Chapter 4 — A Step Forward

Toren wasn’t sure what a [Speak with the Dead] Ability or similar would require to work, and the sense of the [Voice of the Dead] Profession from the Celestial Mirror wasn’t providing him with the answer, just a vague impression that the requirements could be lessened as he progressed the Profession.

He had decided on a memento to keep from each of his companions’ possessions before starting to sell off everything, but what if physical remains were required for the level 1 Ability? Would hair from one of Yana’s brushes be enough? The locusts would have devoured everything in their path, even clothing and bones. Maybe some metal items might remain? But beyond that…

No. Even if he couldn’t speak with Yana immediately, however long it took, what did that matter? Would he just give up? Turn his back on her?

His thoughts drew forth a remembered flash of Yana’s smirking smile as she looked back over her shoulder daring him.

I choose…

At the last moment, Toren hesitated. He grew up in an orphanage run by the Church of the Faithful that worshiped all of the Celestial Deities, Moreva included. The orphans were often a good source of future clergy and laity, and the [Holy Sisters] and [Sisters-in-training] had taught about the Professions related to the church. [Voices] were a highly-specialized [Priest] Profession that were given a special position within the church. At the higher levels a [Voice] could receive oracles from the sponsoring deity.

Becoming Moreva’s [Voice], he would solve his debt situation. From the way the [Holy Sisters] talked about the Profession, he would not have trouble finding employment even with his lowish intelligence attribute and mismatched General Skills. The church would likely even pay his debt if he pledged himself to service. But…could he really choose a cloistered future?

He and Yana had often talked about the future. Even as children swinging their legs from the city wall and watching the sunset cast the valley in blues and fiery bronze, they made plans of where they would go after outgrowing the vale. To seize that dream of standing on their own and being remembered, they had trained their hands and feet bloody to apprentice themselves to [Monster Hunters] rather than become [Acolytes-in-training] like most orphans did.

Now that everything had gone wrong, could he really throw away their dream and choose a Profession that would be an anchor chaining him to the past? Not just his own, but everyone else’s past as well. After all, as a [Voice of the Dead], he would almost certainly have to spend his days connecting the living with their dead loved ones if he wanted to get XP.

Would Yana be disappointed in him?

He stared at the entry for [Voice of the Dead] and tried to convince himself that it wouldn’t be a betrayal of Yana, Avril, and Owen’s memory to choose it—that he wouldn’t just be giving up on their promise of a bright future after having overcome so much. No matter how long he stared, the feeling persisted.

The future. Even if his choice to reset his profession had been a desperate gamble, it was with the hope of achieving something greater with his life.

Setting aside his conflicting emotions, Toren forced his attention to the other choices. Could he really say that any of the others gave him a path to the future he and Yana dreamed of?

Choosing [Arbiter of Nature’s Fury] would mean abandoning civilization, abandoning his past. Rather than the future, he got the impression it would leave him trapped in the present, leaving things permanently unresolved and only gaining power for power’s sake. Yet, with power eventually came freedom. Whether that was a path to a future spent alone or one where he would be remembered was hard to even guess.

Was [Assassin of the Silent Winds] any better? It was the easy choice, a direct upgrade that would make use of his current skills, but it was a path of running away and becoming a rootless wanderer perpetually escaping from his past and never building anything to be remembered by. That said, it did have the advantage over [Arbiter of Nature’s Fury] of staying a part of civilization, even if always on the fringes.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The strongest oaths he could make for [Oathbound Warrior] would surely tie him to the past, but at least the Profession would turn his chains into strength. But what would the consequences be if he failed at keeping his oath? Would he lose his power? Would the World Spirit or Ceothus punish him? Would he have to punish himself? Honestly, he knew too little about how oaths worked to risk choosing the Profession, even if he could see it giving him a path forward.

The way [Guardian of the Torch] forced him to work with others and keep them safe would surely lead to him being remembered—if he found new companions and managed to survive the early levels. His offense would be lacking from where it was as a level 15 [Hunter], but he did still have his existing General Skills, so he wouldn’t be entirely helpless even if it would be a long and difficult path without an easy way to resolve his debt troubles unless he got lucky with the companions he found.

[Burningblood Berserker] was something different from the others. Unlike the path of stealth, traps, and killing from a distance that he had followed until now and the path of stoic resolve and determination of [Guardian of the Torch] and [Oathbound Warrior], he would be changing to a path of throwing himself directly at his problems and challenging them head on, dancing on the edge of life and death.

Even so, taking a [Berserker] Profession didn’t mean he had to be an idiot about things and charge recklessly into fights he couldn’t win. His Will Power stat was high, and just like he could use his General Skills to give offense to [Guardian of the Torch], there wouldn’t be anything stopping him from using his [Stealth] skill with [Burningblood Berserker]. As far as solving his current problems went, he would still be able to live off hunting, and the extra offense and healing would increase both his survivability and the risks he could afford to take. Riskier missions would be better pay and more credits.

He had to admit, such a path would be a forthright way to face the future.

So, if he was deciding on offensive power and healing, he was narrowing it down to either the [Arbiter of Nature’s Fury] or the [Burningblood Berserker]. Elyneth’s offering was clearly more powerful at a cost of a binding ethos and a weaker physical defense, but while a [Burningblood Berserker] might not have equivalent raw magic power, with his low Intelligence, how often would he be able to call upon powerful nature magic or powerful nature spirits before he ran out of mana? A physical combat Profession would be a better fit with his high physical attributes—especially at the early levels.

If there was a worry about Horevi’s viridium offering, it was the risk of taking a Profession that relied so heavily on emotion when he felt so empty, but maybe raging around and taking out his apathy on the world would help? It had the appeal of simple-mindedness, at least. And maybe he did want to suffer some. To feel the pain.

Toren shook off the dark thoughts. Letting his blood burn might be exactly what he needed. To feel something again. To feel alive.

He gave [Voice of the Dead] one last long look. The more he thought about the choices, the more sure he became about his earlier feeling. Yana would never want him to give up on their dream.

Saying a quick prayer of thanks to each of the gods and goddesses that had offered him Sponsored Professions, he made his choice.

{Confirm [Burningblood Berserker] to be added as Profession 1?}

Yes.

With his confirmation, mana rushed back into him from the mirror, gathering around his Skill Core and restoring it to a Profession Core.

{Congratulations! You have gained the Profession:

[Burningblood Berserker]

Your blood burns with passion within, healing your wounds and replenishing your stamina.

As you embark on this path in life, remember that your skills, experiences, and abilities will determine what Profession evolutions will become available when you reach level 25. Note: to support the increased mana density of a viridium-rarity path while in the 1st tier, an additional 100% XP per level will be required.}

In the time it took Toren to read the text marking his new path as real, a new prompt appeared.

{New abilities available for selection. Choose new abilities now?}

This was the moment where he would find out if he had made a huge mistake or not.

Yes.

{Available abilities (choose two):

Burning Blood (WIL)

Rage Strike (STR)

Pain Resistance (WIL)

Slow Bleeding (CON)

Gauge Your Enemy (PER)}