The moment I declared my readiness for the class evolution, an intense pressure exploded in my head. I stared at the walls of my quarters, which seemed to vibrate and warp in my vision. A tidal wave of sensory deprivation crashed over me, stripping away my sight, hearing, and smell. I was drowning in a sea of pain, senseless and overwhelmed. My consciousness teetered on the edge of oblivion, and I felt myself slipping into darkness... again.
But I resisted. Drawing upon every ounce of mental strength I had honed through meditation, the experiences at the bridge, and the grit from winning the tournament, I fought back. I wasn't going to let this overpower me. My world plunged into darkness, and I found myself conscious yet again at the bridge in my mind.
Something was different this time. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt changed. With a sense of purpose, I summoned my mental avatar and began to cross the bridge. As I stepped forward, a barrage of emotions hit me – guilt, anger, frustration, everything at once. It was like a physical force, knocking me to my knees.
I shuddered under the assault, but a resolve within me stirred. I refused to be defeated. Memories of her, my girlfriend, and our unborn child flooded my thoughts – I would always miss them, but I knew it was time to move on. I had to return to Earth, to fight for my world, for their memories.
Gathering every bit of willpower, I slowly rose to my feet. Memories of the good times with her flashed in my mind – our first meeting during a visit home while in the Navy, the feeling of instantly knowing that she was the one, our tears of joy at discovering each other and our fevered plans for how we would be the ones to make a long-distance relationship work. The euphoria of moving back to be with her. And then, finally, the crushing despair of losing her and the baby. I harnessed these thoughts and memories, using them as fuel to propel myself forward.
With each step, my pace quickened, transforming into a humble power walk across the bridge. Reaching the other side, I felt a profound release, as if a massive weight had been lifted off me. And then, just like that, I awoke on my bed.
A message materialized before my eyes, "Congratulations! Your class has evolved. You are now a Psychic Warlord."
Sitting up, I immediately accessed my class tab on the HUD, my fingers trembling with anticipation. The screen flickered to life, revealing the new abilities of my evolved class, 'Psychic Warlord.' As I scrolled through the list, my jaw dropped in disbelief. The familiar skills I had relied on were transformed, replaced by powers that felt both alien and exhilarating.
Level 1: Emotional Intelligence (Replaces Boltfury Slash)
Sense Emotions: Now, as an action, I could sense the predominant emotion of creatures within a 30-foot radius. It was like having a window into their souls.
Project Emotion: I could project basic emotions such as fear, calm, or anger to creatures in a certain range. This ability had the potential to sway the tide of battles, imposing minor effects that could either aid me or hinder my foes. And its power would only grow as I did.
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Level 5: Telekinesis (Replaces Elemental Compass Tattoo)
Telekinetic Force: I could now move objects or creatures of a certain weight within a limited range, using my mind alone. Disarming enemies, pushing, pulling, manipulating the environment – the tactical applications were endless. The raw physicality of my past was now complemented by the finesse of mental manipulation.
My compass tattoo still remained, a residual ability retained. It constantly provided passive rainfall regeneration, though its effect was now halved.
Level 10: Mindfury (Replaces Tempest Wrath)
Psychic Rage Unleashed: Whenever I took damage, there was now a chance I'd involuntarily enter a Psychic Trance. In this state, my attack speed and power would surge, a maelstrom of psychic energy and barbarian fury. The downside? My cognitive functions would take a hit, leaving me at a disadvantage in making intelligent, wise, or charismatic decisions.
Lying back on the bed, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. This wasn't just a class evolution; it was a complete redefinition of my capabilities. The brute force of a barbarian now seamlessly intertwined with the nuanced power of psychic abilities. I felt a rush of excitement mixed with uncertainty. How would these new abilities shape my path? How would I wield them to fight for my world, for the memories of those I had lost?
The choice of class evolution, while sensible, filled me with anxiety. It’s what made the most sense to me, of course, but I wasn’t sure what I would get, I was anxious, but looking at this new class though, it felt like such a fit. When I first chose my class, I picked what I felt worked; I had been a raging berserker in Salve. But now with my arm gone I’m just not that anymore, I still fight as ferociously and frankly dangerously as I can, but I’m not the swirling storming Tempest that I was when I first entered the arena. And with my discoveries in my meditation... This could be a good fit, thinking of how I had started being able to sense overwhelming emotions from others. It felt like a natural change.
The loss of Boltfury Slash stung. I used it often with good effect, but it was limited with only one hand to activate it. I hadn’t figured out how to activate it with my shield yet. Now I wouldn’t have to. Emotional intelligence, the ability to sense others’ emotions and project an emotion of my own sounded very tidy. I could come up with a way to use that for sure. I would, of course, miss my mental compass, it was useful having all those abilities put in the heat of battle. I don’t think I was using it enough or at least not till its full potential.
As for my level five ability, keeping the tattoo and a small residual ability is a huge blessing but combining it with telekinesis will be incredible. I can’t believe I’m gonna have the ability to move objects with my mind, it’s like something out of my wildest dreams, serious Star Wars type stuff. It did say that it grew in power as I leveled, which made me think that at level 10 ,it’s it probably wouldn’t be very powerful. That reminded me, I wondered when my level was gonna unlock. After I picked my boon I’d guess.
I felt like I used regeneration much more than any of my other compass abilities, so to have it stick with the leftover of my tattoo… even if it’s not as good, was still. Especially when I considered it would be on all the time. I wouldn’t have to spend any mental energy on it.
As for Mindfury, my new level ten ability, it sounded outrageous. Tempest wrath was really good and I’d miss it as a sort of finisher, but I thought it was a worthwhile trade. I admit I was a little scared of how I would act when I entered into my psychic trance. It sounded similar to what the nearly unbeatable Blood Orc did but without the healing. When you combine it with my regeneration from my tattoo, it was really powerful. I found myself being excited about the new ability. I’d have to really concentrate to make sure I didn’t lose control when I was in a fury status. It was also nice to know that some of the original barbarian in me was going to be sticking around.