Feyan hums joyfully. Little Aly is finally all grown up! Yafe and Yafel will be getting their Classes in a few months too.

Aly fidgets as Feyan paints markings on her body, making her smudge the design.

"Lay still!" Feyan chastises. She wants Aly looking perfect.

"That tickles," Aly complains, but holds still. Once the paint dries, it will stick for several days, and any little blemish will be stuck for the entire duration. Feyan wipes off the faintly glowing smudge and continues the full-body design.

Once the body paint is done, she styles Aly's hair: a complex but beautiful style with locks of hair running down in front of her and looping back up. Her bangs are swept to the right and pulled as the rest of her long hair is folded up and tied into a bun. The golden tips make it look like a sun is behind her head, and the effect is only enhanced by the two gold-and-sapphire pins holding the whole thing up.

"Can you give me a little more to work with, dear?" Feyan says. Aly has a Bond skill that can make her hair grow or shorten: Feyan isn’t sure what her daughter normally uses it for, but for this design, she needs it longer, so it’s useful right now.

Aly obeys, her hair grows until Feyan says ‘stop’. After styling Aly’s hair, Feyan moves on by dusting her cheeks with sapphire powder that sparkles under the faint blue glow of the paint, then doing the same with her hair, ears, tails, and shoulders. Then she stands back to get a full look at her daughter, nodding with satisfaction. The sapphires go really well with the royal blue of her hair and the glow of the paint is just enough that it can really only be seen in the shade.

There's still about half an hour before the Lojyo and Feyan isn't done; being a jeweler, she has made tons of jewelry for this occasion. She has Aly try on many jewelry options, all types of necklaces, armlets, bangles, anklets, headdresses, clip-on earrings, rings, all with a consistent style to match the ceremony.

Feyan struggles with the many choices she made available. She wants Aly to wear them all, but it'd be too much! Perfection is not when there's nothing more to add, but when there's nothing left to take away. Hardening her heart, Feyan decides to remove a few pieces to make her [Perfectionist's Eye] happy.

"Okay, you can put this on now." Feyan hands Aly a black robe, to hide her body until the time is right. The robe touches the ground and is even longer in the back, custom-made to cover Aly’s three extra-long tails and decorated with tiny gems to look like stars in a night sky.

With everything now ready, Feyan and Aly walk to the Lojyo and partake in the festivities. Everything goes normally, first with the dancing and socializing, then the displays of crafts and skills and a story or two, then finally everyone makes their way to the bath, but they don't go in yet.

Tusile and an apprentice priestess first wade into the bath waters and then call for Aly to join them. Alysara slides the robes off, showing her painted body, and enters the waters as a child for the last time.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I’ve never liked being the center of attention, and so I can't help but feel self-conscious with all eyes on me. Nakedness is not something the Runalymo have a stigma against, and after a lifetime of communal baths and seeing this same ceremony performed for others, that's not what I am really embarrassed about… I just don’t like having lots of people looking at me.

"Young Alysara." Tusile waits for me to approach, holding a pair of earrings.

The earring rings have three-centimeter-long sapphires, as wide as my thumb, accentuated with gold. According to the mana saturation in the gems, they should be faintly luminous, at glow-in-the-dark levels.

"You have grown into a fine adult and master craftsman who cares for your community. I am proud to bestow upon you your earrings, to make clear to all that you are ready to lead your life without dependency on anyone else."

Tusile clips the earrings on my ears, the small needles barely a discomfort with my [Pain Tolerance]. I heal my ears as the apprentice priestess hands Tusile a gold and silver jug, finely decorated with religious symbols. It contains special bathing oil that is heavily saturated with beauty essence, and smells strongly of mint. Tusile then rubs me down in the oil, making sure the oil reaches the roots of my hair and seeps into my tails.

Myrou's projection smiles at me throughout the ceremony, watching as I am washed. Once the ceremony is finished, everyone joins me in the bath to congratulate me before washing up… and then the Lojyo is over, and everyone goes. I go to sleep, knowing that tomorrow, when I wake up, I'll officially be fifteen years old.

In the morning, I mentally prepare myself to find out how many of my Race evolution options are corrupted. I take a deep breath and then, somewhat hesitantly, bring them up.

Four Tailed Runalymo Nurturer:

(Grand) (Unique)

You are selfless and have risked yourself for the sake of others many times, even if they don't consider themselves Runalymo. You have sought to protect children, no matter who they are, and have done your best to bring prosperity to your people. Now you'll nurture your people to good health and restore their bodies, to see that they prosper even further.

Does this mean my milk will be able to heal people? I am now accustomed to taking care of my bodily needs, as embarrassing as it was at first, but I’m still not interested in this evolution. I just don't see a whole lot of practical use for it.

Four Tailed Runalymo Actor:

(Grand) (Unique)

You have taken roles to support you in the toughest of times, from the deadly chaos of battle to the intense conflict of minds and ideas that is politics and diplomacy. Now, this experience in making yourself other than what you are will serve you with even greater potential.

Hmm, I hadn't expected this one… but it does feel a little weak, and, while [Acting] is a very useful tool, that’s all it is, not something I want to spend the next five years intertwined with so closely.

Four Tailed Runalymo Farseer:

(Grand) (Artifact)

You have seen far beyond your lands and seen beings far more powerful than any of your race has ever become. You bring knowledge of the outside world, and new opportunities to prosper; you have spread your knowledge and invented both entire new technologies and single powerful items. You have learned all the secrets of mana and some of magic and divinity and that which feeds them. Now you'll be able to see great lands, the void beyond the sky, the depths beneath the oceans, and all the secrets that lie in the deepest crevices of the world.

Surprisingly uncorrupted and a good contender for a potential evolution. The Heirloom tier upgrades too, which is interesting. Although, when considering that for my last evolution [Sense Mana] was at two hundred fifty, and it's now [Sense Magic] at over level seven hundred fifty, I'm surprised this isn't heroic… the Artifact tier must be taking up a lot of the available divinity.

Four Tailed Runalymo Magic Scholar:

(Grand) (Artifact)

You have researched and studied many things and even invented a whole new craft with great potential. You have taught others and recorded your findings to preserve your knowledge for the future. Now you will be able to see your inventions and discoveries to their full success; you will revolutionize the world with fantastic technologies and spread knowledge of your newfound craft.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Hmm, this seems to help me better understand my inscriptions? It's also Artifact-tier, so it's helped by my [Sense Magic]… or maybe it's hindered by it? In any case, this is also a great contender. Do I want to see further? Or do I want to understand inscriptions better?

Five Tailed Runalymo Soul Savior:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have saved your people from extinction, have given pieces of your soul to see that they thrive; you are their savior, their champion. However, what was once given can be taken back; you are the arbiter of life and death, for you now wield ectoplasmic powers. Infuse others with strength and grant them the blessing of your soul, or punish those who wish to take advantage of others.

Five tails and Heroic? Hmm, as usual, corrupted options seem a little ominous. This seems to give me the ability to use soul spells, or something of that sort. In any case, I'm not going to take this evolution even if it's Heroic-tier, and I am not interested nor fit to be ‘the Arbiter of life and death’ although that part may just be influenced by corruption.

Five Tailed Ectoplasmic Nurturer:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have saved and healed the souls of many thousands of people; you have given of, and risked, yourself, now you can do so without pain and with little effort. Let the ill and wounded drink from you and be healed in body, mind, and soul. All will desire your nourishment and none can resist: they will do anything for it… anything you wish.

Not only healing the body but the soul and mind too? If I had the option of an uncorrupted version, I would have picked this during that time, creepy-sounding reference to addiction and possible mind control aside, just so that I wouldn't have had to go through that pain. However, this is corrupted, and those two years are only history now. As such, this Class can be discarded instantly.

Five Tailed Runalymo Phantom:

(Heroic) (Unique) (Corrupted)

You have spent a long time in the soul layer, become familiar with it, and infiltrated souls with your mind. Take the plunge and truly become a denizen of the soul layer. Manifest projections of your image onto the material layers to scare or speak with others. Possess the souls or bodies of others, and consume ectoplasm to sustain your ever-dwindling anima.

What is ‘anima’? And the ‘soul layer’? I assume that's referring to the ‘space’ that the soul occupies, and which my mind component had to traverse to get from one soul to another. Well, now I have another breakthrough to aim for with [Sense Soul]; maybe I'll learn something new.

Five Tailed Mana Savant Runalymo.

(Heroic) (Artifact) (Corrupted)

You have seen farther than most, seen secrets only a few have ever peered into, and made powerful items from the secrets you discovered. You will continue to seek out knowledge in all forms, to reveal every last secret this realm has to offer. You will continue to make ever more powerful artifacts from the greatest of materials and rarest of rituals. All things of mana are under your control; you are the acknowledged master of all things mana- and magic-related.

This one seems to be based more on making things, on crafting items. A powerful choice, but what does that actually mean? Will it improve my [Inquisitive Perfection]? Anyway, it's corrupted, so I won't waste too much time on it.

So it's between Scholar and Farseer: of the two, which do I want? One helps me study and understand; the other helps me explore.

The answer is obvious: neither. Instead, I will purify [Mana Manipulation] and see what my choices are then. This is my opportunity to purify a cursed skill or two and that's my number one goal, not getting the best evolution right now.

I need this evolution opportunity: the moment I purify my cursed skills, I can use the evolution process to transfer them to a safe magic framework. This means that I need to get a legendary point within almost five years… I should also consider trying to get my [Mana Manipulation] to its enhancement threshold. That will give me a legendary point, but unless I absolutely have to I don't want to use it for something other than enhancing the skill.

I should talk to Safyr, and maybe Kayafe as well, about trying to get a legendary point.

Making up my mind, I fly over to the Guardian and ask her for advice… after telling her everything new I have learned about [Sense Magic], of course.

"Hmm, the role miasma plays with magic... That does make sense," Safyr says, digesting my lesson. "It explains why cursed skills are the way they are. This does reinforce the idea that the purification of cursed skills is indeed the expulsion of the miasma."

"Yes,” I confirm, “but the skill also needs to then immediately be put into a magic framework to prevent the buildup of more miasma."

"So that brings us to why you are here: you now have the opportunity to do that by hijacking your Race evolution, but you don't have the means to purify your cursed skills."

"Yes, I need a legendary point to expel the miasma," I nod, confirming Sayr's deduction.

"That is not something easy to do, Alysara. Legendary points are always granted by slaying another legendary being or crafting a legendary item, but that's where the easy options stop. The reason is simple, in theory anyway: I assume the legendary status is transferred to the slayer or the maker, granting them a point. However, in general, legendary feats are ones that defy great odds, or actions that may involve an entire continent or something of equal absurdity, such as a single person giving mind components to an entire race without any help." Safyr pauses to let that sink in.

If I did not have Safyr’s help, then I would have had no choice but to awaken people to keep them alive, not to mention that without the ectoplasm crystals it would have taken a lot longer. I doubt I could have done it without Safyr’s help, as nice as the potential reward sounds in hindsight.

"Of course, simply defying great odds is not good enough; there has to be some great consequence to failing, usually death," Safyr continues. "Many make trials to cultivate Legendary-tier beings, but even then, the vast majority of people who attempt them fail and die."

"So you're saying that my surest way of getting a legendary point is to do a trial?" I ask.

"Yes," Safyr confirms. "But if there is one that you can do, it will be Kayafe's Trial; to make the Likenesses of Venaro, Myrou, and Varath."

To study Venaro's Likeness, I'll need to kill the Mind Eater, which means I need very high-level mental resistance skills – and just a safe way to gain practical experience in mental combat – and that means I need Safyr’s help. I need to get my Bond at least to level one thousand, get a second Class, and level both my first and second Classes to a high enough point that I can challenge an Exalted-tier monster with three Heroic-tier Classes.

Maybe I can get the Fairy Queen's help? But maybe she doesn't have mind resistance skills, which might be bad for her. Maybe I can keep the Mind Eater's minds occupied? But I don't have enough minds...

"I can't do that trial without enhancing [Mana Manipulation], and I'm not sure if enhancing it will be dangerous or not," I say.

"Hmm," Safyr ponders the issue for a minute before speaking. "Assuming you are right, then it should not be an issue. The danger is the Class framework’s miasma integration mechanism, right? Then enhancing the skill’s magic circle alone may even make it safer to use and to add to a Class later, since it is vastly strengthened, or maybe it will use up the miasma: if you're right, then it needs the miasma to be strengthened."

"But what if I'm wrong? I could be turned into a cursed being."

“It's a risk you will have to take," Safyr chides, the slightly cold edge to her voice enough of a reminder that that was a silly question. "Unless there is a magic item that can at least temporarily do what you need it to do."

"Like an item that can do what I need [Manipulate Magic] to do? Only a magic item can do that and even I can't just create a magic item whenever I want!" I cross my arms and sigh in frustration. Every solution to the main problem has another problem that I can't solve!

"You'll need to make a sacrifice then. That is the only proven way to ensure the creation of a magic item, even if it's not what you want."

Sacrifice? What can I sacrifice? If I copy Kayafe's [Manipulate Magic] skill as an inscription, I am confident that whatever I make will be capable of doing what I need it to do.

"If you can't part with anything, then I suppose you can also try and improve an existing magic item," Safyr says, watching me with what passes for an amused grin on a dragon’s face.

An existing magic item…?

"My Kyhosa!" I half-yelp aloud when the realization hits.

My Kyhosa has [Mana Manipulation] as a usable skill, but I never used it because it's always inferior to my own skill... but that means I have to find a way to not only catch it up to my own skill, but surpass it...

I'll figure something out. Five years is plenty of time to… surpass myself, I suppose, although it’s weird to think about it like that.