The two men that escorted her were apparently commissioned by Belan in preparation for her Choosing. Since they couldn't get a Father on time, due to them being killed off by her distant band of murderhobos, the old nun figured ‘Larry’ and ‘Mo,’ names Ione had given the hulking beings because they refused to give their identification, would be enough for her to kowtow to Belan’s whims. Although, they did exude an aura of power.
Yea, that’s going to be a no from me. She wished she knew their levels, just so that she would get a rough estimate of how powerful these guys were or if it was just a skill that made her think they were strong, but she would have to wait to choose her class.
The walk was slow, but they eventually made it to the church she had visited just a month ago. It brought back warm memories.
Ione was excited. Despite the two additions, she knew there was little chance that her plans could be curbed. Belan had notified her that after she had her choosing, Hubrik would be waiting for her at the mouth of the valley, to begin her escort. She was to follow a map, given after she got her class, and if she didn't arrive by the following day, Hubrik would be required to alert the authorities.
The young girl didn’t care. She was at the point that she could taste freedom on her tongue, and she refused to entertain any other manacle that threatened to clamp her wrists.
They crossed the threshold, and Ione took the position Osmen did, just 5 years prior. Belan and her two other cohorts took their places behind the altar, and soon enough, the rest of the kids trickled in. At the corner of her eye she saw Coranne and Fellis at her right, both smiling excitedly, and their presence strengthened her resolve to do what she needed to do.
Some time passed, and a notification popped into her mind. She immediately looked, and her eyes glazed with wonder. Everything that Belan had started to say drifted away at the myriad of possibilities before her.
She ignored all the Common, Uncommon, and Rare classes, only to see Epic, Legendary, Mythic, and one single class that was labeled as S̸͓̜͖͔̘̈́̔͐͂̈́t̵̢̜͕̮͇͖̠̝̳̝͔̥̝̰̐̈͒̌͋̎̈́͋̆́͜ŗ̸̛̼̲̘͓̰̓͑̊͂̃́͆̓̓̏̚͠ȃ̶͓̘̠̉͆ņ̸̡̤̻̞͇͖̼̤̣̠̭̈̉͆̌̏́́̿͂ǧ̶̢̨̬͕̪̠̜̰͇̤̲̥̰̀͜e̶̡̹̱̫͇̹̰̱̗̟͔̺̞̻̖̓.
What the fuck is up with that lettering?
To see those last three options, she also discarded Epic. I knew they were holding out on me, Ione thought with a feeling of smugness.
She looked at the highest classes available.
4 Legendary, 3 Mythic, and 1 Ş̸̳̟͊̎t̸̬͍̆͜r̷̪͍͛̃̚ą̷͉͚̅͊n̷͍̈͋ͅg̷̞̋è̵͖.
The Arcane Trickster
Master of shadows and deceptions, the Arcane Trickster is a cunning and enigmatic force on the battlefield. A blend of magical prowess and unparalleled trickery, these shadowy manipulators wield the arcane arts to weave illusions, confound enemies, and navigate the edges of morality. With a silver tongue and nimble fingers, they revel in the art of subterfuge, using their deceptive skills to turn the tide of any encounter.
This most likely was a result of her constantly deceiving others. There was not a moment in her life where she didn't put on some kind of performance or falsehood, and this class reflected that experience.
Limberblade
The Limberblade, a mesmerizing fusion of extraordinary acrobatics and superhuman strength, is a marvel on the battlefield. Mastering the art of contortion and physical manipulation, Limberblades defy the laws of anatomy to outmaneuver foes and unleash devastating blows. With bodies that seem to bend and twist in unnatural ways, these agile warriors bring a spectacle of strength and flexibility to every encounter.
Limberblade was probably the result of her fights against Ozmen and Kine, although she didn't really control her body in the ways it described as she had just jumped over their blows. Maybe it had coupled with her high dexterity to produce such a class.
The Zenblade
The Zenblade, a master of supreme body control and heightened awareness, dances on the edge of danger with unrivaled grace. Through meticulous training and a profound connection between mind and body, they possess an almost preternatural ability to sense impending danger and move in the most subtle and agile ways to avoid fatal blows. A Zenblade is a living testament to the harmonious marriage of martial skill and spiritual enlightenment.
Obviously, this one combined her meditation with her ability to fight barefisted, and easily the one that caught her attention. As she would welcome a calm mind during high stress periods. Yet, she had Tier 6 of [Pain Resistance], which helped in any sort of mental anguish or stress. Maybe she was conflating the two, but she didn't want redundant skills if a class included something similar.
The Arcane Artificer
The Arcane Artificer is a master of combat improvisation, transforming the mundane into instruments of destruction with an uncanny ease. Armed with an innate connection to the arcane, they possess the unique ability to turn anything at their disposal into a deadly weapon. Versatile and quick-witted, the Arcane Artificer can adapt to any situation, turning the battlefield into a chaotic symphony of destruction.
Now, this one was more up her alley. She had consistently used the most available items at her disposal, even if there were better objects she could have used at the time. This was a class that recognized the versatility in her actions and since she hadn't produced a skill related to making weapons from random, she supposed it was extremely rare.
Mindbender
The Mindbender, a master of cerebral and spatial manipulation, wields powers that transcend the ordinary. With a mind as vast as the cosmos, they manipulate the very fabric of space around them, bending reality to their will. However, it is their ability to intrude upon the thoughts, emotions and actions of others that truly sets them apart. Beware, for the Mindbender is a formidable force capable of warping both the physical and psychological realms.
No.
Warstratego
The Warstrategos stands as a paragon of leadership, possessing a brilliant mind for strategy and an unwavering ability to inspire those around them. Masters of battlefield tactics, they excel in formulating intricate plans that account for every detail, turning the chaos of warfare into a carefully orchestrated symphony of victory. Their true strength lies not only in their own prowess but in their unparalleled ability to elevate the capabilities of their allies.
Wartratego would have worked, if she didn’t want to go solo. She didn’t really like leadership all that much, and while a convenient tool for leading groups into battle, she wasn’t keen on it. It most likely was due to her teaching the group how to get new skills, and it coupled that with her [Planning] skill.
Veritum Guardian
The Veritum Guardian is a paragon of unwavering perception, a sentinel capable of piercing through illusions, uncovering hidden truths, and exposing the vulnerabilities that others seek to conceal. Their abilities are purely defensive, designed not to harm but to safeguard against the cunning arts of deception. As masters of discernment, Veritum Guardians are a stalwart bulwark against falsehoods, standing firm as the embodiment of truth and protection.
She internally snorted at that one. Ione wasn’t the most truthful one around and certainly not a ‘bulwark against falsehoods’, since she committed them as much as she breathed. It would have been nice to have defenses against illusions, however.
Most were good, some were alright, and one was bad; she had promptly ignored the mind control one once she finished reading the description. There was no way after, everything Ione had gone through with mind control, that she could conceivably take away personal agency in the way the description implied. Yet, it was certainly powerful, she would give it that, at least.
However, there was one last class that she was missing.
F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂
The Fleshweaver is a visceral force, an entity that transcends the boundaries of mortal flesh, delving into a realm of unlimited possibility and gluttony. This enigmatic healing class harnesses the ability to transmute their very form into a grotesque array of lethal weapons and armor. Limited only by the imagination that dances within the recesses of the mind, they are an incredible fusion of living flesh, and inorganic material, a brutal force that sends shivers down the spine.
What the actual fuck is that? The description was vague and it piqued her interest. Does this mean I would be able to turn my limbs into any eaten material? What the fuck? Would I be able to eat stone and then make my limbs stone? What about gold? Could I eat a Yora piece and turn into Yora? Make my own Yora?
Money signs flashed in her eyes.
To make my own weapons, my own armor, my own wealth from my body… was incredible. She could only imagine the possibilities that could come with an evolution.
“...Ione?...Ione!”
Belan’s loud voice brought her back from her musings, and she glanced at the woman standing at the altar.
The nun huffed and asked, “are you listening?”
“No.” Ione laughed. “I’m definitely not.”
Redness creeped up the woman’s thin neck. “You have been a problem since day one, and now you think you can act out. But I understand, it’s your last day of rebelliousness, so I understand you need to get it out of your system.”
This time, Ione threw back her head with a maniacal cackle, then leveled a stare at the woman. “You are so fucked.”
Without further preamble, she chose her class. A collective gasp filled the church, and a searing pain burst along her stomach, she gave a wheeze. The agony brought her down to her knees and she activated [Pain Resistance], yet it did nothing.
Belan yelled, “Get the children out of here!” As a stampede of footsteps echoed out of the building.
Fuuuck, what the hell is this? Ione thought, as she felt around her stomach to feel hard ridges and sharp points. What the fuck has grown on my stomach? Then, she heard a series of dings.
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 1-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 2 - 6 attribute points received
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 2-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 3 - 6 attribute points received
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 3-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 4 - 6 attribute points received
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 4-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 5 - 6 attribute points received
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 5-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 6 - 6 attribute points received
DING! F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 6-> F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 7 - 6 attribute points received
It was if time stopped, and she looked at her status page.
Status Screen
HP: 2,010 | ST: 3,735 | MP: 3,127
Name: Ione G’alatria
Race: Human-Elf Halfling
Birthday: 06/01/700 RY (Renewal Year)
Age: 15
Class: F̷̝͇͕̈̈̕l̴͚͔͓̉̓e̸̬͋ş̵͓̹̈̌ẖ̸̽́w̴̢̹̌͌̈́é̶͍̩̿ạ̴͘͜v̷̱̻̺͐͂e̷͓͛r̶̨̩͓̉̌̂ LVL 7 [EXP bank: 1,459.8]
Class skills
Passive:
Arcane flesh Sense Tier 1 LVL 1: sense of touch, hearing, smell, sight, and balance can now be controlled
Total Body Control Tier 1 LVL 1: you have full control over your bodily functions, your reaction speed is faster (250ms÷2= 125 ms), and you may move with increased athletic ability and grace. You may also lower your heart rate, increase your rate of breathing, and devote resources to different organs or parts of the body. The mind and body is attuned. Immune to physical manipulation such as blood manipulation or other external healing.
Meditation of the Flesh Tier 1 LVL 1: when standing still or sitting, you may gain mana at a rate of +2% mana/s. Gives a static boon of 1.5× the amount of mana you have.
Active:
Arcane Flesh healing Tier 1 LVL 1: Your body heals from any injury at a rate of +50 hp/s- however it has a cost of 30 mana/s. Cannot protect against decapitations.
Arcane Flesh Molding Tier 1 LVL 1: you can shape your Flesh how you see fit, be it into armor, weapons or both. It is as strong as what you consume, however the shaping of Flesh costs 25 mana/s when active. Range is 2.5 meters away from the origin body.
Arcane Legs of Momentum Tier 1 LVL 1: your legs are enhanced for speed. Movement speed increased by 2.5 with a cost of 400 mana/m and 50 stamina/s. Gives a static boon of 1.5x the amount of stamina you have.
Class aptitude skills: None
Attributes (181 points available)
Constitution: 402
Wisdom: 417
Stamina: 498
Strength: 480
Dexterity: 458
Intelligence: 595
Status afflictions (0):
General Skills (30):
[focus to expand]
Arcane perks (2):
Increased Experience Acquisition
Omniglot
Resistances (22):
[focus to expand]
Quests (7):
[focus to expand]
Gear (none):
Fuck. Yes. The contract was gone, her already being level 7 has surpassed the level 5 requirement. She got a healing class and one with infinite versatility.
She lifted her tunic and gaped. On her stomach was a mouth, a maw that led into a void and it moved on its own accord. She shuddered and poked at one of the teeth, it flinched and then opened wide, as if she was going to feed it something. Well, thanks for the stone Fellis, and she chucked it into the void of her stomach. It gulped, then burped.
Aw c’mon. Have some manners.
Maybe this is why they didn’t teach about strange classes.
“What did you do?” Belan screamed. “What have you done?”
She used [Inspect] to look at their titles, and conveniently, their levels.
[Belan Twattis- Strengthening Mendicant] - LVL 115
[Kores Yorn- Bulwark of Adversity] - LVL 28
[Jakis Yorn- Offensive Thinker] - LVL 25
“I chose my own destiny.” The men behind Belan glanced at each other and slowly made their way towards her. “It’s been long enough. And now I’m free. No more contracts, no more following your demands. I’m sick and tired of it. And now.” she spread her arms wide. “There’s nothing holding me back!” The brothers were about 2 meters away and then she acted.
She activated [Arcane Flesh Molding] and [Arcane Legs of Momentum], then kept her eye on the mana and stamina counter in the top right of her vision. Ione burst forward, taking all adversaries by surprise and targeted Jakis. His class appeared to focus on planning, maybe the best way an opponent could be defeated and she struck with an extension of her finger, which she turned to stone, along with the rest of her arm. It pierced his neck, and blood started to freely pour out. The scent of the sanguine fluid filled her nostrils and with [Arcane flesh Sense], she turned off her sense of smell, she didn’t want to be distracted. He clutched his neck and stared accusingly at her.
The girl smiled and with [Spatial Awareness], jumped over Kores, who suddenly procured a big shield to bumrush her. Belan quickly moved to heal Jakis, while Kores turned around to charge her again.
Not on my watch.
She leaped over Kores, this time to land on Jakis’ neck and stomped his head enough to scramble his brain and skull into unrecognizable mush. Belan immediately scrambled away, her face a mixture of absolute horror and devastation. She shouted, “Kores, kill her!”
She heard a Ding! In her mind, but ignored it.
“I’m fucking trying!” He screamed. Kores produced a knife from his hip and shield rushed her again, this time with an increased swiftness and she met him head on. His hand flung the blade to her side, which she had promptly covered with stone and it glanced off with a shine of sparks. She strengthened her forehead with rock, and then bashed his head with hers, which caused him to yelp, and he stumbled back, dropping the knife. Realizing that she could use bone, she made a scythe of the material and quickly dragged it across her neck with flourish. Belan, who watched the entire ordeal, unfortunately was in the trajectory of the flying head, and was consequently bonked on the skull.
Another Ding! resounded in her mind.
“Ah!” She stumbled. Then with a green glow she healed herself with a hand to her head.
Blood showered the church. It was a gruesome scene and Ione was drenched in the substance, but she still had yet to kill the quest of her desire. She slowly walked over to Belan.
The old nun slowly inched her way to the side exit, and Ione quickly shot forward to block her exit. Belan looked to the front and then tried to run towards the open double door, to which the bloody girl did the same thing.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ione asked, conversationally.
“You are a monster.” Belan whispered. “What have I done… What have I brought into this world?” She staggered away and tried to throw a piece of wood at her. Ione quickly sidestepped it.
“You should have killed me when you had the chance,” Ione replied and with increased momentum, she rushed towards the nun with a bone spear outstretched, only to be rebounded, hard, into the church wall, so much so, that she broke through the wall, and landed on the grassy clearing just before the forest. It took about 200 points of health.
Probably a talisman of some sort. She could see the remnants of a golden shimmer that trailed after her, and she knew it was similar to the Pendant of Gostra she stole from Father Umin.
Without time to waste, she rushed back in, only to see that mother Belan had set up some sort of a ritual circle.
“You will not kill me!” Then with a drop of blood, the old nun summoned golden hands that sprouted from the ground. “I am favored by Gostra, his strength will prevail!”
Oh my god, lady, just die already.
Ione threw a bone spear, then noticed, as it left her hands, it withered away into a jumbled mess of flesh and one of the hands caught it wetly.
She supposed that was another limit to her power. With a brief glance at her stats, she knew she had to end this quickly, otherwise she would be out of mana.
Hands made out of bone protruded out from her body, and using them, she quickly gathered whatever rubble she could, which included stone and wood, and then all at once she made them throw all of the items at the circle Belan was standing in.
The hands each caught the pieces of debris, which left Belan undefended and Ione propelled forward with a fist of stone cocked, and swung it at the old lady. Belan’s face was a mixture of surprise and complete fear and she made to turn around. With a satisfying crunch, Ione hit the back of Belan’s head, the old lady was flung to the wall, and her body crumpled on the impact.
No Ding! In her mind yet, so she sped forward and started to viciously kick the absolute shit out of the old woman, using a foot made of stone.
“This is for trying to starve me as a kid!” Kick.
A Ding! Sounded, but she ignored it.
“This is for taking away Osmen’s choice!” Kick.
“This is for being a racist asshole!” Kick.
“And this is for trying to control me for the rest of my life!” Kick.
She huffed, the leaving adrenaline caused her limbs to shake, and then slowly and calmly, walked away from the mangled old woman, her body a mess of flesh, black fabric, and bone. Her gaze surveyed the destroyed area of worship and then made her way out of the red stained church, bloody as sin.
There was not a soul in sight, which was expected, as the absolute devastation would have the nuns lead the children back to the orphanage.
All, except two.
“Ione?” Fellis asked, hesitantly.
Both Coranne and the red-haired girl stood out from behind a tree, not so far from where she had watched Umin and they hesitantly made their way to her. She tried to give them a smile, but under the circumstances, she decided to drop it and kept her face blank.
She saw how Fellis cowered behind Coranne, and her heart cracked a bit.