Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five – 175

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy Five – 175

There were plenty of notifications from his recent battles, and when Felix let the floodgates loose they poured in. A veritable storm of System energy flooded his core before being spun back out as golden flame.

Unfettered Volition is level 43!

Voracious Eye is level 43!

Meditation is level 46!

Shadow Whip is level 38!

Stone Shaping is level 40!

Wrack and Ruin is level 39!

Corrosive Strike is level 40!

Unarmed Mastery is level 40!

Dodge is level 44!

Exploration is level 35!

Dual Casting is level 32!

Oathbinding is level 21!

Influence of the Wisp is level 41!

Invocation is level 17!

So many Skills, Felix thought as the thrum of power coursed through his channels. He forgot, sometimes, how wide a net he had cast in that regard. He even had a couple that hit Apprentice Tier, a milestone that felt somewhat lackluster after all the rest. With a flex of his Will (no, my Intent), he truncated the presentation of Apprentice Tier ups. The System seemed amenable enough to changes like that, and the blue boxes merely flickered before reappearing.

Mana Manipulation is level 37!

Apprentice Tier!

You Gain: +5 WIL, INT, INE

Abyssal Skein is level 28!

Apprentice Tier!

You Gain: +10 to PER, EVA, FEL

Make an Entrance is level 37!

Apprentice Tier!

You Gain: +3 INE, MIG, ALA

There. Short and concise.

Without warning, there was a piercing pain in his core, like the tearing of a muscle that got progressively worse.

Intimidation is level 12!

...

Intimidation is level 24!

Agh! Broken Skill! Felix still had a number of those, but this was the only one that wasn't a weapons Skill of some kind. He didn't recall intimidating anyone, but supposed that was more a matter of perspective. It burned in the dark, dripping sparks of light like blood as it cut through the happy haze of leveling so many other Skills. I'll have to sunder this one soon. It's not even that useful...

Luckily, there was more to distract himself.

Ravenous Tithe is level 54!

Congratulations! You Have Reached Journeyman Tier in Ravenous Tithe!

You Gain:

+5% STR

+5% REI

+...

Felix considered his options and gripped an Essence with his Will, yanking it into his core ring of liquid flame. The sense of grim certainty that pulsed from it was a tidy match for his vast, hungry Skill.

Rare Essence Detected During Formation!

[Essence of Dustbringer]

Broken Path and Fatebreaker Titles Found! Journeyman Tier Bonus Added!This chapter's initial release occurred on the n0vell--Bjjn site.

Calculating Effects...

Choose a Feature:

Annul - The Way to Break

Vigor - The Way to Be

Conductor - The Way Between

Felix, gripped by the flow of his choices, let his Mind maneuver through the options. Annul, to break, to cancel, was tempting. His current Mind was the Godeater Mind, and that suggested breaking gods themselves. Seemed fitting if insanely ambitious.

Vigor was sort of the opposite, a word that meant life and vibrancy. Yet Felix had learned a law of magic in his studies, and it was that "like called to like." Would Tempering his Hunger with Vigor mean he'd draw in more benefits from what he devoured?

The last seemed the most arcane, yet it was compelling as all the rest. A conductor could transmit energy from one place to another, like a lightning rod. But it was also the word used for those who directed symphonies and orchestras. In a world where music itself was magic, that was almost too much to pass by. If it meant what he hoped.

Congratulations!

You Have Absorbed The Essence Of Conductor!

A blare of horns sounded around him as another wave of System energy stormed through his core. A halo of thunderfire around Ravenous Tithe, and the Skill became a bonfire within his internal solar system. Just as the ribbon of light connected to his core, quick on its predecessor's heels, his next notification appeared.

The Song of Absolution is level 55!

Congratulations! You Have Reached Journeyman Tier In The Song Of Absolution!

You Gain:

+10% EVA

+10% MIG

+...

Again, a moment of concentration to fix his Affinity upon the Essences arrayed within him. Some vibrated more strongly than others, and without even looking, just by feel, he chose.

Rare Essence Detected During Formation!

[Essence of Sainted Bones]

Broken Path and Fatebreaker Titles Found! Journeyman Tier Bonus Added!

Calculating Effects...

Choose a Feature:

Martyr - Witness of Faith

Manes - Those That Remain

Glory - Acclaim of Faith

The idea of faith baked into his Body sent a ripple of cold distaste through Felix, and he braked hard on the two Features that mentioned it. He clearly stole these from the cathedral and the last thing he wanted was some sort of religious tie to the Pathless who, by all accounts, seemed like a dick. Glory sounded alright otherwise, but Martyr? Felix let out a sharp laugh. No.

He chose Manes.

Congratulations!

You Have Absorbed The Essence Of Manes!

Again, a tremor pulse through his body as the Essence descended into his core ring. Yet another halo of thunderflame surrounded The Song of Absolution, not nearly as bright as the one around Reign of Vellus, but equal to all the rest. The ribbon tether formed quicker than before, almost conjured wholesale in an instant, and a new sensation joined the rest. When Ravenous Tithe had connected to his core ring, it had felt like a jolt of caffeine except a million times more powerful. As his first Body Temper connected, it felt similar but perhaps more akin to adrenaline. Fluids and hormones flooded his system, and his very much physical channels seemed to tremble in anticipation.

A wave of System empowered light blasted forth, inundating his pathways with nurturing radiance. When it had passed, Felix felt like he had been strengthen in some small way, while at the same time his head reeled.

Yet he was not done.

Bastion of Will is level 53!

Congratulations! You Have Reached Journeyman Tier In Bastion Of Will!

You Gain:

+5% RES

+5% FEL

+...

Starting to get a bit dizzy from the constant pulses of growth inducing power, Felix blindly groped for what he felt was his last Tempering Skill. He regretted taking all of this on. Was this how it was supposed to feel? Like ants were crawling through his skin and his muscles felt like they were on fire?

He...he didn't feel well.

Rare Essence Detected During Formation!

[Essence of the Severed World]

Broken Path and Fatebreaker Titles Found! Journeyman Tier Bonus Added!

Calculating Effects...

Choose a Feature:

Sever - Break The Ties That Bind

Empyrean - The Skies That Bind

Moon - Grip The Binds That Tie

Felix's mind felt muddled, buzzing though it was with what felt like limitless energy. It felt like he had all the energy and cognition of a five year old with ADHD and a serious sugar problem. The Features blurred before him, and thinking on them felt...pointless. He was making choices based on scraps of information that were little better than nothing at all! Why was this world so maddeningly dense?

Screw it, he thought, feeling certainty wash over him in equal measure with his vertigo. They won't show me the rules? I'll just tear them apart.

Sever!

Congratulations!

You Have Absorbed The Essence Of Sever!

The moment he absorbed the last Essence, the rest were torn from his grip. No longer held, they were sucked down into his spinning abyss, with only a brief flash of sizzling heat to indicate they had been devoured. Yet the explosion of thunderflame that erupted around his Bastion of Will was wild, a conflagration that traced the razors edge of a consequence Felix could not conceptualized, only feel. Ribbons of light flailed outward, one connecting to his core ring, but others reaching out to The Song of Absolution and Untempered Skills like his Manasight and Deep Mind. The latter were gossamer, nearly transparent connections, but firm just the same.

Vertigo hit him hard as colorless System energy poured in from the darkness around his core, and the space was transmuted to a flood plain of gold and azure light. As the light washed over his Tempered Skills, he felt a powerful kick back that yanked him out of his core space and into the physical world once more. His head was already spinning, but this sent him reeling. Felix hurled up a thin stream of bile as more notifications flashed at him.

Hidden Quest Completed!

Defeat the Corrupted Domain!

You have faced and defeated the forces that have sent the Haarwatch Domain into a death spiral.

Due to defeating a Larval Ravager, your rewards are increased!

Due to defeating the Envoy, your rewards are increased!

Due to defeating a Ravager Queen, your rewards are increased!

Due to defeating a Ravager King, your rewards are greatly increased!

You Gain:

+3 Levels

+New Title

+Silver Chest

You Have Gained 3 Levels!

You Are Now Level 45!

+6 to PER! +6 to VIT! +6 to END! +9 to INT! +12 to WIL! +12 to AGL! +15 to DEX!

You Have 82 Unused Stat Points!

New Title!

Primordial Slayer (Transcendent)

+50% All Stats - You have killed a Primordial, an ancient enemy of the gods themselves! You--

ERROR!

Primordial Still Detected!

ERROR!

Primordial Is Dead!

ERROR///!

-#(#-$(%!!!

ERROR!

Flashing white text and a flickering blue background consumed him.

"Wake up, Felix."

"Gugh?"

"Wake up and have your breakfast, Bumble."

Bulwark of the Innocent (+10% STR, VIT)

Pactmaker (+4 AGL, PER, +3 DEX)

Work Horse (+4 END, STR, +3 VIT)

Blind Pugilist (+4 PER, +3 DEX, AGL)

Exemplary Student (+5 PER, INT, +3 DEX)

Hero (+5% all stats)

Iron Will (+6 WIL, REI, +10 ALA)

Apprentice Magus (+10 Mental Stats, +10 RES, ALA)

The Broken Path (+10% Journeyman Tier Bonus)

Cage the Beast (+10% ALA, REI, INE)

Voidwalker (+10% Void Skills, +10% WIL, ALA in Void)

Indomitable (+6 INE, AFI, REI)

Unleash The Beast (+10% REI, +20 VIT)

The Shape of Fate II (+20% INE, WIL, INT)

Blessing of the Lost (Unknown)

Fatebreaker (L) (+10% All Stats, +10% Journeyman Tier Bonus)

Frostbane (R) (+10% Damage Against Giantfolk, 10% Less Damage Taken From Giantfolk)

Architect of the Rise (L) (25% bonus to learning sigaldry and making arrays)

Cardinal (Minor) (E), Scaling (+5% All Stats)

Unused Stat Points:

82

Harmonic Stats

RES:

178

INE:

420

AFI:

128

REI:

145

EVA:

65

MIG:

75

ALA:

251

FEL:

55

Name:

Pit (Companion)

Level:

42

Race:

Chimera - Tenku (+2 to PER, +2 to VIT, +2 to END, +3 to INT, +4 to WIL, +4 to AGL, +5 to DEX per Level)

Health:

1061/1061

Stamina:

786/786

Mana:

1691/1691

STR:

115

PER:

157

VIT:

230

END:

157

INT:

236

WIL:

348

AGL:

275

DEX:

266

Skills:

Bite (C), Level 43

Rake (C), Level 41

Cry (R), Level 44

Skulk (C), Level 39

Etheric Concordance (L), Level 62

Wingblade (U), Level 48

Frost Spear (C), Level 51

Cold Resistance (C), Level 23

Poisonfire (R), Level 25

Flight (R), Level 23

Active Titles:

Survivor III

Butcher III

Unconquered

Face the Charge

Bulwark of the Innocent

Pactmaker

Work Horse

Blind Pugilist

Hero

Iron Will

Apprentice Magus

The Broken Path

Cage The Beast

Voidwalker

Indomitable

Unleash The Beast

The Shape of Fate II

Blessing of the Lost

Fatebreaker

Frostbane

Architect of the Rise

Cardinal (Minor)

Pit's Harmonic Stats

RES:

34

INE:

81

AFI:

39

REI:

43

EVA:

67

MIG:

32

ALA:

58

FEL:

43

Aside from the fact that his Mana had been halved due to his changed core, Felix felt good. Both his and Pits Primary and Harmonic Stats were looking good. Exceptional, if he were being honest. Whether it was because he was Unbound or because the Maw fiddled with his fate the moment he arrived on the Continent, Felix had found opportunity after every struggle to grow stronger. He tried not to waste them. The Primary Stats were fairly straight forward, while the Harmonic Stats were more arcane, having to do with the Grand Harmony and some sort of unifying energy that bound the world together. The universe? Felix paused a moment, thinking on the vision that Vellus had pulled him into. His mother's house. Was the Grand Harmony part of Earth too? If it was, did that mean he could go back?

Did he even want to?

*SLAM SLAM SLAM*

The wards suddenly dropped and someone started pounding on the door. "Quit messin' around in there! If your done yellin', let's go! Daylight's burnin'!"

Cal's voice was sharp, but even through the walls, but Felix could hear the concerned lilt of her inner rhythm. Shaking his head ruefully, he stood and stretched. A few moments later and he flung open the door, surprising both Cal, Evie, and Portia who had crowded nearby. Felix blinked at them.

"I'm done," he said as he handed the assorted jars to Cal and Portia. The two of them juggled the eight Essence Draughts with little difficulty, but their looks were confused. "Didn't need them."

He walked out, rotating his left arm. It felt a little tight, and he could use a---he grinned as he spotted the obstacle course Rory had built a week ago. "Don't bother Pit. He's tired," he called back to them.

He was almost to the course when someone, Portia, he thought, screamed.

"Siva's grace! He's huge!"

Felix grimaced. He probably should have warned them about that.