Chapter 121: Long Awaited Destiny pt. 4

Enraptured by the sight of a potential future, Kaius focused intensely on the words that appeared before him as he focused on the carving embedded into the trunk of the last ash.

Runeblade Initiate:

Class – Tier I

Heroic

Relevant Feats:

Has slain at least 4000 foes of at least level 15 while unclassed. Has slain at least three Champions in single combat while unclassed. Has slain at least nine Champions while cooperating with a greater beast while unclassed. Has slain at least 300 foes with glyph-binding while Unclassed. Has slain a Guardian while unclassed. Has pioneered glyph-binding. Has a complete set of Legacy skills. Has capped all base stats at 20. Has broken the unclassed cap on at least one base stat. Has obtained at least 4 Honours. Has obtained at least 1 Major Honour as an Unclassed. Has a weapon mastery skill of at least Unique Rarity. Has an evasion skill of at least Unique rarity. Has a rune mastery skill of at least Unusual rarity. Has formed a bond of equals with a greater beast of at least Heroic rarity. Has at least one other Heroic skill. Has bound a sword type Growth weapon. Has actively pursued both martial and runic supremacy. Has experienced Aura.

The Runeblades are the militant branch of the Vesryn Order. One and all, they are knights errant, on an eternal quest to strive towards martial and arcane perfection. It is a harsh existence, unforgiving; to become an Initiate is to sacrifice all to the life of the glyph and blade. Astride their life-bonded companions and with their soul-bound blades in hand, they seek the gaze of death, for it is only by staring back unflinching that a Runeblade’s true might can be forged.

Even an initiate of the Vesryn Order’s Runeblades is a lethal opponent. Their bound blades and companions give them an edge, but it is their utter focus on martial and arcane perfection that makes them indomitable for their tier. Multiple glyphs adorn their bodies, each tuned to maximise a specific aspect of combat-casting. Sword-arts and other esoteric abilities leave little weaknesses to exploit, and their broad span of combat hymns allow them to prepare for any eventuality. When they arrive ready for war, their rune-drenched skin is seen as a promise of violence that brings succour to their allies and terror to their enemies.

All Arcane and Martial affinity skills are improved by 30%

All Spellsword, Evasive, and Glyph-Binding type skills are improved by 60%

Stats:

+3 Intelligence, +2 Endurance, +2 Strength, + 2 Dexterity, +1 Vitality, +1 Willpower per level

Skill Resonance:

Warforged – Strong

Adamant Body – Strong

Runic Lexicon – Strong

Mana Manipulation – Strong

Uncanny Dodge – Moderate

Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus – Weak

Kaius drank in the status of his future class.

This was it, he could feel it in his bones. It was perfect.

Years of blood, sweat, and tears. A lifetime of sacrifice, on his part and Father’s. A year in the depths, throwing himself at battle after battle, fighting off the looming ghost of his own demise with fraught fury. The broken bones and ruptured organs. The loss. Everything. This made it all worth it.

He knew now that when he reunited with Father – in this life or gods forbid, the next – he could meet him with shining eyes and pride in his heart. That he could tell him, honestly and truly, that he had achieved everything they had set out for, and so much more.

The class was everything. The pursuit of perfection, the focus on spell and sword, enshrining his values and his bonds. He could not have dreamt of a better class for him.

Kaius grinned, wide and true. “Bear witness Father, a new dawn rises on Unterstern today,” he thought, sending his words into the aether.

“This is the one,” he said as he turned to his class guide, the words reverberating through the mystic air that clouded the shaded reaches of the final ash tree.

“Like I said, I thought you might like it.” Kaius the Elder replied, giving him an easy grin. “Are you sure you do not want to discuss it? Your choice will be final, and more than any other, the first class you choose will impact the direction of your life forever more.”

Kaius’s green and gold eyes sharped, and he straightened his spine. “There is no need. It has everything I wanted. A focus on the blade and the glyph, and it enshrines my bond,” he paused as he realised that he did have one thing on his mind. “I did have one question though. Why is the resonance with Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus weak? With everything the class stated, I would have thought that it would have been strong.”

His class guide nodded, clearly pleased that even if his mind was made up, he was not rushing through things.

“That is an easy question to answer. It does align with the class, almost perfectly. There is very little room for it to be brought closer into alignment. That, and as a Heroic skill, it is almost impossible for it to improve in rarity while you are in the first and second tiers.” Kaius the Elder explained.

He nodded, accepting the answer. “What now then? I have made my selection, what should I expect.”

“I’m glad you asked. You will go through the class up process, which from what I am aware is rather…riveting. Once the system has melded the framework with your soul, any of your general skills which successfully resonate will evolve. After that? It will be time for me to help you select your first Class skill, and it will be time for you to return to the world of the living.” The construct shot him an easy grin. “Then I’ll just be waiting until the next time you class up for us to meet again.”

Kaius frowned, pondering his aged clone’s words. “What do you mean waiting? Where do you go during all that time? Are you just stuck here in this forest?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

His class guide chuckled. “No. I don’t exist, not like that at least. It is more like I am a tiny little extrusion of the system’s attention, giving weight, context, and familiarity. You do not have to worry about me getting bored, though it is nice of you to consider it.”

His eyes widened. He’d assumed his class guide would be some lesser spirit, or some other intelligence employed by the system, not a divine fragment of its own power. That was.. Unnerving.

Kaius the Elder’s eyes twinkled. “And that is why that information is not often volunteered, too unsettling for most folks. Not you though; you just take everything in stride. Don’t you, Kaius?”

Kaius gulped.

“Before you ask, no, I cannot tell you about the integration or anything else that isn’t directly relevant to picking your class.” The system said, preempting his next question. “Now, are you ready to pick?”

Taking a slow breath to steady his nerves – two brushes with the divine in a single day was a bit much, even for him – Kaius nodded resolutely.

The deific entity wrapped in a suit made of his own reflection returned a deeply satisfied smile. “Good.”