Nine Paths One Destiny 2

Aarav was next after Arak as he leaned in closer with a contemplative look, perhaps trying to summarise the details before telling us.

Aarav, in his early twenties, commands attention with his striking appearance. Standing tall at around 6 feet, he boasts a lean and athletic build. His warm tan skin complements his features. Aarav's eyes are a deep, expressive black, hinting at both intelligence and mystery. His hair, nearly black, falls in soft waves, stylishly framing his angular face. His well-defined features, including a strong jawline and high cheekbones, add to his rugged charm, often accentuated by a well-maintained beard or stubble.

"All right before I get to my grace let me share something else. I figured something about the grace aside from the level constraints. Grace is also influenced by conditions that are self-imposed. The more specific the condition, the higher the utility though the base power remains the same."

'Damn it, the system got one over me. I should have spent more time thinking on the grace.'

I looked around and I also found some other faces mirroring my own although there were some faces that did not show any surprise, Ren and Arya.

Ignoring the expressions of others Aarav carried on, "So utilizing that fact I decided to ask for the grace that - 'What does not kill you only makes you stronger."

'W-what the-'

Similar sounds of disbelief echoed around the circle. Ying's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in reaction to Aarav's surprising choice of grace.

Ren said with a slight cough, "Well that's certainly an interesting take."

Joon-Ho too made a fake cough into his hand. "Ahem..well, that ability should be... no means weak. I can see many applications of it. But ....is this your edgy teen phase or something? We are already in our twenties you know."

Aarav's face went slightly red in embarrassment, "Y-you.... just shut up. I am not even done explaining so just wait patiently."

Joon-Ho just shrugged with a smirk, "Suurre, sure no need to get so worked up."

"But what are the limitations? Can you control the extent of this 'strength' you gain, or is it purely based on the severity of the adversity?" asked Shaun the question that we all had in our minds.

Aarav responded with a shrug. "That's a crucial point. The strength I gain is proportional to the challenge I face. I can't control it directly. However, I believe it's a flexible system. It won't make me superhuman overnight. It's more about gradual, sustainable growth. Baby steps quite literally. And I'll need to actively participate in the process, pushing myself to face challenges."

"We already come out stronger from our struggles and this only increases the efficiency and the speed of that whole process. Already I feel my recovery speed much faster."

Aarav took his short sword out of its sheath and drew a line across his forearm. It was a slight wound almost thread-like but then we saw it fill up and vanish in the next 10 seconds.

"So the ability directly upgrades my body and with each event of pain it only grows stronger."

'He is like a demonic cultivator or a berserker who gains more power the more he is hurt only in his case it is more subdued and gradual and there is no fear of losing himself to rage.'

"I was given two paths as well - Blood and Avatar. I chose the Blood Path of which my chosen class is the [Blood Knight] which meshes well with my grace. It essentially turns me into a pseudo-undead. I am very hard to kill now. I can come back from most of my wounds and it also gives me an array of blood abilities as well. Ability to control and manipulate my blood and to harden it into weapons like blades or spears, as well as to shape it for various offensive and defensive purposes. The [Blood Knight] class grants increased physical strength, speed, and endurance augmented by the adrenaline rush that comes from engaging in combat and shedding blood. Although it does come with a downside as well with the debuff [Bloodlust]. The more I fight and the more blood is lost, the stronger I become at the cost of my sanity. This can lead to a dangerous addiction to combat and a loss of reason over time. Good thing we are training under sages who can help me in that department."

'Oops spoke too soon there is a chance of losing him to rage.'

Ying remarked, "Gosh these men. Well even more to our glory and honor when we have to hunt you down."

"Well I am sure you made this choice after much deliberation and chose wisely," said Arya as she added more firewood to the campfire along with Ren.

Aarav nodded in agreement and leaned back to his earlier comfortable sitting position.

"Oh, and the Blood Path gives me bloodline management. That means I could invite you to my clan and if you accept you will awaken a dormant bloodline within you. Everybody has one but the awakening comes at the cost of unwavering loyalty to other members of the clan. But that talk can wait for later. I don't want to take up more time than necessary."

I was next and I had to hold myself back from reacting to that bombshell that was dropped a few moments ago. Reigning my expression back and looking towards the group, I had decided what I would say.

I would not speak of my paranoia and distrust of the Equinox system. I am sure everyone already here knows of the cost of power, even more so if it was from an unknown entity like the system. There is no free meal. I would hate to be the one to spoil this good atmosphere and make it somber.

"My grace is a little different from the ones till now so I believe I need to state my thought process as well." I began, "I realized that information is a critical part of anything we set out to achieve. It is the 'crux' some might even say. This rings especially true in conflicts as well as in mediating and I would rather not be at the side with less information. But any Insight skill that I could ask as grace would be constrained by its low level. That.... would not be enough. We need reliable information from a reliable source and as a result, I had set my eyes on the equinox system but sadly it would not prove much help due to the way it's programmed. I then thought of creating a new system that would help me and so as my grace I asked for a new subsystem - the Eunoia system."

"The Eunoia system was designed to assist me in every manner possible. I also found a loophole I could exploit. The equinox system in its own words would be as strong as the number of chakras we unlock as only then can we unlock more of its powers. Using that I asked the Eunoia system to be as strong as the equinox system. The constraint was that the grace (Eunoia) would only be as strong as the current level at the time of wish. So asking it to scale with the Equinox system that was weak as well at the level of root chakra circumvented this constraint. Thus it was made possible to have the Eunoia system scale with my chakra levels as well. However, the Eunoia system is first and foremost an assistant of sorts and its abilities lie in that region as well."

The others were quite shocked at this revelation.

Aarav raised an eyebrow and asked "Wait, so you managed to trick the system into scaling Eunoia with your chakra levels through Equinox? That's... pretty sneaky."

Sasha nodded in admiration. "I have to admit, that's quite an impressive workaround. It's like gaming the system to get the best of both worlds."

Ren smirked and added, "You had us fooled, Kaito. We thought you were just accepting things as they were, but you were planning this all along."

Shaun praised Kaito while grinning "Well, I guess that's one way to outsmart the Equinox system. You've got to admire his resourcefulness."

I just flashed a modest smile in response.

I shrugged and continued, "The systems might have safeguards or countermeasures against such exploits, so there might be something to look out for in the future. However, with the Eunoia system, a subsystem of the system that oversees the world, I now have a wealth of information albeit it's tier-locked. Eunoia is an interactive system, unlike the reserved Equinox system. I can ask it for certain kinds of information that I currently have access to. This was a gamble and I am still not sure if it will ever pay off. The Eunoia system currently gives me a tier-2 [Appraisal] skill and [Automation]. [Automation] allows me to delegate one of my active skills to the Eunoia who maintains it and can carry out simple commands that I give associated with the skill."

"I was given three paths - Spirit, Titan, and Avatar. I went ahead with the Spirit path and the class I chose was the [Water spiritualist]. This is essentially a summoner class that can call upon water spirits to aid me in various purposes."

I mentally think of Aria and just like before the space wobbles like a ripple and Aria jumps out gracefully as ever and lands at my shoulder and purrs.

Aria immediately earns shocked gasps from the group. I can imagine their thoughts by looking at their faces.

'Yeah I know, her cuteness is destructive isn't it?'

Joon-Ho, his eyes widening with surprise, is the first to react. "Whoa, is that... Aria?"

"Yup." Though I did not mention my abilities or about Aria except her name as per the pact, I did tell them to look forward to meeting Aria.

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Arya, who usually maintains a composed demeanor, couldn't help but show a hint of amazement. "I've heard of spirit familiars, but I've never seen one in person. It's beautiful."

Aarav added with an amused tone. " Well isn't this a rare sight? Spiritualists are very very scarce beings to find."

I mentally thanked Aria for coming as I dispelled the summoning which was met with some boos from the group.

"So carrying on, Aria is a lesser water spirit. There are five tiers to spirits, it goes from the lesser, greater, arch, king, and finally emperor class spirits. Each of them more stronger than the previous one. They can be summoned instantaneously and as water spirits are capable of water manipulation though their extent of abilities is tied to their tiers or the numbers that are summoned at once. For example, nine lesser spirits can equal the feats of a greater spirit."

"With the Spirit path, I gained access to some Prana and I think I have been changed to part spiritual entity as a result as per Eunoia as generally only they can use Prana."

"Finally, the Eunoia system consolidated some of the skills that I could have gained from the other paths and added them to my repertoire. From the Titan path, I gained the ability to manipulate threads which in the future could help me in communicating long distances, divination, trap setting, and minor artificer abilities with thread, and from the Avatar path I gained archery-related skills. The skills from other paths will have to be earned though, Eunoia only makes it slightly easier for me to learn them."

Aarav who had maintained his silence till now raised his finger and shouted "Hey that's just plain cheating now."

I just smirked and told him, "Well better luck next time with your grace if there's any."

"Well, that will be all from my side. I shall leave the stage to you, Arya."

Arya straightened up as she sat on the polished piece of rock.

"I am next and I will try to keep it brief," she said with utmost confidence.

"I used my grace point to gain the ability to alter the flow of anything I could perceive and define. It culminated in a skill called [Flow mastery], a passive ability. With this, I can enhance the flow of mana, air, nerve impulses and transmission, and blood within my body, which in turn improves my reflexes and physical and magical capabilities."

After a brief moment of pause, Arya's body shimmered and turned invisible and then turned visible again.

"I can manipulate the flow of air around me to turn myself invisible, increase regeneration speed, and also gain the capability of limited flight."

"I was given two paths - Blood and Avatar. The choices given to me in Blood Path were appalling to me." Arya said with a rare display of disgust evident on her face. "So I chose the Avatar path instead. My chosen class is the [Avatar of Life]."

"Avatar path grants me access to the Root. The energies from the Root were like a divine elixir or panacea or thousand-year-old ginseng nonsense you often hear from the great sects of the East. It made my body more resilient and significantly boosted my chi regeneration and maximum chi capacity. However, that seems like a one-time thing as it now only acts as a secondary source of chi. My class, [Avatar of Life], can grant me various degrees of control over Life magic, giving me wood manipulation skills, increased range, and more information from the Circle of Life, along with healing abilities. My class melded very well with my [Flow Mastery]. As the Avatar of Life, I also gain an innate connection to the natural world. Although much of these skills I have yet to learn like everyone else."

Arya spoke with such a voice that booked no arguments nor interruptions and all of us waited till Arya was finished to say our piece.

'Another conditional grace just like Aarav's and I guess Ren's will be too.'

I couldn't help but be impressed by Arya's concise explanation and the synergy between her grace and her chosen class. "Your abilities seem well-rounded, Arya, and they complement each other nicely."

Shaun, always analytical, added, "I can see how the enhanced flow control would be beneficial in combat situations, and with your class, it seems you have a versatile set of skills."

Ren, who had been listening intently, raised an eyebrow and let out a low whistle. "Arya, that's quite the combination you've got there."

Arak nodded and added his piece. "I am glad we have a healer in our midst now."

"Thank you everyone. You're next Ren."

Ren jumped from his seat and did a bow as he exclaimed. "Well ladies and gentlemen, it's now my turn in the spotlight. Drumrolls please."

Joon-Ho used his twin sword sheath to mimic a drum roll on the wooden log he was sitting on.

"Thank you. Just like Aarav and Arya, my grace too is ...conditional. What I asked for was the ability to compress and decompress anything I can physically touch as long as it is through the abilities of my class. As you can see it's quite specific so my abilities utility-wise are quite powerful."

"I somehow managed to convince the system to tie my grace to my class for a cost, a condition on top of the condition. I had to think outside the box to frame it in such a way and present it as a single wish. It enabled me to scale its power albeit utility-wise as my class grows stronger. The constraint, however, was that my class options were now very narrow. It was a gamble and I had no idea I would even get a class that could mesh well with this grace. Yes I know I could have wished for my grace later but I could not resist the temptation. I know many of us here fell to it as well."

He leaned in, a mischievous grin on his face

"I was just like Shaun given one path - Avatar. Imagine my distress when I found that I had only two options to choose from. But voila, with luck on my side I managed to snag the perfect class for my grace. I chose the class [Quantum Manipulator]. This class allowed me to manipulate stuff at the quantum level. But at the level I am right now, it keeps my options limited. I can reinforce at most right now so I lack versatility. I did however lose my connection to Root as the cost."

Ren's excitement was infectious as he continued to share his plans.

"My grace though, I want to use it to repeatedly compress and decompress my bones and muscles. My aim you ask? To increase their density, slowly gaining huge strength, stamina, and endurance once I master this ability to the fullest. I also want to attempt to compress my chi within my body so that I can store more chi. I believe with enough practice and mastery I can store a more denser form of chi within my body. I have already decided on the naming - ether. I also aim to make all of my cells have something like a chi center in the future even if it may be too ambitious of me."

Aarav was genuinely impressed by Ren's explanation. He leaned forward, his eyes filled with curiosity and admiration. "Ren, that's incredible!" he exclaimed. "I mean, the [Quantum Manipulator] class sounds like a fantastic fit for your abilities."

Sasha nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Ren, your approach is quite innovative. The idea of compressing and decompressing your bones and muscles to gain strength and stamina is fascinating. And the concept of 'ether' as a denser form of chi is intriguing. It sounds like you have a clear vision for how you want to develop your abilities."

'I could ask Eunoia how to help with that if I have access to that level.'

Joon-Ho, still seated on the wooden log, added with a grin, "I'll have to agree with Aarav and the others. Your approach is impressive, Ren. It'll be exciting to see how your abilities continue to evolve as you master your grace and class."

"Haha, I know right? But please enough with the praises it's time that I step down for others to shine." Ren sat back down to his seat with a boisterous laugh as he patted Sasha on the back.

Sasha fiddled with her hands and let out a yelp. Sasha usually had two sides, a shy reserved side and a hot-headed side that was visible during history and chi circulation classes.

Embarrassed and avoiding eye contact she began, "My grace is multiple secondary minds that are loyal and would wholeheartedly serve me no matter what."

"Um, well to elaborate, it's like... I have these secondary consciousnesses that exist within my mind. They're like separate entities, but they're bound to me, and they're always there, ready to assist or serve me in any way I need."

Arya's butted in her concern evident, "So, are these secondary minds sentient? Do they have their own thoughts and personalities?"

"Um...Not quite, they don't have their distinct personalities. Um...They're more like... extensions of my consciousness, dedicated to specific tasks or functions."

I leaned in, my curiosity piqued. "What kind of tasks can they perform? Are they like advisors or computers?"

Sasha finally glanced up, albeit briefly, as she explained, "They can perform a variety of tasks. For example, one might specialize in analyzing information, another in enhancing my magical abilities, and another in providing emotional support. It's like having a team of experts in my mind, ready to assist me."

Arak, who had been observing Sasha's responses, couldn't help but offer some encouragement. "It's a unique and powerful ability, Sasha. Don't be embarrassed about it. Embrace it and use it to its fullest potential."

"Thanks, Arak." With a more determined look, she continued with her explanation, "I was given three paths - Spirit, Blood, and Avatar. I went with the Spirit path and chose the [Mindscape Architect]. I can possess the ability to create, manipulate, and enter intricate mental landscapes within my mind and the minds of others. I can enhance my mental and psychic capabilities, establish telepathic connections through these inner worlds, and defend against mental attacks. With time, I can even manipulate the perception of time within my inner realms, accelerating mental growth and training.

Ying chimed in, a hint of concern in her voice. "Sasha, that's some intense stuff. You'll need to be careful not to overstep boundaries or invade people's privacy unintentionally. Also, take care and train to not get overwhelmed by other's emotions and memories. Though I suppose the Circle of Life already takes care of that."

Shaun, always the pragmatic one, added, "On the flip side, it could be incredibly useful in a variety of situations. Just remember to use it responsibly."

Aarav, encouraged her with a smile as he placed his hands behind his head. "Sasha, you've got a unique and potentially game-changing ability. Embrace it, but stay mindful of its ethical implications."

"Y-yeah, and finally like Kaito gained access to some Prana but I don't think I have been changed to a part spiritual entity. I am not sure why it's different when till now the abilities of the path have remained the same, but that's all from me."

The final one left was Joon-Ho, the training enthusiast.

He shifted from a cross-legged position to having both legs on the floor. Leaning forward he sat there silently. The flames cast eerie shadows across his face, their flickering dance mirroring the anticipation building within the group.

Joon-Ho was a tall and lean young man in his mid-twenties with a sharp nose and angular eyes. He had dark eyes like black obsidian and a thin but strong physique that hinted at his rigorous training for physical strength and agility. His jet-black hair was kept short and neatly styled.

As he settled in, Joon-Ho let out a slow, dramatic breath. He seemed poised, waiting for the perfect moment to share his revelation. The firelight played tricks on his features, adding an air of mystery to his presence.

His entire sequence of actions seemed like a person getting in the mood to share a horror story in the cold of the night. He stayed silent for a few more seconds after that likely trying to set the mood, the campfire flames dancing in the fire pit, the glow of the fire streaking shadows across his face.

"My grace.....," he began "is called [Soul harvesting] and it is the ability to harvest the souls of those who die in my vicinity."

Aarav just flicked a pebble at his face which Joon-Ho quickly caught in his right hand.

"All that suspense for that. Quit being dramatic. I swear you are becoming more of a drama queen with each passing day."

There were chuckles within the present group. Even Arak who usually remains stoic had a small smile tugging his lips.

"What? I was setting up the mood, which you broke by the way. Seriously Aarav you got no aesthetic sense."

"I don't think I need an aesthetic sense like that." Aarav promptly replied.

"Now, now let's listen to the rest of Joon-Ho's abilities. It's already getting late," said Shaun.

"Yeah so anyways back to where I was before I got so rudely interrupted." Aarav raised his fist in a mock punching motion at Joon-Ho though he was sitting at the opposite end of the fire.

"I can absorb the skill mastery of those who die in my vicinity. It is also conditional in the sense that I can only absorb the skill mastery related to the class I have. Of course, I cannot absorb skills, but other things like proper forms, minor enlightenment, stance, and things like that. Although my grace is really good, it's also quite slow. For comparison, if the soul was like a mug full of water, I only get a few drops so the progress is slow, but we are here for the long run anyway. I had three paths to choose from - Celestial, Void, and Avatar. I went with the Avatar path and got the class [Morph]. It essentially allows me to switch between three classes whenever I wish, and my stats and body structure change along with the class I equip. I got three options - A Cavalier, which is basically a mounted knight; An Arcane sniper, and finally A Garrison. Cavalier requires catching mounts first, but it could, in essence, make me something like the dragon riders of yore. Arcane sniper focuses on ranged attacks, is good at both magic and the bow, has high agility, and is more built for silent operations. The garrison makes me some mobile support tower, has incredible defensive power, and can give support buffs and debuffs."

"The energies from the Root, in my case, make my body very adaptable and help me make the transition between classes almost instantaneously. It also provides me with a subspace where I can keep my mounts and like Arya gives me a secondary source of Chi."

"The [Morph] class struck me as incredibly powerful, and I desired it, even if it would place me in the system's hands. Isn't it strange? None of us were informed that the Avatar path would be tied to the system, yet we somehow knew. I believe I did, and I suspect you did too. The same goes for the other paths. We inherently understood why those choices and qualifications were presented to us. The system taunted me, and like Eve, I relented. Not that it would matter much because if it did, I'm certain the guru or the seniors would have warned us. Clearly, they know about the Path as well. The Gurukul has stood for thousands of years, and if there were issues, surely they would have been documented, and warnings given. Since there were none, I assumed there was no harm. At most, it might be very subtle, like a gut feeling or dreams."

Everyone fell into deep contemplation after that revelation. Concerned looks were exchanged between Arya, Ren, and Joon-Ho.

"Well, since I'm the one who brought up this uncomfortable topic and upset the balance, let me be the one to offer a solution as well. Today is a special day; let's forget everything I've said. What's done is done. Let's look forward to the future, and just for today, let's drink our worries away."

Arak, in an unusual moment, slapped his hand on the log he was perched on and began to laugh, the sound of his laughter booming throughout the campfire.

"That's right. We cannot let the past burden us. All we can do is prepare for the future. We are comrades, whatever happens, we simply have to support each other. Raise your glass with me. Raise your glass as a solemn vow to be there in time of need. Raise your glass to stand together. CHEERS!!!."

"CHEERS!!!." Everyone exclaimed as they raised their glasses.

The somber atmosphere went away as soon as it came. There were more discussions about the potential use of our abilities. There were more taunts and jabs at each other. But the atmosphere remained good. And after some time the group split and went back to their rooms to rest.