The trio all looked with trepidation at the sullen older boy across from them. Although accurate, Licht’s conclusion would be like a cold slap in the face. It was the popular belief that a shaper’s abilities were closely related to their personality, or soul. So, finding out your abilities are derived from the worst parts of your culture was basically telling someone they are a horrible person.
Seth’s hands were held on top of his head as he stared at the floor. The room became silent for an uncomfortable amount of time as the other three didn’t know what to say. Finally, Seth spoke up.
“Man, this sucks. They seriously could’ve named my ability Tartarus or something. That sounds way cooler!” He complained.
“Haven’t they read Percy Jackson?!” Seth jumped up and roared.
As he continued to rant, the other three couldn’t help but trade confused and conflicted glances.
Does he not realize, or does he just not care? Drake thought.
Yep, this guy is a dumbass. Blair concluded.
What in Null’s sake is Percy Jackson? Licht wondered.
--------
Eventually, Seth seemed to settle back down, and the others didn’t bring up the topic again. They continued on with the conversation, going over Seth’s role in their formation.
“I think it would be accurate to classify you as a blitz type damage dealer. You’re speed and lethality are your strongest points, meaning that your ideal situation would be to get the drop on the enemy, and put them down hard and fast.” Drake surmised.
“That illusion ability you have increases your odds of catching them off guard, which is a definite boon. Honestly, I feel like your aligned abilities have good synergy already, so whatever one you are missing still should just improve your situation.”
The rest of them agreed with the analysis, as well as Seth. “I’ve been brainstorming some ideas on how to make that happen, but what do you think I should do when I don’t have the element of surprise on my side?” He asked.
It had been bothering him for a little while now, but Seth couldn’t think of anyone else better to ask. Drake thought about it for a moment, then traded a few words with Blair before continuing.
“I would say the simplest answer is never lose the advantage. Of course, any shaper should be prepared to handle any situation, even when at a disadvantage. But I believe that is something a warrior worth their salt should already be aware of. If I had to teach you that, then you would have been dead way before meeting us.” Drake paused before pointing a finger at Seth.
“What separates the best shapers is their ability to always have an advantage. Only idiots jump recklessly into fights without a plan.”
Seth couldn’t help but nodding along. The truth was, he absolutely agreed with Drake’s deduction. Be prepared for everything so much that you will never be left surprised. It was a tall ask to be honest. In a world where there were limitless things that could kill you, being prepared for all of them was pretty much impossible. Not a bad mindset to have though. Striving for the impossible shows how much resolve he has. Drake was truly a warrior and a leader, even at such a young age.
Seth wondered about the place these three came from. The Thousand Asura Territory was probably not that different from the other high class lands the other participants came from. The Incubator really is full of prodigies, isn’t it? Seth leaned back and passively listened as the conversation went on.
Guess that just means I’m going to have to become something even better.
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After their post-match meeting and a brief respite, the team began the cycle again.
Within the first ten more rounds, Seth joined the others in the third tier. This time, it was right in the middle of a fight with a slow pack of seal-shark creatures. The opponents had trouble moving in the hot sand due to their aquatic nature, so Seth had plenty of time to relish in the tier up. He closed his eyes as he felt the last attribute cross the threshold.
Unlike his tier up to level two, this one was actually noticeable.
His pores seemed to open up, and his cells vibrated in anticipation as a large storm of energy began to surround him. Seth could feel his body and soul being invigorated by the large quantity of energy flooding through him. After the cloud was finally absorbed, his cells almost seemed to wail in hunger, begging for more. Unfortunately, there was nothing more to engorge on, so his body slowly calmed down and balanced the new intake of power.
Seth didn’t waste the feeling as he began rampaging through the next matches with the rest of the team. The battles gradually became more vigorous, yet the team had no trouble meeting the new challenge. They would battle for a series of matches, talk, take a break, then begin again. This routine continued for days, the team becoming more and more adapted to their new gains.
Although the four of them were making great strides together, Seth wasn’t satisfied.
He watched as those at the top of the leaderboard continued to rack up points at an astounding rate. He and the trio of celists weren’t anywhere near the bottom of the leaderboard, but they also weren’t even in the top twenty participants. What further annoyed him was that Ty, who had been fighting alone this entire time, was in tenth place. He even went under a new name as: Son of Gaia.
All of these facts pushed Seth to create a training regiment that would push him even harder. The breaks between each round of matches with Drake’s team usually lasted around four to six hours, and every couple days, they took an extra one for sleep. Seth took advantage of these brief bouts to develop his shaping training alone. So far, he had learned so much from Drake, Blair, and Licht, as well as several missives. He used all of his growing pool of knowledge to forge his own method of development.
Every break Seth was given was used primarily to fight in matches alone. He pushed his body to the limit every fight, driven by an intense desire to catch up to all the prodigies. Even after the countless matches finished, Seth wouldn’t stop there. His mind was worked just as hard as his body. The previously useless gadget he got from the puzzle room weeks ago was now showing its worth. While exercising his critical processing, he also continued into his studies of shaping theory.
During the times he was with the group of other shapers, Seth would spend almost the entire time peppering Licht with questions about the uses and applications of shaping. Licht was more than happy to oblige, but Blair wasn’t so forthcoming. A part of his new training was meditation to consolidate and ponder his gains. This was relatively straightforward in thought, but Seth wanted to go even further. He would ask her all kinds of questions regarding position and tactics, but she would barely offer relevant responses. Seth didn’t let it quash his drive though, so he ended up pestering her even during matches. Days turned to weeks and Seth’s efforts were just beginning to blossom into actual results.
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“Hey, have you guys noticed anything weird going on with Seth.” Drake asked one day after another one of their post-match meetings.
Seth had almost ran out of the room when Drake dismissed him, which was seemingly becoming the norm over the last two weeks. Blair lounged back on the plush ornate couch along with Licht. He was messing with a small device in his hand looking quite frustrated while she was kicking back with her feet on the table.
“Other than annoying the hell out of me? No, I don’t think so.” She sighed.
Licht didn’t answer while he messed with the metal thing in his hand.
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“Licht, stop messing with that thing. Where did you even get that?” Drake asked.
Licht shook the device with frustration before looking up. “It’s some stupid puzzle Seth loaned me. Apparently, he solved it already on the hardest difficulty, but I can’t even get past the second formation! Also, he’s been asking a lot of questions about basic shaping theory if you think that’s weird. Personally, I’m just happy someone else is interested in such an important and fundamental aspect of shaping.”
He finally tossed the puzzle onto the table with a depressed sigh. “I guess he has been acting odd for awhile now. It seems like his mind is always on fighting or asking questions. I don’t think he’s told one of his stupid jokes in days.”
Drake mumbled in agreement at his observation.
“I think I actually saw him slash himself with a monster claw and let it bleed all over a notebook he pulled out of his cache. What kind of freak did you become friends with Drake?” Blair questioned.
The larger boy rolled his eyes at her. “We’re all friends Blair, you don’t have to keep acting like you hate everyone. He might not be very open about his past, but you know he is a Mundane. He hasn’t even been a shaper for a year, can’t you empathize at all? Can you imagine jumping into something like The Incubator with no connections and at a tier disadvantage? I’m surprised the guy is even functioning at all! He doesn’t have shaping technique, concept theories, a fighting style, or anything that any native of the Galactic Plane would have. I mean the guy didn’t even know what a shaper transcript was, much less have one! Look at how far he’s gotten in just the time we have known him. He absorbs everything we tell him like a sponge, it’s actually incredible if you ask me.” Drake claimed with determination.
Licht was unnaturally quiet while Blair looked slightly crestfallen.
“I’ll try being nicer.” She mumbled.
--------
Seth continued on with his regiment, slowly building up a solid foundation for his shaping technique. All was going well in his practice. Even his meditation technique was getting better, as for some reason, within the last couple of days, Blair had started to be more open to answering his inquiries. This was sort of a breakthrough for him, as the meditation finally gave him something he had been lacking: rest.
Upon hitting tier three, Seth’s need for food, water, and sleep had drastically declined. At this point, he really only needed a couple hours of sleep every few days, as well as a small meal or two. Despite these lower requirements, Seth still danced on the razor’s edge as he exchanged sleep for meditation. His body was able to replenish itself during these sessions, but unfortunately the same could not be said for his mind. For the most part, Seth didn’t let the slight exhaustion impede him as he continued to slaughter his way through matches. The lack of sleep also had its hidden benefits as it stopped any chance of him having any more disturbing dreams.
Eventually, Seth had to begrudgingly take a break one night, as he had almost gotten himself killed in his most recent match against a tier four tentacle monster that could explode its limbs. He had been too slow reacting to one of its swings, with had caused it to detonate one of them while being wrapped around his leg. His reaction speed was most likely his strongest aspect, so for him to be outplayed in his best attribute meant that he was more tired than he originally thought. Seth allocated the next four-hour gap that Drake gave him toward a much needed nap.
Afterwards, Seth felt rejuvenated mentally and physically, but his recurring dream had caused his spirit to waver. He quickly tried supplementing the problem with a brief meditation session.
Seth got out of the bed in his room and silently began positioning himself in the starting form of a basic meditation technique that Blair had shown him. He wasn’t actually able to see her do it though, as she only lent him a book she had on the subject. He did his best with the slow and methodical movements, slowly becoming more accustomed with the bizarre dance that was meant to center his mind and soul. After moving through the positions for a short while, Seth was finally able to enter what he called his zen state, which allowed him to think clearly while also unconsciously flowing through each form. During this state, Seth pondered over his last matches as well as the new information he had gathered while researching or watching other matches. This time, he was yet again optimizing his training plans.
Maybe I should implement some weight training during my matches so I can prepare for the next tier. Seth thought.
Although he had plenty of time to consolidate his new gains from tier three, Seth wanted to start planning for the future. Since he had been constantly fighting monsters for the last few weeks, his abilities had mostly crossed over to the third tier as well. New aspects started to appear as well, increasing his capabilities. Black Mass was the only one that hadn’t, as it had been too soon since he got it to catch it up with the rest.
Branch Abilities:
(Presence of Doom)- Anar (Tier Three); Anima Thief (Tier Three); Black Mass (Tier Two)
(Eye of Opposition)- True Sight (Tier Three);
(Insanity Eternal)- Fear Itself (Tier Three);
Anima Thief:
-An ability unlocked by Presence of Doom; you steal the anima of any mortal killed by your hand. The stolen anima can be channeled by the user. Grants Anima Release, Anima Leech. (Varying DE Cost)
Anima Leech:
-Upon harvesting the anima, the user also harvests a portion of the fallen’s energy pool.
True Sight:
-An ability unlocked by Eye of Opposition; The user can see concentrations of dimensional energy and see through camouflage abilities that are equal or lesser than their power level.
Fear Itself:
-An ability unlocked by Insanity Eternal; The only thing to fear… (Varying Ongoing DE Cost )
A good amount of his abilities had undergone a change after their tier ups. Anima Thief now had the ability to drain his defeated enemies, which would help him replenish himself after a fight. Seth was used to fighting endurance battles, so this new aspect would let him fight even longer.
True Sight had also undergone a small change in description. Now, there was no counter for energy cost, so Seth could finally use the ability without stopping.
Last but not least was the new benefit to Fear Itself. It didn’t have any apparent changes, but Seth could feel the difference in power. Now, his capacity for the crimson mist was higher, and the illusions would cost less to maintain. This newest enhancement was the reason for Seth’s thoughts about weight training. The increase in his capacity had caused him to become unbalanced during a match. Because of the abrupt weight gain, his movements became sluggish which could cause a problem for him in the future if his ability increased mid-fight. On the bright side, now he could simultaneously keep up his full smokescreen while also creating another clone in its midst.
Seth slowed to a stop before opening his eyes. He let out a strained sigh as his back arched in a relaxed stretch. His menu screen flickered to life briefly as he checked the time. Seth soon dismissed the screen before plucking a greyish, bulbous fruit from his cache to snack on.
He still had a few minutes before he was supposed to meet with his friends, so he went to check his stats.
Level: Tier Three (Progress: Early)
Intellect: Class F
Constitution: Class C
Might: Class F
Intuition: Class D
Resolve: Class C
His almost two and a half weeks since hitting tier three had not gone to waste. Despite the increasing difficulty that was supposed to come with improving attributes in the third tier, Seth’s progress did not slow.
It seemed his new constitution granted by the Class S elixir he took made his body much easier to improve with the extra energy in the atmosphere. The same could be said for his resolve attribute, although he still didn’t exactly understand why it was so fast in growth. He wasn’t going to complain about the free upgrades though.
Most exciting, at least in Seth’s opinion, was his new equipment.
Upon hitting tier three, Seth could use one of his recent purchases, the plain but useful, Mercenary Slacks. The new outfit gave him much better protection than his crappy tier one Stalker Set, plus, they had incredible utility and comfort. Drake and the others weren’t very impressed by the armor, but Seth couldn’t be happier. His fighting potential was further increased as he could now hide different items on his person using the Quick Access aspect that came with the set. Now his fake storm of knives or needles could contain hidden real weapons amongst the illusions. He was still getting used to the idea, but Seth could see how promising it would be once it became muscle memory.
Furthermore, Seth was finally able to use an item that had been sitting in his cache for months.
Xtrey Fur Cloak:
-Grants cold immunity, enhanced projectile protection, enhanced slash protection, Retribution Recoil
Retribution Recoil:
-15% of damage inflicted upon the user will be reflected to the aggressor
Seth manually took out the clothes, rather than equip them instantly using the diagram in his cache. He relished in the mundane task of putting his pants on leg by leg, just like he used to. After his armor was on, he took out the rough, grey cloak. In reality, it was more of a hooded cape than a cloak, but Seth didn’t mind. It looked a bit rugged and tattered, like a poorly skinned animal, but it wasn’t heavy and didn’t impede his maneuverability at all. He didn’t have to worry about the hood either, as it seemed to clasp his head perfectly thanks to his Plunder ability.
As he got ready to leave, Seth caught his reflection in the mirror. Two mismatched eyes peered at him from under the shadow of a wolf hood. While the glassy bloodshot eyes of the hood were lifeless, the two underneath were cold, calculating, and intelligent. One would look at him now and think he looked slightly ridiculous with his head poking out from the tattered carcass of the ugly creature. Seth didn’t think so though. The cloak was proof of his undying will to survive. It was a token of his resolve.
He didn’t know how impressive it actually was to have defeated the first Xtrey Hound at tier one, but his paranoia told him that Ty probably throttled it with his bare hands like a boss. The constant noise in his head roared at the thought of Ty defeating his greatest enemy like it was nothing. He watched with dead eyes as his pupils constricted to pinpoints in the mirror. After an unknown amount of time, a knock sounded at his door, interrupting the silence. He finally looked away from his reflection and toward the door.
“Time to go.”