“You’ve been a busy boy, Artie. I’m proud to call you my Chosen.” Dominus’ voice was like liquid velvet, smooth and rich, yet carrying an undercurrent of steel. It possessed the allure of a siren song, capable of both captivating and compelling. Infused with a subtle, ethereal quality, it was as if her voice echoed from a distant, celestial realm. There was a timeless elegance to it, a tone that suggested centuries of experience and wisdom, tempered by a touch of amused detachment.
Smiling to myself, I opened my eyes and found myself in the same white void as the last time I’d met Dominus. She sat with her long legs curled underneath her on a dark green leather loveseat before me in a sheath dress that almost looked to be made out of a sunset in the mountains as it wrapped her voluptuous curves. The colors complimented her long flowing blonde hair and her mismatched cerulean and smokey grey eyes. Her smile lit up the void with a warmth I didn’t expect.
“You undersold [Suzerain] the last time we spoke.” I looked down and found I was still naked, but it wasn’t like I had anything to hide from my patron goddess, so I mentally shrugged it off.
She waved a hand dismissively. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You should wait until you see the benefits you get from hitting level twenty-five. Trust me.” She laughed and I couldn’t help but smile along.
I blinked a few times before pointing to my chest. “Wait, can you help me with my build? If you could, that would negate my racial disadvantage–”
“Yes and no,” she cut me off before I was able to start rambling. “I can help you with your level ups to a point, but I can’t give you any more information about the outside world than you already have. It’s one of those rules I put in place to stop my idiot children from accidentally killing each other off.” She snorted. “As long as I don’t break it, they can’t either.”
“What does that have to do with my build?” I cocked my head to the side and blinked a few times. When I finished blinking, I found myself curled up on the couch with the goddess on her couch.
“Let me give you an example.” She ran her fingers through my hair and massaged my scalp. It was enough to send shivers of pleasure down my back. “Let’s say there’s a [Dread Necromancer] who follows Devourer amassing a horde of undead that I’m relatively sure you’ll come into contact with sooner or later and in his horde there are some [Banshees] who can kill anyone with a [Wits] stat under two hundred as easy as you breathe.”
“You’d tell me to pump my [Wits] even if I weren’t already going to do so. I don’t…” I groaned. “Which would invalidate any effort he put into raising that [Dread Necromancer]. In turn, he would tell his follower to focus on some other kind of undead if I were going to be the primary combatant. It’d be a big circle of wasted time.”
“Bingo.” She raked her nails down the back of my neck gently as she hit itches I didn’t even know I had. “I’ve visited worlds where the gods did shit like that behind the scenes and it always went to shit eventually. Trust me, this is better even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
“Makes sense to me.” I pulled up my Status and made it bigger so we could both see it easier. Even if she was a goddess, it was only polite to try and treat her like I would any other woman.
[You’ve gained two levels! 24 → 26]
[Level Up - Step 1 of 3
Stat Distribution:
Might: 17
Agility: 101
Toughness: 65
Charm: 75
Wits: 115
Perception: 91
Arcane: 299
Divine: 299
You have 60 points to spend.]
“What a gentleman.” I heard the smile in her voice as she rested my head beneath her breasts as we looked over my level up screen. “You’ve got sixty stat points to distribute, where do you think they should go?”
“Well, something’s already different than I expected. My magic stats jumped by a hundred points on their own.” I frowned despite the benefit. “Care to explain?”
“It’s one of the perks of having an SSS ranked Class.” She said matter of factly. “Regular S ranked Classes get the thirty stat points you do, but no bonus stats based on their natural inclinations while double S’s get a hundred bonus stat points split up as their Class requires.”
“Understood.” I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” She leaned down to look at me more closely. “I’ve never had a Chosen be disappointed in that particular benefit before. Is it because–”
Her eyes spun with an unnatural kaleidoscopic light for a moment before she pulled me in tighter to her bosom. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think to look back so far when I picked you. The Chosen selection process is complicated, but suffice to say it pretty much only highlights your wins, not your perceived losses. I knew you cast [Comet Storm] as a child, but not how it affected your psyche moving forward. I kind of wondered why that was the last combat you cast, but I figured I’d figure it out as I watched you moving forward.”
“I just had an argument about this with Jaegan, I’d really rather not hash it out with you too.” My eyes stung. “Can you just review that so we can move forward?”
“Of course.” She half-whispered. A moment later she bumped her chin against the top of my head. “I think I understand now and I’m sorry for not looking over your history before starting this process. I’ve since reviewed your life, including your parents’ and grandparents’ lives as well, just for context.” Sorrow seeped into her tone. “I’ll try and be a better patron moving forward.”
“Thanks.” I leaned back and sighed. “So, I take it [Suzerain]’s are meant to be some kind of caster. I’m kind of surprised it doesn’t give [Charm] instead of both magic stats, to be honest, given its whole schtick.”
“At one point, it did. It was my first Chosen and he ended up totally disregarding his [Arcane] stat.”
She threw up a System window in front of us displaying a white armored knight with dozens of women hanging off him and piled around him with half-glazed eyes.
“He did a pretty good job until he stole [Lustful Presence] from an [Empyrean Temptress] who had attacked a ship he owned. Dealing with a [Monster Skill] like that overwhelmed him due to his low [Arcane] resistance and he quickly fell to drugs and debauchery. He died shortly after that when his rivals caught up to him mid-binge.”
“A [Monster Skill] you say? Interesting.”
“That’s what you took from my cautionary tale?” She ruffled my hair. “Given your history, I guess that is what would interest you most about that anecdote. Regardless, both magic stats also serve as the magical defense to like magic. For example, it’s why [Mages] suck at killing each other if they don’t use Spells like [Boulder Toss] or [Dagger Storm] that create actual projectiles. I found that [Monster Skills] have a corrupting effect if the person using them doesn’t have a high enough relevant stat to use it. That includes physical stats as well.” Her voice took on a deadly serious quality. “Unless you seriously pump your [Might] up, don’t go trying to use any giant related [Monster Skills], they’ll turn you into an unthinking brute as low as it currently is.”
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“Got it, stay in my lane.” I took another look at the level up screen before stopping and looking up at Dominus. “I’ve heard getting stats to multiples of a hundred was helpful. Does that extend to the magic stats?”
“It does.”
“One point each for them then.” I stroked my bald chin. “What else?”
In the end, this is what I ended up doing. For a moment, I considered pumping my [Might] to twenty, but Dominus convinced me it was a waste of my time if I had [Moonsilver Powder] still to use. Once it ran out it would be a different story, but for now I held off.
[Level Up - Step 1 of 3
Stat Distribution:
Might: 17
Agility: 101 → 105
Toughness: 65 → 85
Charm: 75 → 100
Wits: 115
Perception: 91 → 100
Arcane: 299 → 300
Divine: 299 → 300]
[Confirm Stat Point Distribution? Y/N]
After conferring once more with Dominus I agreed to the prompt and was introduced to a new screen.
[Level Up - Step 2 of 3
You may choose Dominated Skills and Claim them. This will add them to your normal [Skill List]. Normal Skills cost one point while Unique Skills cost five and [Monster Skills] cost ten.]
Claim Points Remaining: 3]
“I was wondering if this would happen. I haven’t seen [Psyknife] or [Haste] gain any Mastery despite how much I use them, so I figured it had to be a level up thing.”
Dominus shifted so her back was against the arm of the loveseat and pulled me into her lap. “Other classes have [Skill] mastery percentage increases here, but [Suzerain] doesn’t really need that with how much it boosts your natural growth.” She started in on my scalp again with her nails. “You got one point at twenty-five and two more at twenty-six just like you will until you hit fifty-one, so don’t feel like you have to store them up unless you have a Unique Skill you really want to access.”
“Is there any other way to get points for this?” I couldn’t resist, I had to ask. “Not that I’m ungrateful, but if there was…” My voice trailed off as she hit the spot on the side of my head and I had to collect myself.
She kept on like nothing had happened. “There are, but it’d be hard to farm them. You’re better off just adventuring as normal and enjoy when you get a bonus point or two.”
“Heard. I know exactly what I want then.”
[Level Up - Step 2 of 3
Skills Claimed:
Haste
Psyknife
Air Step
Claim Points Remaining: 0]
[Confirm Claiming of Skills? Y/N]
“I can’t say I’m surprised, those are all very useful given your current fighting style.” Dominus intoned as she massaged my shoulders. “One screen left.” I groaned as I bumped the accept option to reveal the last screen.
[Level Up - Step 3 of 3
Path Selection:
Scholar
Warrior
Tactician
Caution! Choose wisely, for once this decision has been made there is no way to change paths.]
Part of me wanted to press the [Path of the Tactician] option immediately, but I knew I should review the other two before doing anything reckless.
[Path of the Scholar: While all Suzerains can cast Spells, those who walk this path are truly unparalleled in that field. With the ability to see the ebbs and flows of Mana, you will be able to sculpt your Spells to strike foes harder and avoid allies entirely. In addition, Mana costs are reduced by 20% for any Skill or Spell that draws on the Arcane, Divine, or Wits stats.]
[Path of the Warrior: Born with a weapon in hand, Suzerains on this path are true terrors of the battlefield. Any weapon in your hands gains the benefits of all weapon training you’ve gained. No foe will be able to hide their weapon Skills from you, granting you the ability to see the combat relevant Skills they have when using Analyze type Skills. In addition, deal 20% increased damage with all weapons and weapon Skills.]
[Path of the Tactician: The spider in the center of its web, that’s you. You command the battlefield with an intrinsic knowledge of your allies status and abilities. Gain the ability to create a Party where you will be able to see the HP, Mana, and Stamina of all Party Members as well as access Party Chat, a unique telepathic form of communication.]
“All of these seem great, but as much as I love it, I know the [Path of the Warrior] isn’t for me.” As I acknowledged it aloud a red ‘X’ appeared over the text before it faded from view, leaving only two options. “Huh, I guess that kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed it does.” Dominus’ knuckles dug deep into the muscles of my back as I read and reread the screen a dozen times. “The System has its quirks, but it’s rarely nonsensical when it comes to things like this.”
I groaned and leaned to the side a few minutes later. “I don’t know what to do.”
“How so?” The goddess leaned away to give me some semblance of space despite my position on her lap. “Is something wrong with the options?”
“I’m torn between what I know is the right choice and what I want to do.” I sighed. “The worst part is the gift you sent makes what I want to do even more stupid.”
“What gift?” She frowned. “Raiju?” Her eyebrows went up. “How would your traveling companion invalidate one of those options?”
“Come on, we both know you’re the reason that Unique ring dropped for me in that Dungeon. It was way too weak to–”
“I don’t interfere within Dungeons.” Dominus lived up to her name as her voice took on a tone that left no room to interrupt. “Dungeons and Towers are the true children of the System and it is incredibly protective of them. Any deity who interferes within either of them quickly learns how foolish that idea was.” She cracked a smile and her normal silky smooth voice returned. “Anything you received within a Dungeon was straight from the System with no interference from me. If you got a Unique item, the System wanted you to have it. Also, what is this ring, what does it do?”
“Shit.” I let myself rest against the goddess’ bosom as I considered what that meant for me. A full ten minutes later I shook my head. “Dominus, how long has the Party Chat function of the System been broken? How long has it been since anyone used it on Genovia?”
Her eyes took on an otherworldly look for a moment before going back to normal. “About fifty thousand years. Once Genovia’s System Integration finished, it and the formal Party System as a whole were both scrapped.”
It seems Genovia helped me make my decision, didn’t it? Thanks I guess? It feels weird to mentally talk to a planet, so I’m going to stop now.
“My new ring lets me form a Party and we can use Party Chat. It’s right in the description.” She gasped and I leaned forward to select the [Path of the Scholar], but didn’t confirm it. “That’s the big selling point of the [Path of the Tactician], so why should I take it if I have a Unique item that lets me do what it does for no opportunity cost?”
“Are you going to be OK with that decision though?” She sounded very concerned for my wellbeing, which I really appreciated.
I nodded. “I think so, though I still don’t want to use combat Spells if I can avoid it. It looks to be inevitable that I’ll have to do so, but I’m hoping to avoid it for as long as possible.”
“If you’re ready, you should cement your level up and take a look at your updated Status page. Your stats hit a few multiples of a hundred this time, so you should have a boon for each that did to look at.”
[You’ve opted to walk the Path of the Scholar. Confirm this choice? Y/N]
I mentally confirmed [Path of the Scholar] and my vision went fuzzy for a few seconds. At that moment, the white void around me looked anything but like a void. All around me was a maelstrom of creation and destruction, a cosmic battlefield where galaxies clashed and shattered like glass. Swirls of chaotic magic, iridescent and violent, churned and twisted, forming and dissolving nebulas in an endless cycle. It was a symphony of light and darkness, birth and death, played out on a canvas stretching infinitely in all directions. Yet, within this chaos, there was a strange order, a pattern to the madness, a rhythm to the cosmic dance.
From my vantage point on the leather couch, the scene was both terrifying and mesmerizing. I could feel a strange pull, a gravitational force tugging at my consciousness. The couch, once a symbol of domestic comfort, now felt like a fragile vessel adrift in a cosmic ocean. The once featureless void had transformed into a cosmic observatory, offering a front-row seat to the universe’s most spectacular and terrifying light show.
Then, a second later, the light show was over and I was back sitting on Dominus’ lap in the featureless white void I’d begun to link to her. However, there were a few echoes of what I’d seen before that told me I hadn’t imagined it. Waves of pale jade light drifted throughout the space and they were the same exact color of one of the nebulas that’d been consumed as I watched. A streak of crimson light blasted through the space a little too close to the couch and I felt as Dominus enforced her WILL on the area around us and banished everything that might interfere with my concentration.
“Sorry. I should have expected picking up [Path of the Scholar] would do something like that.”
“Wow.” I slumped against her, my mind still reeling from all I’d seen. “That was…”
“The multiverse laid bare.” She clucked her tongue. “Not something someone with less than a thousand [Wits], [Arcane], and [Divine] should ever lay eyes upon for more than a few seconds. Even that tiny bit will likely have an effect on you, but I should be able to tweak it if whatever it gives you is too awful.”
“OK.” I mentally summoned my Status to take a look and marveled at what I found.