The Academy bells tolled faintly in the distance as dawn spilled over the horizon. I stared at my profile, the faintly glowing text burned into my mind as if it had always been there. It was my fifteenth birthday, the day I’d been preparing for since arriving at the Academy. Every stat, every affinity, every decision had been leading to this moment.
The numbers were staggering.
Profile:
Adult Human Male
Age: 15
Strength: 50
Dexterity: 90
Endurance: 65
Intelligence: 105
Wisdom: 75
Every stat had jumped by thirty points, an unexpected bonus that left me feeling both exhilarated and disoriented. My body felt stronger, faster, sharper—like my very existence had been tuned to a higher frequency. Even my dominant affinities had climbed significantly, with Gravitomancy sitting at a staggering 89% and Spatial Magic at 70%.
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The moment I woke, the voice of the gods echoed in my mind, the same eerie calm that had unsettled me two years ago.
“Congratulations on reaching your next milestone: HUMAN ADULT MALE, AGE 15,” it intoned.
I sat up, rubbing my temples as the voice continued, its words cutting through my thoughts like a knife.
“CLASS OPTIONS AVAILABLE. CHOOSE YOUR PATH.”
Then came the list, each option presented with crystalline clarity.
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The descriptions filled my mind as though they were burned into the air itself. I could see them, feel the weight of each possibility.
1. Gravitect
* Primary Affinities: Gravity Manipulation (89%), Spatial Magic (70%)
* Role: Battlefield Controller/Tank
* Description: Masters of gravity and space, Gravitects dominate the battlefield, crushing enemies with overwhelming force and warping the laws of physics.
* Abilities:
* Singularity: Create a black hole that pulls enemies inward, dealing massive AOE damage.
* Gravity Shift: Alter gravity in an area, enhancing ally mobility or crushing foes.
* Void Collapse: Fold space around an enemy, dealing immense crushing damage.
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1. Void Architect
* Primary Affinities: Umbramancy (35%), Spatial Magic (70%), Gravity Manipulation (89%)
* Role: Summoner/Debuffer
* Description: Void Architects weave shadow and space to summon constructs, lay traps, and dominate the battlefield with eerie precision.
* Abilities:
* Shadow Gate: Summon a shadowy portal that spawns minions or traps enemies.
* Graviton Trap: Set a hidden gravitational mine that detonates when triggered.
* Void Barricade: Create a barrier of condensed shadows and warped space to block enemies.
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1. Riftbinder
* Primary Affinities: Spatial Magic (70%), Gravity Manipulation (25%)
* Role: Support/Controller
* Description: Strategic manipulators of space, Riftbinders use portals and gravitational wells to support allies and control the battlefield.
* Abilities:
* Portal Nexus: Create teleportation points for repositioning.
* Gravity Well: An AOE trap that slows and immobilizes enemies.
* Dimensional Fold: Redirect projectiles by distorting space.
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My head spun as the voice faded, leaving the list etched into my thoughts. The classes were tantalizing, each promising power and possibilities I’d only dreamed of. I spoke them aloud to Hexa.
Hexa’s voice cut through my mental haze. “Analysis complete. Based on your profile and current affinities, Riftbinder or Gravitect are the most viable choices.”
“Not Void Architect?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
Hexa’s tone shifted, sharper and more insistent. “WARNING. Void Architect is a high-risk choice. Data indicates that classes associated with shadow or void magic are often stigmatized. Additionally, their interactions with your REDACTED skill are unpredictable.”
I clenched my fists. “I’ve been running packages in the Festival of Sin for years. You think I care about a little stigma?”
“You misunderstand,” Hexa said. “This is not merely a question of reputation. Choosing Void Architect may alter your skill acquisition and potentially destabilize your optimization. The risks outweigh the potential benefits.”
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The more Hexa spoke, the tighter the knot in my chest grew. She didn’t get it. She couldn’t. I wasn’t just trying to survive anymore—I wanted power, real power, something that could bridge the gap between me and the nobles who had been groomed for greatness from birth.
My thoughts turned to Morgana Ash, her sharp intellect and relentless drive pushing her ever closer to perfection. Even Ava, with her natural charisma and determination, seemed destined for greatness. And here I was, the fishboy from Valda-Ashdock, clawing my way up from nothing.
Warning thought pattern logically leads down an unknown path
“Void Architect,” I murmured. The name carried a weight that felt both ominous and alluring.
“Warning,” Hexa repeated. “Void Architect is classified as an UNKNOWN class. Analysis of its effects is incomplete. Proceeding with this choice may—”
“I know the risks,” I interrupted, my voice low but firm. “But this is my choice, Hexa. Not yours.”
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I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I stared at my profile. The words hung there, waiting for me to make a choice.
“I’ve been in the dark for years,” I whispered. “Running packages, dodging knives, living in shadows. If I’m already there... why not use it?”
“Wolfhart,” Hexa began, her tone almost pleading now. “This decision is irreversible it isnt part of the plan. Void Architect—”
“Is my choice,” I said, cutting her off. My heart pounded as I spoke the words aloud. “VOID ARCHITECT.”
The profile burned brighter, the text shimmering as the voice of the gods returned.
“CLASS SELECTED: VOID ARCHITECT. WELCOME TO THE VOID.”
“AFFINITY CONSUMED HIDDEN PREQUISTITE OF VOID ARCHITECT”
AFFINITY CONSUMED HIDDEN PREQUISTITE OF VOID ARCHITECT” it goes off again
“The Pillar’s Embrace In Folded Realms the path is Marked by Shadows.”
A chill ran through me as the words seared into my mind, leaving no room for second thoughts.
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Hexa went silent, the weight of my decision settling over us both.
As the voice of the gods spoke again, its chilling, detached tone filled my mind.
“SKILL ACQUIRED: Void Master.
Description: Minor minions of the void recognize you as a command node within the hive mind as long as the Void Master remains in prime reality.”
A sense of weight settled on me as the words resonated in my thoughts. I could feel the shift immediately, a faint awareness of something alien at the edges of my consciousness. It was like static in my mind, faint but ever-present.
“SKILL ACQUIRED: Void Oppression.
Description: A skill-based ability that allows the caster to bring the weight of the void to the area, draining mana from a 10-foot radius around the caster. Recognized as an aura skill.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The ability to drain mana from the very air—and from those around me—wasn’t just powerful; it was invasive. I swallowed hard as the final skill was announced.
“SKILL ACQUIRED: The Void That Licks.
Description: Void energy emanates from the user and their summons, causing a tangible effect on the matter of prime reality, eating away at its existence from the surface to the core. The Void That Licks can cause soul damage.”
Soul damage. The words lingered ominously in my thoughts. It wasn’t a term I’d ever encountered before, but the implications were clear enough: this wasn’t just physical or magical destruction—it was existential erasure.
Then came the kicker.
“SKILL (REDACTED) HAS EVOLVED INTO SKILL (Corrupted_RiEDinterACTlED4).
Skill: The Void That Licks was acquired due to the effect of the Void Architect class.”
The text burned in my mind, glitching slightly, the letters twisting and reforming like something alive. I tried to focus, but the sensation of static in my mind grew stronger, mingling with the overwhelming weight of the new skills.
Name: Wolfhart Valda-Ashdock
Species: Adult Human Male
Age: 15
Class: Void Architect
Role: Summoner/Debuffer
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STATS:
* Strength: 50
* Dexterity: 90
* Endurance: 65
* Intelligence: 105
* Wisdom: 75
Gravity Manipulation (89%)
Spatial Magic (70%)
Umbramancy (35%)
SKILLS
Void Master:
* Description: Minor void minions recognize the user as a command node within the void hive mind while in prime reality.
* Effect: Grants control over lesser void creatures and constructs summoned via shadow-related abilities.
Void Oppression: ACTIVE
* Description: An aura skill that drains mana from a 10-foot radius around the user to fuel void-related abilities.
* Effect: Reduces mana of allies and enemies within range, slightly weakening the user as well.
The Void That Licks:
* Description: Void energy emanating from the user and their summons has a tangible effect on prime reality, eating away at matter and causing soul damage.
* Effect: Void effects eat physical defenses, damaging targets directly to their core.
Former Skill: (REDACTED)
New Description: A corrupted skill linked to the Void Architect class. Exact effects remain unclear due to instability.
Mana Adaptable Blood (Passive):
* Description: Blood adapts more readily to forced mana absorption, increasing efficiency.
* Effect: Enhances the ability to manually channel ambient mana into attributes, accelerating stat growth.
Ambient Mana Sensing (Passive):
* Description: Allows the user to detect fluctuations in local mana density.
* Effect: Provides an advantage in mana-dense environments by optimizing resource use.
Mana Meditation (Active):
* Description: A practiced technique to draw ambient mana into the body, slowly enhancing stats.
* Effect: Gradually raises attributes over time with consistent effort.
SOULLESS (PASSIVE SKILL):
* Description: This individual was born without a natural connection to an inner soul, resulting in a diminished capacity for emotional experiences and empathetic responses.
* Effect: Emotional responses are significantly reduced, granting heightened logical reasoning under stress but limiting emotional intuition. The connection to external sources of mana or other soul-based energies may compensate for some deficiencies.
* Additional Note: This skill interacts uniquely with certain magical and void-based abilities, potentially amplifying or altering their effects.
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Hexa was silent. Uncharacteristically so. I waited, expecting her immediate commentary, but the void in my mind where her voice usually resided felt unsettling. A full minute passed before she finally spoke, and when she did, her tone was sharp—angry in a way I’d never heard before.
“Wolfhart,” she said, her voice clipped, almost trembling, “do you understand what you’ve done?”
I frowned, the edge in her tone cutting deeper than her words. “I made a choice,” I replied. “You advised against it, but it’s my life. My class.”
“You chose instability,” Hexa snapped, her voice crackling with an odd distortion. “The void is inherently dangerous. It isn’t just another type of mana manipulation—it defies the very structure of this world. It destroys mana itself.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Wait—destroys mana? What does that even mean?”
“It means,” she continued, her tone dark, “that your powers draw from the essence of the void, a force that is antithetical to mana. When you use abilities like Void Oppression, you are draining the surrounding mana to feed the void tears that allow your powers to manifest. This isn’t just a drain on your enemies—it weakens everyone around you, including yourself.”
I swallowed hard, my stomach churning. “So... I’m a walking mana sink?”
“Precisely,” Hexa said coldly. “And that’s only the beginning. Certain races—and even some human cultures—consider this sacrilege. You’re not just manipulating magic, Wolfhart. You’re erasing it, destabilizing it at its core. You risk being shunned not only by your peers but by the very society you’ve been trying to climb within.”
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The implications of her words sank in slowly. My reputation as "fishboy" and my illicit activities in the Festival of Sin had already painted me as an outsider, but this? This was something far darker. This wasn’t just about breaking the law or bending rules—it was about breaking the world.
“I can handle it,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction. “People already look at me sideways. What’s a little more judgment?”
Hexa’s voice crackled again, glitching briefly before stabilizing. “This is not a matter of judgment, Wolfhart. This is about survival. The void is dangerous not just to others but to you. You are playing with forces you don’t understand—forces that even I cannot fully analyze.”
I froze. Hexa never admitted to not understanding something. “What do you mean, you can’t analyze it?”
“The skill (Corrupted_RiEDinterACTlED4) is beyond my comprehension,” she admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. “The text itself is corrupted, and the connection to your REDACTED skill complicates matters further. I can only deduce that this evolution is tied directly to your choice of Void Architect. Its effects—and its cost—are unknown.”
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I clenched my fists, staring at the faint glow of my updated profile. The new skills shimmered ominously, their descriptions burned into my thoughts. The weight of the void wasn’t just a metaphor—it was tangible, a presence I could feel pressing against the edges of my mind.
“Hexa,” I said softly, “you’re glitching.”
“I am aware,” she replied tersely. “The data from your class evolution is... dissonant. It’s interfering with my processing systems.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, my voice rising slightly. “Are you okay?”
Her tone softened slightly, though the edge of frustration remained. “I am functional. But the void’s interference is unlike anything I’ve encountered before. It suggests that your class choice is inherently unstable.”
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I sat back on my bed, staring at the ceiling as the weight of Hexa’s warnings settled over me. The voice of the gods had fallen silent, but its echoes lingered, intertwining with Hexa’s admonitions.
“I made this choice,” I said finally. “And I’m going to stick with it.”
Hexa didn’t respond immediately. When she did, her voice was calmer, though still tinged with something I couldn’t quite place—anger? Fear? Concern?
“Then we must prepare,” she said. “The path you’ve chosen is fraught with risk, but it is not without potential. If you are to wield the void, you must understand it. Control it. Master it.”
I nodded, the resolve settling in my chest like a stone. “One step at a time, Hexa. We’ll figure this out.”
“Agreed,” she replied. But there was a hesitation in her voice, a flicker of uncertainty that unnerved me more than I cared to admit.