity: Epic
Level: 27
Tier: Aspirant
Description: This skill reduces all damage taken to the body by an amount equal to its level, and before accounting for the strength or force of skills levied against you by enemies.
Aspirant Temper: This skill has been Tempered to Infuse your Body with [Monarch’s Bloodstorm] at Aspirant tier. This Infusion allows you to mitigate kinetic energy from all skills within ten levels above Dragon’s Sanguination and at every level equal or below. The excess energy will be conducted from your body as aetheric discharge.
Name: Mana Control
Type: Spirit Skill
Rarity: Rare
Level: 30
Tier: Aspirant
Description: This skill allows you to control and guide the flow of mana within your body, and aids in the cycling and manipulation of said mana in the casting of spells. Additionally it allows you to better access and work to unlock your Chakras, while also making the mana flow through both closed and open Chakras more efficient.
Aspirant Temper: This skill has been Tempered to Infuse your body with [Monarch’s Everflame] at Aspirant tier. This Infusion allows you to enhance your control over mana, burn away impurities at a higher and more efficient rate during cycling, and upgrades the potency of your Fire magic spells by a rate equal to the skill’s level.
Name: Aether Sage
Type: Title
Rarity: Epic
Description: You have shattered the veil and emerged beyond it without losing your mind. As a result, you have transcended Mana Savant and are now counted as a fledgling Aether Sage, capable of seeing the fundamental elements of magic that occupy all the Realms.
Effects: +1 Intelligence per Level, +20% Spirit Skill Experience Gain, +50% Mana Pool.
Name: Defiant
Type: Title
Rarity: Legendary
Description: You are Defiant. Through your actions, your actualisation, and the path you have chosen; you have placed yourself in direct contest with the gods’ dominion over the Prime Material.
Effects: You gain +15% Charisma, +15% Willpower, +15% Skill XP, and Information Blackout.
Special Effects: As a Defiant, your secrets are your own and not even the gods may invade your privacy. You may block all information on yourself that you choose from any individual that attempts to use an Analyse or related skill upon you, and you cannot be tracked or scryed by denizen of any Realm.
Name: Primogenitor
Type: Title
Rarity: Unique
Description: You have become the first of a new breed. By assimilating, converting, and adapting the power of the Vasiri into a natural evolution of itself, and through the System’s validation of that act; you have inherited the Vasiri ability to replicate power, though none may ever hold the same level of potency as you.
Effects: You gain +1 Strength per level and +2 Charisma per level.
Special Effects: You have gained access to the skill Sanguine Kiss as a result of this title, allowing you to grant those you choose powers similar to your own.
Name: Aetheric Osmosis
Type: Trait
Rarity: Epic
Description: Your newfound ability to pierce the veil separating the raw motes of mana from the visible spectrum allows you to learn magic through mere observation, instead of by rote repetition.
Effects: You may now learn the sequence of any Skill no more than 10 levels above of your Dragon’s Gaze Skill and no more than 1 Temper above Dragon’s Gaze.
Name: Godsbane
Type: Trait
Rarity: Transcendent
Description: You are the bane of the Divine. You are the creature that the Highest’s denizens fear. You are the coming of the Calamity anew. You shall never be a god, but instead your existence is the consequence of theirs. You are the predator that stalks the heavens.
Effects: You gain +1 to all Attributes per level and +1 Skill Point per level.
Special Effects: The Divine cannot compel you, bind you, or control you. You are Immune to all forms of Divine Tether. This does not grant Immunity to damage.
Name: Sanguinated
Type: Trait
Rarity: Unique
Description: You are Sanguinated. You are the first of your kind, and the only Nephilim to have ever existed with such power. Yours is the gift of the Blood Lords of Eld. You have taken upon yourself what even a god could only create failures in mimicry of.
Effects: You gain +3 Vitality, +2 Charisma per level, and +15% Mind Skill XP.
Special Effects: You have gained access to the resource Anima as a result of this trait, allowing you to manipulate and wield it to whatever extent your Skills allow.
Aurelian finished reading his final new addition with a slow shake of his head. What in the hell was happening? Now he was some sort of… Vampire? It was like his teenaged emo phase’s ultimate dream come true, and while the description itself sounded awesome, he couldn’t help but feel mildly embarrassed. He could imagine what his friends, or hell, what his sister would say if she learned he’d become the thing lonely cougars salivated over.
At least he didn’t sparkle. He hoped.
Assisted suicide would be pretty tempting if he did.
While picking himself up from the ground and turning toward where Bahamut rested calmly, Aurelian took a moment to finally review his character sheet. His new bonuses had massively boosted several of his attributes, especially with the five points per level global increase. While perusing he noticed the sheer number of available Attribute points and, with only a cursory examination of his existing spread, dumped 17 into endurance to bring it up into parity with his physical attributes, and then threw the remaining 8 into perception.
The moment the changes took hold, he squeezed his eyes shut and cursed loudly at the feeling of his corneas being shaved by a scalpel and put back into one piece rapidly. Levelling up his core senses sucked, but when he opened his eyes it was like upgrading from 720p to 1080p. The world opened in front of him in a riot of subtle shades and articulated colours and details, and he grinned despite himself.
Every shadow was almost a fifth less obfuscated. It was very noticeable.
Satisfied with his choices and confident in his ability to actually fuel the destructive increases in physical and magical power he’d received, Aurelian flicked his eyes to his sheet again to double check it a final time.
Name: Aurelian Lucis Imperius
Temper: Partial Temper (Purified Novitiate)
Temper Status: Mind 0/3 | Body 1/3 | Spirit 1/3
Core: Calamity Core (Compression Stage)
Level: 24 | Race: Elysean (L) | Origin: Nephilim (L) | Gender: Male | Zodiac: Dragon (L)
Health: 970 | Mana: 378 | Stamina: 262 | Anima: 0
STR: (81) 89 | AGI: 59 | DEX: 48 | VIT: (89) 97 | END: 55 | INT: 50 | PER: 36 | WIL: (103) 113 | CHA: 55
Mind Skills: Revelate (E) 11 | Linguistics (UC) 1 | Philology (R) 5 | Exploration (UC) 9 | Investigation (UC) 6 | Dragon’s Resolve (E) 15 | Tactician (R) 17 | Deception (UC) 3 | Dragon’s Gaze (E) 12
Body Skills: Pain Tolerance (UC) 28 | Longsword Mastery (C) 27 | Running (C) 28 | Dodge (C) 31 | Dragon’s Sanguination (E) 27 | Brawling (C) 21 | Fire Resistance (UC) 15 | Lightning Resistance (UC) 8 | Ice Resistance(UC) 5 | Breath Control (UC) 19 | Acrobatics (UC) 21 | Poison Resistance (R) 13
Spirit Skills: Mana Control (R) 30 | Firebolt (UC) 18 | Shockbolt (UC) 15 | Soul Sense (UC) 6 | Spirit Bond: Dragon (M) 12 | Gravitic Crush (R) 17 | Calamity’s Blade (T) 15 | Anima Harvest (E) 1 | Anima Syphon (E) 1 | Anima Infusion (E) 1 | Anima Diffusion (E) 1
Traits: Fast Learner (E) | Dragon Force (E) | Aetheric Osmosis (E) | Godsbane (T) | Sanguinated (L)
Titles: Elysean Reclaimer (U) | Survivor (R) | Aether Sage (E) | Dragon Rider (E) | Defiant (L) | Primogenitor (U)
Languages: Draconic
17% to Level 25
You have 15 Skill Points Available!
You have 1 Skill Upgrade Point Available!
You have 1 Skill Evolution Point Available!
With his sheet accounted for and solidified, Aurelian paused only to slide his Mind Essence Draught back into his supply pack and collect his sword. Then he turned and, with the awareness of an unpleasant task ahead, moved to join Bahamut. He had wasted enough time with the System and its intrusive, ever-gleeful enjoyment of torturing him beyond reason and sense. He had injected his attribute points, collated his gains, and could feel the tangible change in his physical self.
He felt… dangerous. Lethal. Powerful.
His eyes rose to focus on the humanoid figure inches away from Bahamut’s platinum claws, and his Dragon’s Resolve roared to life in his mind with grim purpose. He had a conversation that he was already late for, and answers that he needed to gain. One way or another, he would be leaving the Arboretum soon. There was only one question that remained about the manner of their departure: how soon they would return to the cavern…
…and whether or not they would be the only ones left alive when they did.