~~~Stanley~~~
Stanley took one last look around his hidey-hole. The closed off space was faintly lit by the handful of cores in his hand, and Caffeine was once again dry and sleeping in his lap. Then he absorbed the last core he needed.
+0.1 Strength
All Base Attributes have reached the F-grade threshold. Evolution to F-grade Begun.
The world fell away into darkness and Stanley found himself in a formless void sans any sensation of his body. Before him floated five glowing orbs. One white, one blue, two violet, though in slightly different shades, and one red.
As a Human you are [Adaptable] and you now have the chance to alter your destiny. Choose wisely.
Multiple evolution options are available.
Nothing happened as he hung there in the void, until he tried to focus on the first orb, and information flowed into his mind.
[Human](F-grade Human)
You began life as a Human but have strayed from your origins. This does not have to define your future, and you may return to that path as you ascend to the next stage.
This will increase your future evolution options.
Traits: [Adaptable](100%)
Stanley wasn't sure what to make of it. He'd strayed from his origins? It raised his adaptable back to 100% and didn't mention his other trait. Did that mean he could get rid of the trait? Would he gain full rewards from the cores then? That could be huge! But... that would cost him the regeneration...
He looked at the next orb.
[Energetic](F-grade Human)
You have stepped onto a new path before F-grade. Stay the course and stick with the choices that define you as you ascend to the next stage.
This will not change your future evolution options.
Traits: [Adaptable](75%) [Energetic Resilience]
So the first was indeed a change, whereas this one would keep him the same. Though it still changed his race name? Sort of? He wasn't about to choose yet, not with more options still unknown, so he kept looking.
[Psion](F-grade Human)
You have embraced your class. I am Psionic.
You have fought and killed to survive against many foes who would see you dead and your core consumed. You have done so using your mind and will as the primary weapon. My will carries me.
Lean into your mind and embrace the power it brings as you ascend to the next stage.
This will reduce your future evolution options.
Traits: [Adaptable](70%) [Energetic Resilience] [Mindful]
This one had a new trait, and Stanley was pleasantly surprised when his querying thought brought up more information.
[Mindful]
Embracing the power of your will over all others will have rewards.
+50% Effective Mind Attributes
+50% Additional Effective Willpower
A doubling of his willpower, sort of. Stanley still wasn't one hundred percent on what all this effective versus base meant, but it would likely boost his power. Moreso once his actual willpower got higher. He still checked the next orb.
[Psychomancer](F-grade Human)
You have gone beyond the limits of your class. Keep going.
You have survived despite taking fatal wounds that should have ended you. Never say die.
You embraced your rage as a tool of violence and used it to kill those who sought to end you. Kill Them All!
You ignored the damage to your own flesh in order to see them dead. Pain will not stop me.
Lean into your rage and embrace the power it brings as you ascend to the next stage.
This will reduce your future evolution options.
Traits: [Adaptable](67%) [Energetic Resilience] [Psycho]
Stanley didn't like the sound of it, but he checked the trait.
[Psycho]
Rage against the dying of the light.
+200% Effective Willpower
-10% Effective Physical Attributes
That was... not bad. It sounded bad, but the gains looked better than the last, at least for his class. Still, he checked the next option.
[Unstoppable Hunger](F-grade Human)
You have fought and killed to survive against many foes who would see you dead and your core consumed. Never going to stop.
You have survived despite taking fatal wounds that should have ended you. Never going to die.
You have felt the ravenous hunger and fed on your own kind to survive. Devour them all!
You overcame the ravenous hunger and fought on despite its pull. Kill them all!
Lean into your hunger and embrace the power it brings as you ascend to the next stage.
This will reduce your future evolution options.
Traits: [Adaptable](65%) [Energetic Resilience] [Ravenous Vitality]
This one sounded and looked bad. He really didn't like the mention of his eating another human... It was only two bites! Besides, it was that stupid debuff fucking with his head that made him do it. He'd been plenty hungry before all this started, and it was never as bad as that.
Stanley checked the trait, even though he was afraid of what it would say.
[Ravenous Vitality]
Embrace your hunger and use its gnawing fire to propel you toward greatness.
+1-200% All Effective Attributes depending on hunger severity. The greater the hunger, the greater the effect.
Increased sustenance received from everything you consume.
Increased digestion speed and stomach resilience.
It wasn't quite as bad as he'd feared. But it also wasn't something he wanted. He could get the same boost to his psionic from the other one, and it didn't require him to be starving.
It was tempting, sure. Having all of his attributes boosted would definitely improve his survival chances. But it didn't say what the bonus would be for each level of hunger, and the name of the trait wasn't very reassuring in that regard. Stanley was not at all interested in seeing that ravenous debuff again. So no thanks.
Besides, the only useful difference would be in his vitality. None of the other attributes really mattered to his class. That he could tell, at least.
Before he could go back and review his other choices, Stanley finally noticed another orb. It was black, almost completely blending in with the surrounding void, and slightly fuzzy...
[Beast Lord](F-grade Beastkin)
You have been Soul-Bonded to a powerful Beast Lord. I am the Beast.
Let go of your grip on humanity. Embrace the Beast Lord within and Lead your Pack. I am the Beast Lord.
While still partially human, you can start down a new path. Find out where it leads as you ascend to the next stage.
This will greatly reduce your future evolution options.
Traits: [Beastkin Lord] [Adaptable](25%) [Energetic Resilience]
Get rid of the pain of being a man. There was a beautiful simplicity to the idea. Would he have the same skills as Caffeine? That probably wouldn't help his class very much... Tempting, if only out of curiosity, but not a choice he would take. If he was a warrior class on the other hand… it might be worth it. I'll let you be the beast lord, Caff.
He still checked the trait… he was curious.
[Beastkin Lord]
Become Beast.
+1000% Effective Physical Attributes
-99% Effective Mind Attributes
Wow… and yes… that was tempting. It wasn’t very descriptive, however. Would he still be himself? Would it make him stupid? Just a beast? Not that Caffeine was stupid… but he definitely saw the world in a different way. It would for sure ruin his class… change his race completely away from Human… he might not be able to fly home. Maybe he could just run?
The real question was how much those numbers mattered. Obviously it was much higher than the other options, but what if lots of people got extreme options like this? What if someone with a physical class got this? They would crush him… whereas something that synergized with his class might give him a better chance.
It was so tempting… but he couldn’t do it. Something about it just felt… wrong.
The moment he thought that, the fuzzy orb vanished. What the… Stanley stared for a long time at where it had been… wondering what had just happened. But eventually the growing pressure forced him to move on. He didn’t have unlimited time in here, that wasn’t even considering the risk his body might be in right now.
That left him with only three real options. Base Human, Psionic, or Psychomancer. He could dump the trait that was slowing him down and get even more evolution options later. Or he could, as it said, lean into his psionic power and keep the trait. Or take it a step further...
Thinking about it for a few seconds was enough for Stanley to realize that he only had two options. That energetic trait was on his status for a reason. A reason he didn't know... sure. But it wasn't there by accident. Besides, it had saved his life at least once. He recalled crashing into the building the night before...
So it saved his life multiple times then.
That wasn't the real reason, though. All his rational arguments were well and good, but deep down, he felt sick at the thought of removing the trait. As if the very idea made him want to cry. As if it would be the end of everything he loved...
Stanley didn't linger after that. While there was the Energetic option to consider, it wasn't a fair trade to keep 10% more body stats in exchange for losing a full 100% bonus to his willpower. He wasn't about to start fighting hand to hand. Not if he could help it. Though, there was that skill shard he hadn't yet absorbed... which it might have been better to use first.
It didn't matter now. Stanley made his choice.
Evolution to [Psychomancer](F-grade Human) has begun.
Ungraded Attribute Fortification:
Strength: 0
Vitality: 1 +1% Effective Vitality
Dexterity 0
Wisdom 5 +5% Effective Wisdom
Intelligence 4.2 +4.2% Effective Intelligence
Willpower 10 +10% Effective Willpower
So he finally knew what Fortification did... Stanley didn't get time to dwell on that new information before he was abruptly back in his body and his entire world shrank into the burning pain that engulfed him.
Every inch of his body burned under an onslaught of energy that was rushing out of something deep inside him.
He was distantly aware of Caffeine whining and licking his face, but was too far gone to respond to the pug. He could feel his hands, could feel Caffeine stepping on them where they lay in his lap, but Stanley couldn't move them. He couldn't even scream at the pain, every muscle locked tight.
It went on for an unknown amount of time... and then it was over. As abruptly as it had started, it ended.
Stanley blinked at the pug in his face. Nothing hurt anymore... in fact, he felt great! His hands came up to comfort the whining pug, and they felt stronger than ever. That negative 10% to body didn't seem to do shit if this was how he felt.
Caffeine was ecstatic as well. Or maybe it was Stanley's laughter cheering him up. Either way, the pug sprinted around the freezer a few times and then stopped to stare at the backpack holding all the meat.
Of course.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Stanley was feeling good though, so he broke out some hotdogs he'd salvaged from the bigger packages. The ones with a middle row that didn't touch the plastic, or at least only on the ends. Caffeine was thrilled at that development, and Stanley fed him while pulling up his status.
Status
Name: Stanley Cascade
Race: [Psychomancer](F-grade Human)
Traits: [Adaptable] [Energetic Resilience] [Psycho]
Class: Psionic (Rare) - Level 5 (Novice)
Class Skills: Psychokinesis (Uncommon) - Level 7 (Novice)
Attributes:
Strength: 10(-10%)9
Vitality: 10(-9%)9.1
Dexterity 10(-10%)9
Wisdom 10(+20%)12
Intelligence 10(+19%)11
Willpower 10(+225%)22.5
Twin-Soul ???
Non-Class Skills 0/3:
Buff:
Debuff:
He definitely should have fortified more attributes... but it was already a slog as it was. As for reaching the next grade, Stanley could only imagine it would be even worse. Still, he felt good.
Despite his strength being technically below what it had been only... moments? Stanley wasn't sure how long the process had taken. Caffeine was much more energized than he had been, so maybe it took a bit? Regardless, Stanley felt physically stronger than he ever had before.
As an experiment, he put both hands on the floor and lifted his butt off the ground, legs still crossed in front of him.
It was easy. Something gymnasts and people who worked out could do, but not a lazy truck driver.
Next he tried to stand, and all it took was straightening his crossed legs against the ground to lift him into a standing position. It was an intoxicating feeling. He punched the freezer door, and his fist left a huge dent in the metal without the slightest pain from his knuckles. I'm a fucking badass!
For the final test, and the most important one. Stanley pushed with his psychokinesis against the door and the barricaded debris on the other side.
The door blew open with a crashing racket and then tore from its hinges to go flying down the back of the store.
Woah. He was indeed a badass.
He hesitantly picked himself up, afraid he might throw himself into the ceiling, but it didn't happen. Though, Stanley wondered how much more durable his body was now. Would he still get hurt if he crashed into a skyscraper? Would a knife still go right through him...
Caffeine jumped into his chest, and Stanley pulled his legs up to give the pug a place to sit. Whereupon Caffeine curled up and passed out immediately.
So maybe it hadn't been that long? Without a cell phone, Stanley had no way to tell time. He could probably find a mechanical watch here... but he didn't really need to know the time.
There was another test to be done before he resumed the hunt, one Stanley was dreading. He picked up a core that he hadn't thought he needed before and checked what it said.
Core Chip(F-grade)
+1 Wisdom
He let out a sigh of relief at seeing that. He'd been terrified that it would give even less once he was F-grade too, but it apparently didn't change... which was odd. Given how much stronger he felt, how could it still be the same?
He didn't absorb it, though. There was someone else who needed to reach F-grade as soon as possible.
Stanley hated to wake the sleeping pug, but he did. Caffeine needed to get stronger, too. He didn't know if Caffeine could even use...
Caffeine took the core gently from his fingers... and chewed on it with a lot of crunching noises until it was gone and he laid his head back down. Checking his status still showed ones across the board... but then he knew that wasn't quite accurate. Maybe he was only seeing the effective attributes? Caffeine's skill names hinted at... well, Stanley wasn't sure what exactly. His best guess was that the pug could move his attributes around at will to be faster, stronger, or tougher.
Though, he wasn't sure about the Big Enough skill...
The only issue was he didn't know if Caffeine was getting the full cores or only a tenth like himself. Though even if it was a tenth, getting him to F-grade would definitely be a better investment than getting a few more stats himself.
Stanley had noticed little to no change as his stats went up. Nothing even remotely close to what he felt now, at least. If he had to guess, then the cores probably went into his own... core, and waited there until he hit the next grade. Though it was possible that it would be different now that he was no longer ungraded. Especially with the larger bonus to his willpower. He definitely needed the attributes to make a difference.
Whatever it was, he had monsters to hunt, and ideally, some invaders to kill. But first...
Non-Class Skill Gained(1/3): Knife Work
Knife Work (Rare) - Level 1 (Novice)
Increases the user's innate understanding of their weapon when wielding knives or short blades. Easier for the user to find vital points on targets and to strike those points.
Skill Level Effects (Novice)
+1% Effectiveness of Dexterity
-1% Stamina Cost
The knowledge that entered his mind was... subtle. Then he picked up the knife and his hand shifted on the handle, adjusting his grip into a more natural and sure hold. Even that was hard to say for sure, since he wouldn't even have noticed if he wasn't watching his hand. It wasn't anything concrete. Nothing he could point to as specifically the skill in action, but the knife just felt... better in his hand.
Then he took his hand away and held it with his mind. It was even harder to tell if it was doing anything after that. All he could really do now was use it and see if the skill leveled up. That would at least tell him if it was working. Presumably.
Checking his status did show a one percent increase to his Dexterity... was that why it limited his non-class skills to only one... or maybe not?
Apparently, he was wrong about only getting one non-class skill, since now it said he could have three. Most likely it was from hitting F-grade and he'd overlooked it earlier. Was the limit so he couldn't just stack skills to increase all of his attributes? Or something else?
Three was better than one in any case, especially if this skill turned out to be a dud, though he hoped he could at least replace the skills if that happened. If he'd had a few more skill shards left, he might be able to test the theory. Unfortunately, he'd used them all for stats. Plus, they had all required adaptation, and he wasn't sure that was something to use up on a whim.
Stanley shrugged and put the knife into the sheath on his belt using his mind, and with some difficulty. Not only did he need more practice throwing it around but also in sheathing and drawing the weapon without his hands.
Then he pulled it back out and kept it hovering beside him. Maybe better to have it ready, just in case. Also, he needed to practice carrying more than one thing at a time.
He let Caffeine sleep in his lap as he carried himself, and a few bags stuffed with food, into the air. He went slowly since he wasn't sure how long they'd been in there and didn't know if the 'seeds' might have regrown by now.
It was quiet and less dark than he remembered in the store. It also wasn't as cold... Though that could just be him hitting F-grade, and not a change in the weather. Either way, the improved lighting helped him scout the store.
There were plants growing that he didn't think had been there before. Even a few small flowers... though much smaller than the remains of their predecessors.
Stanley was torn about attacking anything. He hadn't forgotten the awful screaming, and he wasn't sure if attacking one would set them all off.
He attacked anyway. They might give cores, and it was worthwhile to test his power before heading back outside.
They didn't scream. Even when he crushed each plant into a pulpy ball. That it was extremely easy to do the crushing part was nice, but unfortunately, only one plant gave up a core. The biggest one.
You have defeated the Lair: [Verdant Echo]
The new queen is dead, but the seeds remain and will regrow if not destroyed.
+0.1 Willpower
Stanley absorbed the core; a boost to his willpower felt like a good way to start this off. He would give the next one to Caffeine.
His good mood faltered when he was nearing the doors and both saw and heard the newcomers. Humans. A dozen of them, at least.
He slowed and stuck near the ceiling as he watched them entering the store. He would have gone a different way to get out... if there was one, but they were blocking the only exit.
"Do you think they’re still here?" one of their voices drifted up.
"How should I know?" another said. "The core was just sitting there..."
Caffeine chose that moment to wake from his nap and sit up, then woofed at the people below. Seriously!?
They heard it and looked up. "It's the flying man!" That was... an odd reaction. "Get him!"
That was even more odd... and threatening!
Then one of them launched into the air directly toward him in a manner far too reminiscent of the fucker who tried to kill him.
Stanley slapped him across the store without hesitation and without restraint.
It was easy.
He couldn't tell if the guy was still ungraded or already an F-grade, but given the way he jumped, Stanley suspected the latter. Which meant his own power had increased significantly.
The rest of the group didn't like that, and Stanley had a dozen people charging him, all with weapons or glowing lights of some kind in their hands.
He wasn't confident in micro managing that many targets, especially while keeping Caffeine from jumping down to say hello. So instead, Stanley threw a bunch of... well, everything. He swept wide, scooping up anything that wasn't nailed down, and threw it at the group.
They yelled, some screamed, and the jumping fuck came soaring back.
He was definitely F-grade... and sporting what looked like a bloody nose and fresh bruises all over his face. Meanwhile, his bloodshot eyes promised murder as he closed in...
Stanley thrust his hand toward him, and the man slammed to a stop as if running into a bridge abutment at seventy-five miles an hour. The impact with an invisible wall did more damage to his face, though not nearly enough, but at least it wiped that fucking look from his eyes.
Then Stanley closed his outstretched hand and those same eyes that promised murder a moment before now opened wide as the fucking moron finally understood who he was fucking with.
Stanley squeezed his fist until his knuckles went white and his nails dug into his palm.
His power reacted in kind.
The man couldn't scream, probably couldn't breathe either, as Stanley slowly and inexorably crushed his body toward a smaller size than it was ever meant to be.
Bones cracked, eyes bulged and no longer hungered for his blood. Now they begged... for mercy. The fierce gaze of a determined killer now pleaded for only a few more precious moments of life as he realized death had arrived.
Stanley felt no mercy. Try to kill me!? You want to stab me in the heart and watch me fucking die!? Now it's your turn to die! Your turn to watch the lights go out! So... Just... Fucking... Di...
Caffeine sat up into Stanley's face, blocking his view and licking furiously as the sound of his whining finally broke through the rage.
The distraction was enough that Stanley dropped the man he'd been killing... who fell limply to crash into the rubble below.
Stanley's hands were shaking as he stared down at the limp figure. The memory of his near death had come back with a vengeance when he saw the man flying at him... but he didn't really want to kill anyone.
Did it matter what he wanted? They'd attacked him first... they wanted him dead. He had to kill them!
It would be easy to. He could probably snap their necks with a little effort. Quick for them, easy for him. Everybody's happy. Stanley wasn't a monster. He didn't have to make them suffer... Plus, the cores from a dozen people would help Caffeine a lot.
The others were still picking themselves from the wreckage of thrown shelves when the jumping man stirred on the floor where he'd landed. The fucker was still alive!
Voices screamed and shouted below. Various colored lights sprang up as people activated abilities or spells, and Stanley stretched his hand down toward the man, power wrapping around his head... just a little twist was all it would take...
Caffeine GROWLED.
It felt like the world stood still behind the rumbling roar of sound that was his growl, and Stanley himself sat stunned as the pug immediately turned away from the people below and started licking his face again.
He'd forgotten that Caffeine wasn't only a little pug anymore. He was powerful. He had fought and killed people that were trying to kill both of them. He was the Beast Lord.
The whimpers and face-licking subsided as Stanley sat still in midair. Then Caffeine looked back at the people below... all of whom were standing stock still and staring up at them... and Caffeine huffed as he lay back down on Stanley's crossed legs.
Stanley took a slow, deep breath as he wiped the slobber from his face in the now silent store. "Why are you attacking me?" he asked in that silence.
Of course, they could be after his core, just like the last group. But that first shout had been odd, as if they were looking for him specifically... But why? He didn't know anyone in this city. Hell, he didn't really know anyone in the world other than his brother.
"You're a murderer!" one shaky voice yelled up.
"She told us what you were doing here!" someone else shouted with a little more courage. "You're a monster!"
She... Stanley had seen only one woman since this nightmare started. The one that got away... "That bitch!?"
"There's a dead guy... over there..." someone else shouted, pointing, and then wilted into silence when they looked up and met Stanley's eyes.
Stanley followed his pointing finger and there was indeed a dead guy. The man who had tried to kill him, tried to kill Caffeine, and then paid with his life. His corpse still lay where it had fallen, and it didn’t look pretty after Stanley’s… assault with the monster’s own knife earlier.
"What did she tell you?" Stanley asked. "The bitch who blamed all of this on me. Did she tell you that her little group of killers begged me to help them and then ambushed me!?" He was yelling again...
"Did she tell you that fucker stabbed me in the back!?" Stanley pointed at the corpse as he screamed.
"He's lying..." one of the more eager idiots said, without nearly enough conviction. A few mutters joined her voice as people started moving. The voice was a woman's...
Stanley wasn't sure he could grab everyone, so he didn't. Instead, he just pushed down the whole area they were in. Everyone collapsed. Boxes, shelves, and all the other crap Stanley had thrown at them, all crushed down under his invisible power.
"They tried to kill me... and I killed them," Stanley said through clenched teeth as he flew closer. "If you want to do the same, then come and die." It was a strain to hold down so many people at once, but Stanley didn't let up yet. He pushed harder until even their cries of pain cut off.
Stanley used the creaking and groaning silence to look more closely at the two women in the group, neither of which was the one from before. So she wasn't quite stupid enough to come back herself. No, instead she'd sent a bunch of morons to die in her place. It was on brand for that sociopath, at least.
As for what to do with said morons... he could kill them all. That was an option, and he considered it. They clearly weren't strong enough to stop him, which was one reason Stanley was really glad he'd gotten to F-grade before they showed up on their little heroic mission.
But he didn't really want to kill anyone else.
Even if they dropped good cores... They might be idiot wannabe heroes taken in by the bitch's lies, but they weren't running a human slaughtering gang like the others. Probably. It was, of course, entirely possible that some of these fucks might have already killed other people, and they might just be using the lie as an excuse to claim his core.
Still, if they would get out of his way, then Stanley would let them live. He had enough blood on his hands... all of it because a few greedy assholes couldn't be bothered to hunt monsters instead of people. All of it justified.
"You get one chance," Stanley finally said through his fresh pounding headache. "If you come near me again, if I see you again, I will kill you." Not that he would remember all their stupid faces...
They stared at him, not moving for a long moment, not because they wanted to, but because he wouldn't let them. He needed to send a message. To make sure they wouldn't insist on dying in the future.
Then he switched his downward push into a sideways force, and swept them all away from him, deeper into the store. That left the entrance clear, and Stanley didn't wait any longer, flying outside at a breakneck speed.
Debuff Resisted: [Miasma]
It was only outside, while rising high into the sky, that Stanley noticed he was still carrying the extra bags of food... and the surprise distracted him from the notification.
He'd forgotten they were there... or thought he had. Yet he hadn't dropped them... It was a curious effect that he wasn't expecting from his power. In fact, it was very similar to the way he held himself aloft without having to think about it most of the time. Definitely something to keep an eye on and hopefully improve, but the implications of it were good for his future.
The fresh air and daylight were a nice change from the gloom of the store, and it almost felt too bright. Almost.
Stanley killed a giant seagull that got too close by crushing it into a ball. It felt good. The power felt very good.
Then he threw the bird ball toward the ocean. He was fairly high up and couldn't tell if there might be people below him for it to fall on.
He wasn't a monster.
It wasn't that he cared that much about random morons. Someone dying out of sight and out of mind was one thing, but killing them directly himself was something else. Besides, most F-grades probably wouldn't die from it falling on them, and if they weren't F-grade yet... Why not? As far as he knew, no one else needed more than a dozen cores to get there. Though his only knowledge on that topic was… limited. A couple people he’d killed, and that last group he hadn’t. They were all F-grade.
With teamwork, it wouldn't be that hard to kill the shit ton of rats or birds that he'd seen so far. That was assuming they didn't have magic or skills to make it trivial.
Or they could just kill each other. That seemed to do wonders for someone's growth...
The Lair he'd left behind was a new factor as well. One that might be a rare occurrence, or the reason it felt so quiet today... It was something to watch out for. Either to avoid, or to use as a hunting ground. He just needed to be a bit more careful about it, especially where other people were involved.
Or screaming plants...