Congratulations! You’ve completed the first Trial of the KCT successfully!
All conditions met.
You have 500 UTUs to prepare to be transported.
XP awarded for completion of this Trial: +5,000,000
Additional KCT placement XP awards delayed until KCT completion.
It’s good to get confirmation that I’ve completed the Trial successfully. In the chaos I was sure that most of the production facilities remained functional, but I wasn’t as sure about more than 90% of the population making it through. I feel relieved that it’s happened through the still seething anger of my family being targeted again.
Before I go after the Qillathe Syndicate I dismiss all the kill notifications and Dark Mana Tempered Resistance increase notifications and open the ones I really want to see.
Level Up! *2
You have reached Level 26 as a Human Sentinel
+8 Aura, +8 Mana
+130 free Attribute points to assign
You have 130 free Attribute points to assign
Would you like to allocate them now?
(Y/N)
You have 17 unallocated Class Skill points
Would you like to allocate them now?
(Y/N)
I put all 130 free Attributes in Constitution as I’ve planned now for ages, knowing how much Stamina my Tier 4 Skills will cost me to use. I’ve already brought my Aura up enough to handle the Mana regeneration penalties from Runic Recall and rounded out my Strength and Agility. Time to double down on my biggest advantage.
Congratulations!
You have reached Level 25 as a Human Sentinel.
Tier 4 Class Skills now available.
You have 17 unallocated Class Skill points.
I’ve had a plan about placing my Class Skill points for a while that has a bit of flexibility and I’ve already picked what I want to Evolve. I call up the Skill descriptions again, just because it’s such a big deal and a one way door that I can’t walk back through if I make a mistake.
Echoes of Einherjar (Human Sentinel Skill - Tier 4) (Level 1 of 10)
The Sentinel unleashes ancient power, channeling the combined might of human heroes who answer from beyond the veil.
Effect: spectral Warriors materialize around the Sentinel for 100 seconds and battle at the Sentinel’s commands
Cost: 5000 Stamina
Additional Skill points grant access to more Warriors and increased duration
Runic Recall (Human Sentinel Skill - Tier 4) (Level 1 of 10)
The Sentinel protects humanity to the death and in exchange the collective Mana of humanity can bring the Sentinel back to the living.
Effect: This Skill embeds runes in the Sentinel’s body that trigger when the Sentinel reaches 1 Health and absorb all damage until the Sentinel reaches 100% Health
Cooldown: 100 days
Cost: Mana regeneration reduced by 10 permanently
Additional Skill points reduce the cooldown duration
Sentinel’s Verdict (Human Sentinel Skill - Tier 4) (Level 1 of 10)
On behalf of humanity, the Sentinel delivers retribution and protects those that have not yet fallen.
Effect: delivers a powerful targeted attack enhanced by the power of humanity’s recently slain and injured
Cost: 3000 Stamina
Additional Skill points grant increased damage
While I’m looking them over I feel a disturbance around me with my Affinity as the KCT transfer by teleportation triggers around me and tries to pull me back. I fully open up my Affinity and push it back with an effort of will, my Skills and SMI supporting it. Space around me wavers as the forces compete to complete their directives. I stand firm and then slowly use my Affinity to unravel the KCT teleportation attempt, then disperse it. A minute passes as I wait for another attempt that never comes. Perhaps they’re familiar enough with my abilities to know I’m not keen, or perhaps whatever was on the other side of the attempt needs some repair and recovery. Dismissing it from my mind, I refocus on picking my Skills.
Stolen novel; please report.
I glance over them once more and then put one point in Echoes of Einherjar and one point in Sentinel’s Verdict. I’m keen to see what Echoes can do, especially in the third Trial, since my ability to cause widespread havoc has a very definite ceiling right now. I’m also keen to compare Verdict to Psychic Blast and understand how they compare. In theory Verdict is Tier 4 so will be more powerful, but if it’s similar to Fury of the Clan then Psychic Blast might be a better, different attack vector to Evolve. I will have 8 Class Skill points after this before moving to Ascended Class and that means two Evolutions and a few other points to spread around where needed.
There was never any doubt in my mind since the time I saw it that Runic Recall would be a Skill I’d Evolve if I could ever make it this far and not spend my Class Skill points. Looking forward to seeing what happens except for the Mana regeneration I’m going to lose, I drop ten Class Skill points in it and trigger the Evolution.
Glowing cryptic runes of all colors surround me in a sphere and then with a flash collapse into my body, etching themselves over every inch of my skin.
Class Skill Evolved!
Runic Recall (Human Sentinel Skill) (Evolved)
The Sentinel protects humanity to the death and in exchange the collective Mana of humanity can bring the Sentinel back to the living.
Enhanced effect: This Skill embeds runes in the Sentinel’s body that trigger when the Sentinel reaches 1 Health and absorb all damage until the Sentinel reaches 100% Health
Cooldown: 1 hour
Synergy with Dark Mana Tempered
Unique Evolution effect: Runes double the effects of the Dark Mana Tempered Title
It’s been a long road.
A fucking long road, actually.
This Skill combined with all my others and whatever kind of crazy Evolution my SMI went through are probably going to keep me around for a while, as long as I don’t get myself killed twice in one hour. Over time, doubling my Dark Mana Tempered Title is going to make a big difference too. Automatically adapting to counter whatever damages me is an incredibly powerful passive ability in the long term.
Satisfied with my choices, I close all my notification windows and trigger Omnipresent again. My path forward is quite uncertain even though what I want is very clear, to avoid repercussions from what I’ve just done that might fall on Earth, my family, and Orvorax.
Do I want to go further? Yes.
Do I think I can right every wrong and single handedly take on all the unsavory organizations in the Universe? Definitely not today. I’m still trying to protect Earth and charity begins at home. Perhaps I went a little overboard on Orvorax, but they made it deeply personal for me. Are my actions causing more danger than they’re helping? It’s impossible to know in advance.
I settle my mind and try to locate high ranking members of the Qillathe Syndicate. The fact I’ve fought them tooth and nail helps my Know Thy Enemy Skill and my other synergized Skills find what I need. Trouble is, it’s daunting. The Qillathe Syndicate is much bigger than Oblivion Shroud. Tens of thousands of worlds across the Universe. A shit ton of Legendary Classers and a lot of Ascended Class as well. Really a lot.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew?
Is it better to see if I’m below the radar rather than kick another hornets’ nest?
Taking back an entire moon in a few hours wasn’t exactly staying under the radar… maybe that’s why they allow more time for these Trials?
My head hurts with the possibilities and I swear in frustration. All these mental and political games are far beyond me. It’s much simpler when someone or something is trying to kill you, so you kill them first.
Instead of diving head first into this, I find B’esloor with Omnipresent and manifest a Portal. Maybe he’ll help me understand the situation I’ve gotten myself into.
“Bronwic!” he exclaims when I step through into a large space with dozens of species of people running around. His vibe is a bit frantic and he tries to pull me aside through an open door to a smaller room. I decide to let him and he closes the door behind us then turns to me without any pleasantries.
“By the Gods! How did you do it? Nobody has ever finished this Trial so quickly and my channels are going nuts! The Qillathe Syndicate has directly requested a statement from the SSE as to why you targeted Orvorax. I think it’s just a ploy to see if they can take you out without any repercussions. Apparently the Kylarens have control of Orvorax and none of the Syndicates’ people escaped the moon during the counter offensive. None? None!”
He stops waving his arms and talking too fast then looks around as if wondering if there’s someone listening in his own room under his own security.
“Seriously, Bronwic. What did you do?”
“I freed them,” I reply simply. “I finished the Trial.”
B’esloor stares at me blankly, not understanding.
“They went after my family, B’esloor. I gave them an opportunity to surrender, but they were going to kill all the hostages and more. Then they tried to capture my family on Earth to try to control me. I stopped them and then it got a bit messy. I wasn’t in a negotiating mood.”
I notice the effect my words have on B’esloor and realize that in my anger I haven’t modulated the impact of my increased Charisma and he’s feeling very uncomfortable, perhaps worried or afraid. I dial it back down and he seems to relax a tiny bit.
“It was a brutal takeover by the Qillathe and the situation was difficult, which is why it made it through as a Trial. The odds against you succeeding were very high at all, never mind on the first day.” He seems to want me to say something. Instead, I shrug. What is there to say?
“What now, B’esloor? Do I need to continue to protect Orvorax? Worry about the Qillathe Syndicate continuing to target my family or Earth? Watch my back?”
“Give me a moment,” he says, and starts working his way through notifications. I glance over at the low couches and coffee table-esque furniture, then go sit down and pull some food out of my Inventory. Something normal to focus on right now is good. After a few minutes of eating some good old fashioned pasta from Earth while B’esloor frantically juggles notifications, he breaks the silence.
“Give me another few moments,” he says, and I nod and return to my food. I’ve only barely started when a Portal starts to form in the room. On instinct I stand from the couch and call my Swords to my hands then ramp up Acceleration while I reach out with my Affinity, ready for anything. I immediately recognize Dhromea’s Portal signature and dismiss my Swords, then call them back almost instantly. Surely someone’s Portal signature could be copied?
When the Portal opens I dismiss my Swords and release Acceleration, this time more at ease, as Dhromea and Taiwo step through. She gives me a wave and an expression I interpret to be genuine pleasure to see me alive.
Taiwo, on the other hand, immediately looks at me and laughs; it’s a happy laugh full of joy which is in contrast to my mood. I need to learn to be more like Taiwo. I wonder how Zarithrax and Kretchna feel about how everything went down.
“Unbelievable,” Taiwo says, his long blonde hair waving back and forth as he shakes his head. “No other word for it. Unbelievable.”
That feels good. Before I can respond B’esloor interrupts.
“Bronwic, I can tell you that you shouldn’t face overt repercussions at this time. During new dialogue between the SSA and the Qillathe Syndicate some prepared evidence was presented and the Syndicate was forced to admit they’ve violated a number of Protocols on Orvorax. This gives them no choice but to agree you were within your rights to act as you did as a High Enforcer who happened to encounter the situation. They have protested your methods as a brutal and unjustified overreach, to which the SSA has simply reiterated its position. They may still seek revenge in the shadows, but overt action is unlikely in the opinion of the SSA. They thank you for your service so far in the Trials.”
I’m not going to count on the Qillathe Syndicate taking no action against me, just like I’m always wondering in the back of my mind when Oblivion Shroud might show up directly or indirectly. I resolve to make sure my Foresight thresholds are set low for a long, long time when it comes to the people I really care about and, to a lesser extent, to inform me of dangerous situations on Earth.
“Let’s chat about what next,” suggests Taiwo. I nod and gesture to one of the couches in the room. Ignoring my gesture, Taiwo brings out his comfortable furniture instead. This time I don’t take a seat; I’m not feeling too comfortable right now and I think that’s the right way to be.