Chapter 199. Evolution Options.
I returned to my personal space, more excited than I’d been in a while. A class evolution sounded great, but I had no idea what it actually meant. On top of that, there was the trip to Somhagen which was always an interesting and rewarding time.
Sadly, there wasn’t going to be much in the way of physical rewards from the dungeon visit, I’d only gathered a limited number of coins during the trip and the system was only going to reward me with the experience and summoning points. I had picked up that strange goblet, but before I could head to the loot chest to examine it, the system began to bombard me with notices.
Congratulations, you have achieved your first class evolution. Three options have been selected for you, choose one of the following, or you may opt for your class to remain as it currently is. Please note that the evolved classes tend to be much more powerful than a standard class. Please note that class evolutions can dramatically change the way your class, and your interaction with the system, functions.
1. Foe Splicer. Use the best traits of those you have defeated to transform yourself into a powerful being. Combine traits, spells, and stats to form unique builds tailored specifically for any situation you might find yourself in.
The Foe Splicer class eschews the ability to summon versions of your fallen foes and instead, seeks to enhance the summoned being directly. A pool of positive traits and abilities gleaned from encounters with your enemies will become available for you to choose from on each summoning. Different loadouts can be pre-selected, as well as a version for when you return to your home. Please note that the effects of a mana deprived world may affect the power and efficacy of some of your loadout options.
Your choice of abilities, magic spells, and even your physical stats will vary and may change as you encounter new enemies. One choice is given at Tier 0, Rank 0, and another may be selected for every five ranks you’ve acquired. At Teir 2, Rank 0, you will have 5 choices for each summoning.
The choices made at each rank will be selected from a small pool of options that mirror the power of that particular Tier and Rank. For example, you may be offered a simple weapon proficiency or a minor stat increase for your Tier 0, Rank 0 choice, but at Tier 2, Rank 0, your options would reflect powers from foes of that tier, granting you more substantial stat increases, or allowing you access to powerful magic and abilities.
An additional benefit of this class is that you can alter many of the magic items you possess to fit your different loadouts. These changes are modest but can make a difference in the choices you select for a particular loadout. For example, you cannot change a wand of magic missiles into a greatsword, but you could alter the wand to cast a different spell which would better enhance the specific loadout.
Similar things can be done for magical weapons and armor. A magic longsword could be shifted into a warhammer, dagger, or spear, while chainmail armor may be shifted into plate, leather, or a protective mage’s robe depending on your desires. These changes can only be made with simple magic items, more powerful items cannot be shifted from their original purpose.
An additional feature of this class is that at each Tier, you may opt to select a negative trait from one of your foes, and in return, select an additional positive trait. Use caution when selecting a negative trait, and carefully weigh if what you are gaining outweighs the negative trait you will be saddled with for the remainder of your summoning.
Choices can only be altered inside your armory, and you will be granted 5 different loadout options at your current Tier and Rank, with the option to add another loadout choice for every five additional Ranks you acquire. A separate loadout for your return home is allowed in addition to the others.
This class evolution will enact permanent and extensive changes to your existing stats, spells, abilities, and how the system interacts with you.
Wow, the Foe Splicer seemed intense, and the system granted me some time to review it before it revealed the next option. I could see myself mixing up some abilities and becoming powerful. What if I had the stealth ability of the verminkin, combined with the toxic clouds of the guy I’d fought at the restaurant? Who didn’t want to buff the stats of their choice. I could boost intelligence if I was going into a negotiation, or constitution and strength for a brawl.
While the system did give a better rundown of the class than it usually did, it still didn’t give me all the details. If I knew exactly what abilities and spells that I could choose from, it might help sway me toward this class. As it stood, I wasn’t sure if the boost to personal power was the right fit for the way I liked to fight.
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I’d had reasonably good luck working with my minions to deal with the foe, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to give that up. Going toe to toe with everything I encountered could lead to a painful existence as a summoned being. Still, being more physically powerful and durable, could save my life on Earth. Who knew what new and powerful foes I’d encounter as I climbed in tier, and how the abilities I took from them might mix with the others I had to create something unstoppable.
The Foe Splicer was a mixed bag, but I had other options to consider before deciding.
2. Foe Mirror. No matter what an enemy throws at you, you’ll throw it right back at them. Never again worry about not having a counter to a particular foe.
The Foe Mirror grants you the ability to mimic and counter whatever your current foe is doing. For example, if a foe is using fire magic, you will be granted a boost to your fire resistance, as well as access to the same school of magic. A swordsman will grant you sword skills that improve every few seconds. When facing a summoner, you will begin to summon your own version of their minions. Finding yourself in a tough negotiation may grant you insight into your opponents’ motivations and desires.
At higher Tiers, you may even be granted a direct counter to the threat you are facing. Your version of your foe’s power will start off weak, and slowly build over the duration of the encounter. To allow you the time to safely grow in power, the Foe Mirror boosts all your baseline resistances, as well as allows you to create barriers of different types. These barriers will gain power and new ones will unlock as you increase in Tier and Rank.
Basic weapons and armor skills for the most common items are included with this class evolution. Some simple spells and abilities can be learned, but more advanced versions are restricted. Your true power is in what you acquire from your opponent, not what you initially bring to the summoning.
Please note that the Foe Mirror has the power to overcome just about any situation, but the main factor you must take into account is that your power will build slowly. Surviving the early stages of an encounter is crucial, and at least some tools to help you do so are key features of this class evolution.
This class evolution will enact permanent and extensive changes to your existing stats, spells, abilities, and how the system interacts with you.
The Foe Mirror was an odd take on a class evolution. From the system description, there was little out there that I wouldn’t be able to eventually overcome. I also loved never having to worry about having the right loadout, my class would give me the tools I needed, no matter the type of encounter. It seemed that, given enough time, I could solo a dragon. The downside, and it was a big downside, is that my power would take time to ramp up. If the barriers I was granted didn’t hold up to the early stages of an encounter, I was toast.
That also brought the question of how this would function on Earth. If someone shot at me, would it grant me the ability to use firearms and grant me bulletproof skin? Would my barriers even work there with Earth sucking all the mana from them? During a summoning, the Foe Mirror could be unstoppable much of the time, but back home, I was worried. There was one final option for me to peruse.
3. Foe Commander. Select a permanent team of minions and grow them in power as you gain experience. Even the most basic Tier 0, Rank 0 minion can become something more with this class. As the Commander, you are heavily protected from harm until your minions have been defeated.
The Foe Commander is geared toward growing and empowering their team. Starting at Tier 0, Rank 0, you will select one minion of this Tier and Rank from a limited pool of your previous opponents. Once selected, this decision will be permanent, and that minion is the only one you may summon from that Tier and Rank. Every 5 Ranks, you are granted an additional minion to summon.
While these minions are in your service, they will gain experience and level up to new Tiers and Ranks. The cap for each minion is an additional 5 Ranks from where they started. Once they reach that cap, new evolutions, and the chance to enhance them to Veteran status and beyond will be unlocked.
Each minion will have a separate spot inside your armory. From the armory, you can inspect their weapons, gear, skills, and magical abilities. These can also be improved with upgrade tokens that you may purchase with your Summoning Points when in Somhagen. These upgrade tokens can also be occasionally found as rewards during your summoning sessions.
This class evolution will enact permanent and extensive changes to your existing stats, spells, abilities, and how the system interacts with you.
This was more in line with what I was already doing. I would be locked into a single minion for every five ranks, but that would end up with me having more minions that I could currently summon given my current mana reserve requirements. I liked the idea of making my minions more powerful. I hated that poor Rupert wasn’t always effective since he was such a low tier and rank.
With the way the system described the class, I could tailor a balanced party depending on who, or what, I selected for my team. With the ability to upgrade their gear and abilities, I could also create new synergies between them. The icing on the cake was the little snippet that the system threw in about me being heavily protected from harm until the minions were defeated.
It was the opposite of the Foe Mirror, where I would gain power, but start out weak. With the Foe Commander, I would start strong until my minions were killed. Foe Mirror might be more powerful over time, but I enjoyed having minions and not using my face as the punching bag for every encounter. There was also the Foe Splicer that gave me the option to craft myself into something incredibly formidable.
I had a difficult choice to make, and I hoped the system would give me enough time to mull it over.