I felt like I’m floating, as if my body wasn’t touching anything. A strange feeling, one that I had never experienced before. Is this what it would be to fly? No, you’d have the air rushing by, this feeling felt like nothing touching me. The only thing in front of me is words, the words of the System.
Essence of a Fae has been absorbed. Unexpected Evolution has begun.
Evolution into a new species confirmed, there is sufficient energy and mana in the surroundings to begin.
Current Species: Aerathil
New Species: Mythical Fae
Merging both Species…
Detected: Mana Island has been mutated, a seed of Yggdrasil has sprouted.
Detected: High Level Monster Core belonging to previous Spirit Queen, Stella Flores.
Detected: Entity Midnight is a ‘Potential Hero’.
Detected: Entity Midnight is Lvl 3.
Detected: Entity Midnight is the Sharpshooter Sovereign.
Detected: Entity Midnight is a Machinist with a Machinist Soul (Rank 1).
The World Soul has accepted Entity Midnight.
It’s like a reading of all my achievements so far in this world. And what is the World Soul? Does it refer to the world, a God or something else? Is it Gaia? As I thought about it, the words disappeared before another lot of messages came up. Am I meant to be conscious for this?
Calculating complete. New Species will be Sylfari, a being who is a Spirit, Elf, Human and Fae.
Evolution has begun. 0.01% Complete.
Class Detected: Sharpshooter Sovereign.
Due to unique evolution Path, Entity Midnight may now select a Sub-Class.
Job Detected: Machinist
Due to unique evolution Path, Entity Midnight may now select a Sub-Job.
Entity Midnight will gain the following Sylfari bonuses:
+20% Resistance to Elemental Magic.
-20% Resistance to Death Magic.
Bonus of 2x to Mana (4,000 -> 8,000)
Spirit Queen’s Entourage: Designate trusted individuals as your Guards. Those that are a part of your Entourage will receive +20% increase in Stats, Health and Mana. They will also take +25% reduced damage. Half the damage you take will instead be transferred to the Entourage, splitting the damage equally amongst each other. Current Entourage size: 2.
New Elemental Island: Nature. Take control of the surrounding Nature to further empower you. Tier 0.
New Talent: Mana Shield: A transparent mana shield passively surrounds you, causing all damage to be taken in the form of mana instead of health. Your damage taken is reduced by +60% while this talent is active. When out of mana, your damage taken is increased by +50% and will instead affect your health.
New Talent: Queen of the Spirits: You are now known to all Spirits as the Queen of Spirits and can now identify Spirits. Spirits that fight under your command receive +20% damage reduction and are empowered by +25%.
New Spell: Nature’s Call: A Nature Spell, you call upon ethereal roots and vines to bind your target. Cost: 150 Mana once, 20 mana per second.
New Spell: Elemental Breath: Using the Elements you know, create a breath attack that can hinder an enemy heavily. Cost: 100 Mana per element, 50 ongoing mana per element.
A new type of power has appeared within you that has yet to be awoken. The power of Domain. Current progress: 0%
Merging Skills:
Long Distance Sniper Call + Refilling Rounds:
New Skill: Refreshing Sniper Call: Every metre that a projectile fired from a weapon travels past 20 metres, your damage is increased by 2% for every metre travelled. Gain 10% of your maximum health as a shield for every hundred metres the projectile travels, capped at 300%. Shield lasts for one minute. Additionally, gain health and mana depending on the amount of damage you deal, up to 200% for both.
Hawkeye + Expose:
Eyes of the Young Spirit Queen: Your eyes on command can see far beyond any other mortal, allowing you to spy up to 10 kilometres away. You now passively see exposed areas of a target. Your normal vision is otherwise not affected. Your eyes can further develop…
Bonus Objective for Lvl 4 completed: Entity Midnight is the Spirit Queen of the Prime World.
Bonus Objective for Lvl 4 completed: Unlocked Subclass and Subjob.
Evolution Progress: 2.50% Complete.
Ah, patch notes! My body got patch notes! While reading through the list of things happening to me, my brain sometimes surged with knowledge on new spells or merged spells. I couldn’t believe half the bonuses I had received. I could choose a Subclass and Subjob?! If I had an entourage of guards, I’d become a literal tank along with the Mana Shield Talent. Wasn’t I a sniper?! I’m meant to be a squishy tactical backliner, these changes suited a heavy mage frontliner!
I continued to float there, without a physical form, the words from the System once more disappearing. Only the progress of my evolution remained, ever so slowly ticking up. I didn’t know how much time passed, the concept of time is hard to keep track of when you’re all alone in a dark void.
‘Come on, ‘Queen’, wakey wakey.’
Becoming aware again after however long it’s been, I had to wonder if I really heard her voice. The percent for the evolution to complete had reached 80%. I hoped I wouldn’t change too much…hopefully.
‘Must be all boring being asleep like this, my princess. Why don’t you wake up and give me a hug?’
‘R-Rebecca?’
‘Oh! So you’re not asleep! Or are you? Maybe you’re dreaming. I can’t tell…you’re a tree!’
‘A-a tree?!’
‘They said it’s only temporary, until you’ve finished assimilating the power you were given.’
‘Rebecca…where are you?!’
‘In the Spirit World! A lot has happened, but they finally allowed me to see you…if this counts as seeing you. I’ve been training for the last year, these Spirits really know their stuff! Oh, your egg is here too! They said it would’ve never hatched in your office, something about lifeforce. They’re just waiting for you to wake up to complete the needed ritual to hatch it.’
Ritual? Training? Am I imagining this conversation because I hadn’t seen her for so long? Training with Spirits…that sounded rather strange, those little spirits that bounced around happily all day training Rebecca didn’t sound realistic.
‘Oi! I know you’re questioning whether or not I’m really here or not! How about you hurry up and wake up?!’
Looking at the percent left, I still needed more time. Feeling rather happy about the possibility that Rebecca might be here, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep, as to pass the time faster.
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***
Evolution completed. From this point you are one of four beings that is bonded with the World Soul. Prevent its destruction, overcome the forces of Destruction and restore it to its prime.
I felt something break away from my skin, freeing me from whatever prison I had been in, my vision suddenly filled with a high saturation of colours. My body, completely unstable, fell to its knees as my vision was overwhelmed with the colours, blinding me temporarily forcing my eyes to close.
I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist, supporting my body and lifting me ever so slightly. Carefully opening my eyes as my brain adjusted to the shock of seeing once again, I heard a voice that made my heart skip a beat while my stomach fluttered.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
Looking around, ignoring the swirl of colours, I found a mix of colours, blue at the top and skin pink everywhere else. Blinking while trying to get used to seeing, I already knew who this was.
“R-Rebecca?” My voice croaked out, as if I hadn’t used it in a long time. I saw the swirl of colours move up and down.
“That’s me! You’re finally awake…hey, what’s wrong with your eyes? They’re completely unfocused. Hey, Maji…stop kneeling! What’s wrong with her eyes?”
My eyes looked around until I saw a block of colour, all black, about half the size of a normal person. Suddenly it moved, stretching up before coming closer.
“Her Majesty’s eyes…I see. Your Majesty, please rescind your mana, you’re releasing it without restriction. Your eyes have changed, becoming stronger and not restricting your mana is causing them to become too enhanced.”
“O-oh…” Barely muttering that out, I closed my eyes and sensed the magic around me. I realised that I had been releasing mana like crazy, as if someone had left the tap on full blast. Controlling my mana, I pulled it back within me, halting the flow. I noticed that it had been pouring out everywhere, including my eyes and the moment I bottled it all up, I opened my eyes once more.
This time I could see much more clearly. I saw Maji, the being Rebecca had called out. It’s a figure that stood tall, with nothing more than a black cloak that blocked all view of its body including its face. Blinking as everything came into focus once more, I turned to my side and saw Rebecca.
“You’re really here…”
“Of course I am, silly. I knew you thought I was a dream!” Seeing her smile made my stomach tighten as I tried to raise an arm up. I found I couldn’t, my body wouldn’t listen to me. Am I exhausted?
“Ah, you can’t move, right? That girl and gorilla said that’ll be likely. Come on, I’ll carry ya back to the tree. They prepared a room for you to recover in. There is a lot of food you know, strangely enough there is even meat! Who’d have thought Spirits could hunt for meat?!”
Picking me up in a princess lift, Rebecca started talking non-stop about what had happened. According to her, Maji had broken into my office, put Isabelle to sleep then kidnapped Rebecca and brought her here. From there, she was brought to the Spirit World roughly a month after I had arrived, but had been restricted to only training, being told she’d see me once her training had completed.
“Or so they said. After a month of you undergoing whatever turned you into a tree, they came and got me in the hopes that having me nearby would wake you sooner. Then you took another three months even with me trying to talk to you! Must’ve been one hell of a nap, you’ve barely changed though those eyes of yours are interesting.”
“Bek…” My croaky voice barely audible, I looked up at her. “Do I have wings?”
“Ah? No no, how would I be carrying you?! Now that would be a crazy change!” Rebecca kept talking, as if wanting to catch me up on all of the gossip. I’ve never heard her speak like this, but then again we’ve never been separated for this long. Closing my eyes, I snuggled into her chest and listened to her heartbeat. I knew without a doubt this was her.
***
You may now choose a Subclass.
Sitting up in the bed, I wondered about what choice I should make. Currently I’m in a room that is within Yggdrasil, near the top. It had been built into the tree itself, it had a soft bed covered with very fine silk, soft pillows made from feathers and off to the side there was a bath, which was occupied by Rebecca.
It’s been 2 weeks since I woke up, and after several large meals, baths and rest, I finally started to feel full of energy. As it turns out, after a sudden evolution like that, one's body is drained of all energy and mana, which is used for the evolution.
Looking at the list of Subclasses, I realised that the list contains almost every Class possible. It made it seem like I could select a second class, not a Subclass. Currently I was having issues chosing one, my skill set has gone from being a Sharpshooter to being a Magician, so should I choose a magic-based Class, or one that combines Sharpshooter and Magic, covering the weakness of both?
"Maybe Ninja? It should give great reflexes, stealth and maybe dexterity. No…it relies more on close combat, we have an Assassin. I should continue to play the role of burst damage at the back…" Sighing lightly, I flick the System menu away. Just as I thought about joining Rebecca in the bath, I heard footsteps coming from the hall and turning my head to the door, I saw Greyback appear.
"Oh, Greyback? Did you finally remember me?" Asking with a playful tone, I stood up to greet him. Since my evolution, I hadn't seen the silver haired girl nor Greyback since, not even Maji or any spirits had made an appearance.
“I-I…” Greyback looked strange, as if unable to meet my eye. Suddenly he drops to his knees, surprising me with his next words. “Your Majesty, please forgive me for my previous attitude. I accept any punishment."
Feeling very confused for a moment, I quickly realised what he meant. To them, I am now the Spirit Queen, though nothing has actually changed…no wait it has.
"It's fine, Greyback. You don't need to seek forgiveness, I wasn't the Spirit Queen back then. Come, stand, I wanted to talk to you anyway."
He slowly stands but keeps his head hanging slightly, as if ashamed to look at me.
"Greyback, are you a spirit?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You can drop the majesty. Just call me Ruby. I thought Spirits were the little guys, is that not the case? Can you explain what a spirit is?"
"Yes, Mistress Ruby. I am a Spirit. Technically I am an animal type of Spirit, there are numerous types. The little ones are Fairies, they are the most common of Spirits. You may have met Maji, she is an evolved type of Spirit. We are all bound to the Spirit Realm and are born here. But there are those of us who have travelled around the world, most awaiting the birth of a new Spirit Queen while searching for ways to save our world."
So Spirits referred to a more broad meaning than I had thought. "Can regular people see you? I know I was the only one that could see the Fairies."
"That would be due to your affinity with them. They were drawn to your awakening, rather partial awakening, some time ago."
So why am I special? That thought ran through my mind as I sat down at a table. I hadn't done anything special, in fact I'd merely selected the race most suited to being a sharpshooter.
"What do you mean when I partially awoke?"
"Ah, I'm not sure of your past, but Elves are considered a Spirit Race, though one has not been seen in centuries. Your awakening as an Elf is what attracted the Spirits, but you had an affinity with the Spirits. It is why the Fairies led you here."
Odd…There is still much to know about this situation. It can't be as simple as that. Rebecca, while unable to see the spirits, still attracted them. The only difference between the two of us is magic…
"Oh, is it because of my eyes?"
"I do not know. Perhaps your eyes allowed you to perceive the Fairies, or perhaps they took a liking to you."
Shrugging, I decided to put this off for now. "Right, I take it you're here about the rest of my training? Then, let's go, the sooner we finish training, the better."
"Huh?" Greyback looked taken aback, as if unsure on how to respond.
"Remember you told me before, we have three years at most, with a year gone we've only got two years now. I'm eager to train my magic better and test my physical limits."
Greyback blinked for a moment before gasping. "My Lady, I ask for your forgiveness. I had expected the lake to take you three years to conquer."
Frowning slightly, I turn to Greyback. "So you mean there isn't any training?"
The room went quiet as realisation hit me. They hadn't expected me to conquer the lake so quickly and the training was only to reach the island. Speechless about this, I tilted my head while thinking of what to do.
“So why are you here, Greyback?”
“Yggdrasil sent me to inform you that the ceremony is being prepared. It will take half a year for it to be ready.”
“Ceremony? For what?”
“Her death and your succession as the Spirit Queen.”
"Her death? Do you mean the tree itself?"
"Yes, My Lady. She has succeeded in passing on the Seed of Yggdrasil to you, thus the remaining energy she has left will exhaust itself soon."
“Greyback, what are the consequences of her death?”
Greyback took a minute, as if to collect himself, before speaking once more. “The Spirit Realm will perish, this place will no longer be safe for us spirits. It will be up to you to cultivate a new Spirit Realm, a place for us to call home. We will of course follow you when the time comes.”
So in other words, I have six months to prepare for this ceremony then it’ll be time to head back to the base. I felt a bit guilty about leaving the base when we had so many logistical issues, but to think so much has changed because of me just following the Fairies on that day. I hope the base is okay…
“Say, Greyback? Were you telling the truth about the time I was about to leave? About the potential attack in three to five years?”
“The seer did see into your future and did see your home being destroyed if you left that day, yes.”
In that case, before we left, it would be best if we were to train ourselves. If the Spirits were unable to do so, I would at least find a way to train my magic and physical body even further.
“Greyback, even though you say there isn’t any training, is there a form of training that the Spirits can help me with? See, I’ve just received this power and I’d like to at least refine it. I also feel as if there is a new power inside of me, as if still asleep…”
Greyback remained silent for a moment before muttering “Domain? My Lady, you may have the power of a Domain. If that is the case, we can not train to help you release it, but we can guide you on exerting that power.”
“Domain? Can you tell me what it is?”
Greyback shakes his head slowly. “Yes and no. I only know that a ‘Domain’ is a combat ability, it opens an area around you that empowers you and your allies. As to what it involves, how to use it and what the empowerment it provides, I do not know.”
“So it opens up another dimension?”
“No, it uses your mana in an area.”
Nodding, I thought it over before shrugging slightly. If the Spirits were unable to assist me, then it might be an idea to see if we can find Dimensions around here to enter and train. Just as that thought came to mind, Rebecca came out of the bath.
“Ah, it’s Greyback, isn’t it? Nice to see you again.” Sitting down opposite me, Rebecca smiled lightly. “What did I miss?”
Filling her in on our conversation, she nodded seriously before looking at Greyback. “Are we able to leave the Spirit Realm? If the Spirits aren’t able to assist us with our training anymore, we will find ways to train ourselves.”
Greyback, for a moment, looked a bit down. I understood why he would look like that; as a Spirit, I’d imagine he would want nothing more than to help us. He then looked at me before speaking.
“My Lady, there is a small coastal town about a day’s walk from here. It has been flooded by those creatures of undeath and may prove useful for your training. Not only that, but there are monsters of this world lurking nearby.”
“A coastal town? Interesting…Alright, we’ll head there.”
Greyback stood before kneeling once more. I really hoped that this wouldn’t be a common theme amongst the Spirit Race.
“My Lady, allow myself and Maji to accompany you on this trip. If anything happens, we will gladly give our lives to ensure you live.”
“You can come, but no need to sacrifice yourself. We’re fairly good at understanding if a situation is too much for us. Then, let’s make that our destination for tomorrow.” Clapping my hands, I looked at Rebecca with a soft smile before I realised that we needed weapons. Turning to Greyback, I spoke once more. “Oh, and can you get our weapons for us? Maji can teleport to our base, right?” Greyback nodded in response.
“She can. However it can only be to your base and back here.”
“Good, let’s go with that, we’ll tell her what weapons to grab.” Standing, I went to rest before stopping and turning to Rebecca, looking her up and down before turning to Greyback. “Oh, and please, get us some clothing. I believe we’ve been in the nude for long enough.”