Chapter 122: Long Awaited Destiny pt. 5

Kaius rose from his soul-space with a gasp, his eyes snapping open to take in the dense ash canopy above. Warm sunlight filtered through the green leaves, comforting him with memories of home. He was still in his class selection.

He’d been told to expect that, but after all he experienced, it was hard to avoid feeling surprised.

His class construct, the system sheathed in an aged and scarred clone of himself, leaned over him with warm eyes and a soft smile.

Despite the notifications for his new skills tugging at his mind, Kaius gave the system his full attention. One did not ignore the highest of divines.

“Pretty intense isn’t it? I know I said we had more to do, and we do, but I’m not going to be so cruel as to stop you from checking out what you have gained. You almost look constipated.” The ancient intelligence teased.

Kaius blanched, struggling to marry the coarse humour with a lifetime of veneration.

His class construct just gave him a cheeky grin. “Based off you, remember? Don’t go getting all up-tight about your own humour now. Seriously though, check your skills, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

Kaius paused, and then gave the construct a nod, indulging in his rampant curiosity over his gains without even bothering to sit up.

Liturgical Bladeform – Primus Ordo:

General Skill – Tier I

Affinity: Arcane, Martial

Type: Spellblade, Longsword, Glyph-binding, Mastery

Level 20

Heroic

The first order of Vesryn. Speak the language of war, and write your verse with steel and spell. Here, mastery transcends skill; it becomes Ritual.

Skill that enhances technical mastery with the Vesryn orders Liturgical Bladeform style, a cohesive use of longswords and glyph-binding. Improves the lethality of longswords, and the armour piercing capabilities of longswords and hymns

Each level significantly increases longsword and glyph-binding proficiency.

Each level moderately increases speed, control, and power of strikes – both mundane and magical.

Each level minutely increases the ability to penetrate mundane and magical defences.

Evolved from: Warforged

Kaius grinned as he drank in the description of the evolved form of Warforged. Not for the first time, he thanked his blessings that he had been born into the legacy he had. Warforged was an … unoptimised skill, but it had served its purpose perfectly. With its power spread so thin between mastery of so many styles, Warforged failed to really shine in any given one.

Yet, it was only a base skill. It meant that none of his ancestors were locked into a specific style or weapon at birth, able to choose what fit them best. Father had said that most in the history of their Dynasty managed to evolve it by the first or second class selection. When they did, they almost invariably were granted something that let them excel.

The truth of those words stared him straight in the face now.

He had lost his ability to make use of any weapon, but he had gained much, much more. Already he could feel its effects rushing through him. When he tried to remember the feel of a perfectly aimed bowshot, or a graceful parry with a knife, it slipped away like a dream.

It wasn’t that bad, he had still used and practised with dozens of weapons since he was a boy. All he had lost was the nudging and insight granted by the system, the ones that stretched his capabilities to superhuman heights.

In their place, he could feel a burgeoning style taking place, one that wove a dance of arcane steel. He couldn’t feel it completely, that would take practice and time to familiarise himself with his newly found instincts and implicit knowledge.

That wasn’t all. Even if all he had gained was a sword and hymn focused style with better scaling, he would have been happy. But for the skill to increase his ability to overwhelm armour and protection? That was invaluable, especially as he knew that he and Porkchop would need to punch upwards if they were to meet the significant demands of Ekum the Pale.

Invigorated by Liturgical Bladeform, Kaius moved on to the next skill.

Tempered by Dissonance:

General Skill – Tier I

Affinity: Martial, Destruction

Type: Body Reinforcement, Armament Reinforcement, Evasion

Level 20

Heroic

Harmony brings fullness, dissonance threatens dissolution. Unwoven like fabric, you are reduced to base threads and tempered in chaos, pain, and undiluted malice. Recomposed, you persevere, undaunted by the many terrors of the world. Garbed in new cloth, you advance unbroken. Wise to the ways of destruction, you evade what you can, and endure what you cannot.

Skill that increases the effectiveness of all forms of tactical movement, bodily resistance to injury, the integrity of defensive armaments and self-cast runic hymns. General encumbrance of Medium and Light Armour is reduced.

Each level reasonably increases speed, power, and control of tactical movements.

Each level moderately increases integrity of worn defensive armaments, and effectiveness of self-cast defensive runic hymns.

Each level moderately increases manoeuvrability of worn Light and Medium defensive armaments, and moderately decreases their weight.

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Each level moderately increases the effects of Endurance on bodily integrity.

Evolved from: Adamant Body

Reading the words, he knew then that without a doubt he had picked the right class. One perfectly suited to him.

General skills evolved to align with your current class, but so far everything almost seemed to be perfectly tailored to him. If it wasn’t for his surety in the systems might, and the sanctity of undergoing class selection without influence, he would suspect that Ekum had nudged things in his favour once more.

Tempered by Dissonance had lost almost nothing of note. While he would no longer receive the skills benefits when wearing heavy armour, he had no intention of ever using it. He preferred a lighter, more agile approach to combat. Even if he did have a tendency to get hit in the chest, he would be far worse off in restrictive full-plate.

In its stead, his restrictions on physical defences and reactive movements had disappeared.

It was a fine skill. He pulled up the next one, eager to see what had become of Runic Lexicon.

Tonal Weaving: