4. The Awakened System
After he said the Oath, a female-like voice entered his mind. The Awakened System.
[Linking Process… 1%… 2%…10%… 50%… 90%…]
What’s happening? I… I can’t breathe.
Lucas clutched his head and tried not to scream. But it hurt so much that he squirmed.
[Linking Process… 94%… 99%… Complete.]
Another voice entered his mind. Unlike the Awakened System, the voice seemed to belong to a male.
[Mark of Hades successfully linked with the Awakened System.]
[Absorbing aether essence…]
The Mark… of Hades?
[You’ve reached level… 38!… 42!… 46!… 49!… 50!]
Aether Essence (AE): 5000/5000
Level 50. That’s the bottleneck level to Class III! On average, Primes reach that level at around 18 years old, while the Awakened can reach it in their early or mid 30s – provided they survive their journey. Meanwhile, Lucas is just 13.
And if he breaks through, reach level 51 and rank up to III, he’d finally unlock his Elemental Aspect. He’d be among the one per cent of the Awakened!
But breaking through is too dangerous. When he broke through to Class II, even as a Prime, his soul core was damaged. It took him months to recover.
So, while it may take him months, perhaps even years of preparation before he attempts to class up, he’s still confident. After all, he’s a Prime. So, how could he not be excited?
But…
“AARHG!” Pain once more jolted throughout his body as if he was struck by a thousand daggers – interrupting his inward celebration.
He wanted to rejoice. But. W-What is happening?!
He was drenched in sweat as the pain only grew stronger.
“Persevere,” said Hades.
[Reforming Soul Core.]
[Attempting to break through to Class III.]
Wait. No, no, no! He doesn’t have the constitution for a breakthrough, no Elemental Orb to help unlock his Aspect, and no wizard to watch his being. And the System is forcing him to class up without preparation? He wouldn’t be able to take it. Am I… going to die?
Lucas screamed and held his chest, tears forced out of his eyes. No, they weren’t tears. They were blood. “…Please! Make it stop!”
Even with blurred vision, he saw Hades raise his hand, lips moving, but he didn’t hear the words that came out.
But whatever Hades said made the pain vanish.
[Soul Core reformed.]
Just… like that?
[Congratulations. You’ve ranked up to Class III. Fire Aspect unlocked. Spell Slots expanded from 5 to 10. Would you like to register your name in the Rankings?]
No…
[Understood. Name listed as Unknown.]
Lucas collapsed on his back, gasping for air, his breathes ragged in exhaustion. He was about to rest, but Hades called to him.
“It is no time for rest. Steel your mind. It is time to think,” Hades said as a matter of fact.
“Right,” Lucas said as he panted. While the difficult part was over, the breakthrough process isn’t technically over yet.
When an Awakened classes up to III, they can start anew. This means all the Spell Points (SPP) he used for all his Spell Upgrades will be refunded due to the reformation of his Soul Core.
Every 10 levels, an Awakened earns an SPP to upgrade a chosen spell. SPPs cannot be saved. They must be used immediately upon receiving it. That’s why SPPs are not included in an Awakened’s status sheet.
So, at level 51, he should have 5.
But.
[10 Spell Points refunded. Please choose spells you would like to upgrade.]
10? But it should be 5, thought Lucas. Not that he was unhappy about it. In fact, he was very excited. 10 SPPs? That’s the equivalent to the SPP of a Class V!
To put that into perspective, there's only two known Class Vs in the League.
So, does the Mark of Hades provide an extra spell point every 10 levels? That could be the only explanation. “Show status.”
Status
Name: Lucas Hale
Shield (SH): 8900 (Disabled)
Level: 51
Force: (FR): 890
Age: 13 (DOB: 2/14/2334)
Basic Attack: 0
Class: Sentinel III (Body)
Aether Essence (AE): 0/8900
Spell Control (SC) Level: 3.10
National Rank: 693
Global Rank: 2,306
Spells – 4/10
(Spell Damage = Force x Spell Power)
1. 1. Aether Blade (Common)
(Sentinel-exclusive)
SC Requirement: 1.10
Type: Active.
Effect: Form a blade of aether and strike forward in an arc.
Spell Power (SP): 3.5
Cooldown: 22 seconds.
(Starter Sentinel Spell.)
2. Aether Amplify (Common)
(Sentinel-exclusive)
SC Requirement: 2.10
Type: Buff.
Effect: Increase your Force by 50% for a limited duration.
Duration: 5 seconds.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
3. Aether Blink (Rare)
(Sentinel-exclusive)
SC Requirement: 2.10
Type: Active. (GCDE)
Effect: Instantly blinks to a chosen location within 10 metres.
Cooldown: 24 seconds.
4. Aether Mist (Rare)
SC Requirement: 3.10
Type: Active.
Effect: Transforms into a mist. You are invulnerable and cannot cast a spell during the duration. When you cancel the spell during the duration, the cooldown becomes double.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Cooldown: 24 seconds.
Aura(s)
Aether Aura III (Common)
Description: Basic aura used by all Awakened. Cannot stack with other Auras.
Effect(s):
Enables Shield (SH)
+Basic Attack = (FR x 0.50)
+15% Force
Fire Aura (Common)
Description: A basic elemental aura. Cannot stack with other Auras.
Effect(s):
Changes appearance of aether spells to fire.
Basic attack and aether spells deals burn effect. (SP: 0.1 each second for 5 seconds.)
Enables Shield (SH)
+15% Damage Reduction (DR)
+15% Force (FR)
+Basic Attack = (FR x 0.50)
Grants the following Spell(s):
Name: Fire Dash (GCDE)
Effect: Instantly dashes 5 metres forward, leaving a trail of fire that deals 0.2 SP each second.
Trail Duration: 5 seconds.
Cooldown: 30 seconds.
Mark of Hades (Mythical)
Requirement(s): N/A
Description:
Hades is the King of the Underworld. Those bestowed with His power are prone to psychosis and must maintain a calm state-of-mind at all times.
Effect(s):
Changes your appearance akin to the image of the great Hades, the King of the Underworld, and Suzerain of the Undeath.
Changes appearance of spells and Aspect aura(s) befitting the glory and might of the great Hades, the King of the Underworld, and Suzerain of the Undeath.
Enables Shield (SH)
+20% Damage Reduction
+20% Force
+Basic Attack = (FR x 0.5)
Can use Soul Core Absorption to Class (III) and above Awakened, providing the user a massive amount of aether essence. The target will lose their Awakened status upon successful absorption.
Wings of Darkness (SC-3): Allows you to fly. Can be activated and deactivated at will.
Locked Effect(s):
? (SC IV)
? (SC V)
Extra Effects (Applies even if unactivated):
[Common] spell upgrades ensures success.
Class (II) and below cannot detect your presence. Effect can be deactivated at will.
Grants the following Spell(s):
Name: Cloak of Darkness (GCDE)
Req: SC I
Effect: Briefly cloaks you in total darkness, rendering you immune to all damage for a short duration.
Type: Active.
Duration: 3 seconds.
Cooldown: 1 minute.
Name: Might of Hades (GCDE)
Req: SC II
Effect: If a target has a higher level, increases Force and Shield by 10 for every level difference. All attack deals 0.10 FR Curse damage every second for 10 seconds.
Type: Buff.
Duration: 1 minute.
Cooldown: 24 hours.
Name: Spears of Darkness
Req: SC III
Effect: Summon 10 Spears of Darkness that swiftly tracks and follows the chosen target(s).
Spell Power:
Type: Active.
Spell Power (SP): 2 SP per Spear.
Duration: 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
LOCKED SPELL(S):
Name: ???
Spell Req: SC IV
Name: ???
Spell Req: SC V
Looks like the three SPPs I assigned to Aether Blade has really been refunded, thought Lucas. But, as he reviewed his new stat sheet, he gasped in surprise. “Hold on. I can stack Mark of Hades and Fire Aura?”
[Yes.]
“No way…,” Lucas muttered. Aura stacking is impossible. For example, one cannot stack their Fire Aura with Aether Aura. There are also some Awakened with two Elemental Aspects, but they can only use either one of their Auras, not both.
“Are there any drawbacks?”
[No.]
“What’s the cumulative effect to my status if I activate it?”
Combined Aura
Black Fire (Mythical)
Description: Mark of Hades and Fire Aura combined.
Effect(s):
All effects are combined, including the following:
+Basic Attack = (FR x 1)
+40% Force
“No. I mean. Calculate my status with Black Fire activated.”
Status
Name: Lucas Hale
Shield (SH): 8900 (Enabled)
Level: 51
Force: (FR): 1157
Age: 13
Basic Attack: 1157 FR
Class: Sentinel III (Body)
Aether Essence (AE): 0/8900.
Lucas blinked and rubbed his eyes. But he saw it right. His basic attack is actually equal to his Force! If he was hitting a level 51 dummy, he could destroy its Shield with just 8 basic attacks. That’s equivalent to a Class III offensive spell.
Of course, while it would be different when fighting an actual moving target, he can’t deny the power of the Mark.
“How is this possible? I thought Aura stacking wasn’t possible?”
It was Hades who responded. “The Mark isn’t an Aura,” he just said as he flipped a page of his… is that a comic book?
Anyway, it wasn’t time for Lucas to be distracted as the Awakened System hurried him up. …How annoying.
[Please choose spells you would like to upgrade. If you remain idle, a spell will be upgraded in random.]
“Right. I’m not idle. Just reading. But 1,157 Force. That’s really high. Are you sure you’re calculating it correctly? What’s the base equivalent of that in levels?”
[77.]
“Seriously? You’re kidding. Can you give me the FULL list of the Aetheric Path Chart?”
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Level
Cumulative Force
Shield
Class I
1*
10
100
…
…
…
30
300
3000
Class II
31*
400 (+100)
4000 (+1000)
32
410
4100
33
420
34
430
35
440
36
450
37
460
38
470
39
480
40
490
41
500
42
510
43
520
44
530
45
540
46
550
47
560
48
570
49
580
50
590
5900
Class III
51*
890 (+300)
8900 (+3000)
52
900
9000
53
910
54
920
55
930
56
940
57
950
58
960
59
970
60
980
61
990
62
1000
63
1010
64
1020
65
1030
66
1040
67
1050
68
1060
69
1070
70
1080
71
1090
72
1100
73
1110
74
1120
75
1130
76
1140
77
1150
78
1160
79
1170
80
1180
11800
Class IV
81*
1680 (+500)
16800 (+5000)
82
1690
16900
83
1700
84
1710
85
1720
86
1730
87
1740
88
1750
89
1760
90
1770
91
1780
92
1790
93
1800
94
1810
95
1820
96
1830
97
1840
98
1850
99
1860
18600
Class V
100*
2860 (+1000)
28600 (+10,000)
Class VI
101*
???
???
“You’re not joking…”
[No. Now, please choose the spells you would like to upgrade. If you remain idle, a spell will be upgraded at random.]
“I know. I hear you. But I’m not idle. Just give me a moment,” said Lucas before reading his new status sheet again. He didn’t know what to upgrade. He wished he could delay making a decision. But again, all Awakened are forced to spend their spell points as soon as they get it for whatever reason.
This is the reason there are no perfect spell builds, and why the Awakened prepare years in advance before breaking through to Class III, so that they’ll already know what spell or spells to upgrade. Because upgraded spells also cannot be refunded.
What should I upgrade, he thought as he eyed his spells. The obvious decision was to upgrade either Aether Blade or Amplify because they’re common spells. Common spells can be upgraded to V without the risk of failure.
On the other hand, rare spells like his Blink and Mist, has a 50% chance of failure–– even by just upgrading them to II. But sure, that could be remedied with an Upgrade Potion III, reducing the risk of failure to 0%. But he doesn’t have those, and he didn’t want to risk wasting his spell points.
He recalled his lessons back in Amaryllis, as to how the universe always finds a way to find balance. That includes limitations in the Aetheric Path, like how only Class IIs can upgrade Rare Spells beyond V.
Which is, in fact, the foremost reason why Lucas couldn’t upgrade his Mist and Blink, because he was already above level 30 when he gained both of those spells, and have already used up his three SPPs on Aether Blade. This is why preparation is important… breaking through is just too complex, thought Lucas.
He sighed. “I guess I’ll just upgrade Aether Blade,” he said aloud, subtly hoping for Hades to provide input. But the god did not say anything, who only remained in his seat, still reading his comic book.
When Hades gave no indication of talking, Lucas clicked his tongue and shifted his attention back to his status sheet, wondering what attribute of Aether Blade he should upgrade. Previously, he upgraded cooldown reduction and wondered if he should do the same.
When upgrading a spell, an Awakened can only choose one attribute of the chosen spell to upgrade. For example, they can choose to increase their spell’s duration by 2 seconds or reduce its cooldown by 2 seconds.
Or they can instead choose to upgrade the spell’s SP (Spell Power) instead. But for SP, the upgrade isn’t by 2 points. It varies depending on the type of a spell.
For example, for Active offensive spells like Aether Blade, each SP upgrade is 0.5. So, an SP-only Aether Blade V upgrade would have 6 SP from a base SP of 3.5.
On the other hand, the SP upgrade for DoT-based Active spells, or Damage over Time-based active offensive spells are upgraded at smaller increments. Sometimes, to even as low as 0.2 SP per upgrade.
“Alright. I’ve decided. System, allocate 5 SPPs to Aether Blade’s cooldown reduction,” said Lucas.
[Done. You now have Aether Blade V. Cooldown reduction decreased from 22 seconds to 12 seconds.]
Lucas heaved a deep breathe. He wished he could upgrade Aether Blade beyond V, but upgrading a common spell beyond that has a 50% chance of failure similar to rare spells. And that requires an Upgrade Potion I.
So, his only other option is Amplify. He had no other choice. “Now, upgrade Amplify to––”
Hades finally interrupted him. “While the universe seeks balance, there are powers like mine that shatters that balance.”
Lucas widened his eyes. Hades’ words reminded him to read his status sheet again. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for and read it aloud. “Common spell upgrades ensures success.” Which means he won’t need an Upgrade Potion!
“Where there are limitations, my Mark removes that limitation,” proudly declared Hades. “You have the opportunity to max out a spell. So, why do you struggle to make a decision? It’s not that difficult.”
“Wait… You’re right,” Lucas whispered. He could upgrade Aether Blade to X! That’s the maximum upgrade level for all spells, and he can do that with practically no risk due to the Mark of Hades.
When a spell reaches X, it transforms, becoming arguably more powerful compared to spells of a even a higher rarity or class requirement – far more powerful.
The only reason why it’s uncommon for people to do it, is while spells can be upgraded ten times, it requires 10 SPPs. This can only be earned at level 100. And how often does the Awakened reach the peak? Less than 0.001%.
But it’s possible to bypass the upgrade limitation, as demonstrated by a living legendary figure – Urus Amil of the African Dominion. One of the few Sovereigns. The Blade Sovereign.
When Urus leveled up to 51, he consumed 5 Upgrade Stones, gaining a total of 10 SPPs. He upgraded his Aether Blade to X, reducing his spell cooldown to just 2 seconds, and transforming the spell itself.
His Aether Blade became long-ranged and a GCDE spell. He could practically spam the spell every two seconds without delay, and he was known to be able to fight somebody at a much higher level.
So, even if Urus was only level 51 at the time, he was able to deal a base spell damage of 2,670 every 2 seconds.
That’s, once more, another example of the importance of preparation prior to a class-up attempt. Which was Lucas’ foremost concern earlier.
Because preparation is also expensive.
For example, in Urus’ case, each of his Upgrade Stone costs around $100,000 each in the present market. Then, since he upgraded his Aether Blade beyond V, he also used an Upgrade Potion to reduce the fail rate to 0%, which costs another $300,000 in today’s market.
That’s a total of $800,000. And most Awakened, even the Class IIIs, are not that rich. So, only a few were able to replicate it.
That’s not to say that it was because of this discovery that Urus attained the peak. It surely helped, but becoming a Class V takes way more than an optimal build.
Anyway, it seems Lucas’ preparations have already been conveniently completed for him through the Mark of Hades. Upgrading Aether Blade to X like Urus did will cover his core weakness – range.
Range is the biggest weakness of the Sentinel-type, since they have to reach melee range to fight. But with Aether Blade X turning into a long-ranged spell, he would have that weakness covered.
“System. Give me a preview of what Aether Blade X would look like, with all SPPs allocated to Cooldown Reduction. Calculate the base damage relative to my current level. And calculate the cumulative damage with the Mark of Hades and Fire Aura activated.”
[0. Your SC-level is insufficient.]
“What? How come?”
Spell Description
1. Aether Blade X (Legendary) (GCDE)
SC Requirement: 4.10
Type: Active.
Effect: Form a blade of aether and strike forward in an arc. As an alternative, you may also manifest an arc blade that travels a vast distance.
Spell Power (SP): 3
Cooldown: 2 seconds.
Right… it does turn into a GCDE spell too, Lucas swiped the sweat off his forehead, paling at the sight. But with the Force buff effect from the Mark, I’ll theoretically be stronger than Urus when he was level 51. Perhaps… I’d even be the strongest Class III in all of the League–– if not for the SC requirement. I forgot about that.
Lucas sighed. “A Legendary? SC-4.10?” said Lucas.
[Yes.]
“Right… That tracks. Of course it wouldn’t make sense for it stay as a common spell.”
It’s a common misconception for many non-Awakened, that the Spell Control (SC) Level of an Awakened only limits what kind of spells they can learn.
No. SC-levels are divided into 10 sub-levels, from .01 to 0.10.
Sub-levels refers to how much of the spell’s potential can an Awakened release.
An Awakened always starts with .01, whereas the full potential of a spell is always .10.
So, for example, if an Awakened only has an SC-1.01, they can still imprint a spell with an SC Requirement of 1.10. But they can only utilize 10 per cent of that spell’s full power.
This means, that even if Lucas increases his spell control from 3.10 to 4.01, he will only deal 10% of the usual total damage.
SC-level also affects other attributes, including his cooldown. A 0.01 SC sub-level increases their cooldown by +90%. Then it decreases by 10% each time they raise their SC sub-level, until it disappears when they reach 0.10.
Thankfully, since the original cooldown of Aether Blade X is already very low at 2 seconds, his cooldown would only increase to around 4 seconds. Which is still very good, thought Lucas.
“System. Do a comparison for Aether Blade X between SC-level 4.01 and SC-level 4.10 at Level 51.”
Level 51 (890 Base FR)
SC-4.01
SC-4.10
Cooldown
3.8 seconds
2 seconds
Spell Damage
267
2,670
Calc. Damage with Mark/Aura (+40% FR)
373.8
3738
So, if I don’t fully master Spell Control 4, Aether Blade X is practically worse than my basic attacks damage-wise, Lucas thought. But, I wonder…
“Lord Hades. Aether Blade X’s spell control requirement is still above my current spell level. Will I still be able to learn it?”
“That restriction only applies with Imprinting. You’re upgrading an already-imprinted spell, so it will be fine. But you won’t be able to use it until you reach 4.01,” said Hades with a bored tone.
“Makes sense. Improving my spell control wouldn’t be a problem,” said Lucas. The average SC-level of a Level 51 Prime is 4.10, because the Awakened usually max out their SC first to make the breakthrough process much easier.
It just so happened that he leveled up so fast.
But this only means he has to work harder. That’s the least he could do if he’s to utilize his newfound strength.
Speaking of strength, Lucas isn’t so ungrateful that he didn’t know who made this all possible. He glanced at Hades, before borrowing the East’s custom of bowing deeply to assert his… gratitude. “Thank you.”
Hades just shrugged. “You’re too slow.”
Lucas smiled. “I suppose I am. System. Upgrade Aether Blade to X.”
[What attribute did you want to upgrade?]
“All to cooldown.”
[Done. No SPPs remaining.]
Lucas let out a satisfied sigh. Finally… it’s done, Lucas thought.
Then Hades broke his thoughts. “Are you a gambler, Lucas?”
“Pardon me?”
“Would you like to try your luck with an Epic spell?” said Hades with a mysterious smile.