That was different.
Justin stood, looking around. He definitely should be leveling up, but the lack of the Voice told him that there was some unseen threat nearby.
“Come on, Atlas,” Justin whispered, gripping his cane tighter. “Time to move on.”
He headed for the gate and was about to reach it when the orange lightning struck again, mere feet away. It collected before him, forming an orangish humanoid figure radiating fiery electricity. Justin’s eyes widened as his monocle logged the threat.
Astral Thunderborn
Level: 55
Rank: Champion
Affinity: Lightning (Fire/Air)
The elemental raised its crackling arms, tendrils of lightning extending toward Justin like hungry serpents. The air around it distorted with heat, and the very ground beneath its feet blackened and smoldered.
There was no time to think. Justin activated Upper Hand, instantly blowing all the Advantage charges to reset his cooldowns, so Sapphire Aegis would become available. He activated Sapphire Aegis just in time for chain orange lightning to explode from the elemental that would have certainly one-shotted him.
At the same time, he withdrew Atlas to his ring. There was no need to risk his companion.
Justin wasn’t going to hang around against a Level 55. Even with everything he had lined up for his Sapphire Gambit, it wasn’t going to cut it.
The priority was getting through the gate and praying to every god that he would make it through.
He pushed forward, his Sapphire Aegis flaring hotter and brighter than ever before, absorbing more damage than it had so far.
Justin activated Poison Barb, not expecting much, but he had to do something. “Back to the storm you came from, or I’ll scatter your essence across the Six Worlds!”
His voice was filled with far more bravado than he felt. And indeed, the Thunderborn didn’t seem to be impressed. Its form pulsed with anger, its featureless face contorting into what might have been a grimace. It unleashed a deafening roar that sounded like a thousand thunderclaps at once, intensifying its assault.
The elemental’s lightning simply wasn’t ending. It was some sort of spell that set the very floor alight with crackling energy, and worse, it wasn’t going away. Each step Justin took was instantly sucked into his shield.
Justin swiped at the elemental, his cane connecting but doing hardly any damage. His amplified attack wouldn’t even be available until the shield had dropped entirely, and he’d die before he got a shot off unless he used Gentleman’s Sidestep and attacked at the same time. But even then, the aftermath would be enough to kill him.
Three seconds left on the aegis.
The elemental, at least, was incorporeal, standing directly in front of the gate. Justin simply pushed through with everything he had, an action that, without the aegis, would have instantly reduced him to ash.
He entered the other side to find the volcano, just in time for the shield to sputter out.
[Entering the Aetherion, Solanis.]
He looked back at the portal, gasping for breath. He wasn’t being followed. Whatever that thing was, it seemed to be bound to the Nether Realm.
“Too close,” Justin said, wiping sweat from his brow.
That was when the heat hit him. He switched to Vorthak’s Flame, finding instant relief from the blistering temperature. He resummoned Atlas, and instantly, the construct deployed its environmental shield. There didn’t seem to be any nearby threats. It beeped in dismay.
“It’s all right,” he said. “That… thing… can’t find us here.”
But the sight before Justin made him pause. Just a few steps away from the gate lay a line of class cores, six arranged in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
“Son of a bitch, she came through,” Justin whispered, a mix of surprise and wariness in his voice.
He gathered up each core in turn. First was the red one, his monocle logging it as the Athlete class. The orange one was something called a Warden. The yellow one was a Merchant. The green one was the Archer class. The blue one was a Wizard. And the purple one was a Mystic.
Justin whistled, placing them in his pack. Truth be told, he’d been so exhausted yesterday that he’d forgotten about Ashralok’s promise. Maybe this was a peace offering of sorts, or perhaps a test. With Ashralok, it was difficult to tell where manipulation ended and genuine assistance began. Whatever the case, it was a hell of an advantage. Combined with cores he had collected over his travels, he’d have ten potential combinations.
He was just deciding what to do when, at last, the Voice entered his mind.
[You have reached Level 20. You now stand at the top of the mountain, one of many. Through trial, tribulation, grit, and yes, a bit of luck… you are here where most others have failed. You have proven there is nothing you can’t accomplish. The question is, how far do you keep reaching? Rest well, Brave Adventurer. Your path is uniquely yours.]
The Voice’s words echoed in Justin’s mind. He had come so far from that confused newcomer who stumbled upon a prismatic core after being thrown through the gate. Yet Ashralok’s warnings about power and its corrupting influence gave these congratulations a bittersweet edge.
How far would he go? How far should he go? Until he became a god of this reality, or did he settle at some point? Questions to ponder later, he supposed.
[You have two attribute points to distribute.]
Justin locked both into Charisma and confirmed without hesitation.
[Your Charisma is now 54.]
[Your Amulet of Equilibrium has ascended! It now provides 9 points to all non-dominant attributes.]
Justin nodded. Time to see his Focus Boon upgrade.
[As a Level 20 Gentleman, your Focus Boon, Essence of a Gentleman, has upgraded to its mastered form, Epitome of a Gentleman. Anytime this boon grants a dodge, you gain a 20% chance to recycle an Advantage charge when used.]
Justin blinked at that. This seemed very strong. He already had three charges of Advantage from his Upper Hand skill, so using all three had a 60% chance of recycling at least one charge.
[As a Level 20 Gentleman, you have at last unlocked your Aspect: Advantage.]
Justin’s eyes widened at this. He didn’t know he’d be unlocking his Aspect at Level 20; he thought that only came when he unlocked his Advanced Class. Perhaps he had simply misunderstood.
[You may now earn Advantage by succeeding in calculated risks with a touch of panache. Upon entering combat or a social contest, gain one free charge of Advantage. Each charge you hold grants +1 to all attributes. Spending Advantage confers a free use of any of your learned skills, plus several others unique to this mechanic. Advantage charges expire after sixty seconds but refresh when new Advantage is earned.]
Here are the current costs of each skill:
Common Skills: 1 Advantage.
Rare Skills: 2 Advantages.
Mythic Skills: 3 Advantage.
Unique Advantage skills conferred by Upper Hand:
Genteel Footwork: Increase combat speed by 15%. Does not stack. (1 Advantage)
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Gentleman’s Rebuff: Guarantee a block or dodge. (1 Advantage)
Gentleman’s Strike: Gain 50% extra damage on your next attack. (1 Advantage)
Gentleman’s Resolve: Refresh all cooldowns except Upper Hand. (3 Advantage).
As Justin reviewed everything, committing it to memory, he realized he had just gotten a lot more flexible. It seemed as if the Upper Hand, unlocked at Level 19, had given him a limited version of the Advantage mechanic, while reaching Level 20 was going to unlock its full potential, including the ability to use any skill he had so far unlocked as long as he could pay the requisite cost.
And that wasn’t to mention the possibility of earning more Advantage charges if he conducted himself with panache. A somewhat vague term, but he supposed this would be System-determined.
So, anytime he started combat, he would get one Advantage for free, and he could earn more by doing “cool things” in combat. Style points, really, except it actually gave him Advantage.
And it only revealed just how powerful Upper Hand was as a skill. He’d be going into combat with potentially four charges of Advantage, something that was probably quite difficult to earn.
“Well, it’s everything I could have hoped for,” he murmured.
And that wasn’t to mention the upgrade to Essence of a Gentleman, now Epitome of a Gentleman. With four charges of Advantage, there was an 80% chance that at least one of them would refresh. Not bad odds. It would also mean he now had the option to refresh all his cooldowns via Gentleman’s Resolve, and still have one Advantage charge left. This could give him a critical dodge, or better yet, beef up his Sapphire Aegis if Proper Sendoff somehow didn’t finish the job the first time.
The long and short of it was… he had a lot more options now.
[The path ahead diverges, Gentleman. Your prowess has brought you to this crossroads, and now you must choose how to refine your talents. An Advanced Class awaits. Listen closely to what resonates with your core. Remember that style without substance is merely pretense. True power lies in knowing not just how to wield your skills, but when and why. Choose wisely, for the next chapter of your tale begins... now.]
As the Voice departed, Justin’s body was surrounded by a yellowish aura, followed by an explosion like a thunderclap. The effect resembled a celebratory firework, illuminating the volcanic chamber with golden light for half a second.
But for now, only Atlas was there to witness his triumph.
“Time to see what these cores are all about,” Justin said.
Checking his surroundings to make sure he was still safe, he reached into his pack and laid his cores out. He wished there were a better spot to do this, but for now, things seemed to be calm, and with potential danger ahead, he wanted to have the benefit of his new Advanced Class.
First was his Scholar core from the desert, then his Priest core. Next came his Barbarian core won from the duel, and then his Pilgrim core from Charr. Finally, all the cores Ashralok had given him: Athlete, Archer, Warden, Wizard, Mystic, and Merchant.
“Well, at least I won’t be starved of choices. Time to go through them one by one, I suppose.”
He reached for the first red core, the Barbarian. Justin couldn’t think of a more opposite pairing to his Gentleman class, but who knew what surprises lay in store?
To his surprise, the core resonated at his touch, pulsing with a reddish light.
[You have found a Barbarian Core! Combine it with your Socialite Prismatic Core to gain the following advanced class: Wild Lord.]
[Note: Your existing skills and boons from the Socialite class will remain with any advanced class you adopt. However, some may become more powerful or adapt to your new class.]
Justin nodded with satisfaction. That was everything he had been told so far, meaning he wouldn’t have to learn a whole new rotation from scratch.
He perused the description with interest.
Wild Lord: This advanced class embodies a surprising fusion of an aristocratic bearing with primal fury. The Wild Lord unleashes not just mindless savagery, but a precise and terrifying application of primal force. The Wild Lord is the kind of individual who might coolly adjust their tie after cleaving an enemy in two.
Weapons: Canes, Two-Handed Melee.
Chaotic Stance (Class Skill): Assume a posture of coiled, predatory readiness. For 60 seconds, your Power attribute is increased by an amount equal to half your base Charisma. Additionally, your Intimidation attempts are 50% more likely to succeed. Cooldown: 6 hours.
Affinity: Your base Affinity becomes Chaos when adopting this advanced class and cannot be changed.
Aspect: Your primary Aspect becomes Rage. Rage will work in lieu of Advantage for all skills previously adopted.
Justin’s mind already danced with possibilities. It came with pros and cons, but the pros were absolutely huge.
With his base Charisma, the class skill Chaotic Stance was incredibly powerful. It would significantly amplify the damage from his Sapphire Gambit, and just more generally speaking. Half of his Charisma would give him +27 to Power for a whole sixty seconds, allowing him to become a one-man army. It was somewhat tempered by the long cooldown, but even then, he now had tools to manage long cooldowns.
That alone made it tempting. But there were also elements he didn’t particularly like. Forcing a Chaos Affinity, for example, wasn’t appealing. And Intimidation wasn’t his style. It would be one thing if this were his only choice, but he had nine potential options to consider.
Next, he reached out for the Pilgrim Core, which glowed with a soft orange light.
[You have found a Pilgrim Core! Combine it with your Socialite Prismatic Core to gain the following advanced class: Noble Wayfarer.]
Noble Wayfarer: This advanced class embodies worldly sophistication and the unwavering fortitude of a seasoned traveler. The Noble Wayfarer navigates with a grace that sees them through the direst of straits. They are as comfortable in the courts of kings as they are traversing desolate lands. It is a flexible class, designed to endure when all else fails.
Weapons: Rapiers, Staves, Short Swords, Short Spears, Maces, Canes.
Noble Stand (Class Skill): For 60 seconds, you cannot be staggered and gain 50% resistance to physical elements. Every attack successfully dodged, redirected, or countered boosts your Charisma by +1, up to your level, until the end of combat. Cooldown: 4 hours.
Affinity: Unchanged.
Aspect: Advantage.
Justin considered Noble Wayfarer carefully. It seemed like a strong contender. He already had a high dodge chance, and that would synergize well with the class skill, Noble Stand. Boosting his Charisma by up to his level was nothing to sneeze at, especially since it didn’t end until combat ended.
Plus, adding an Endurance-based core would synergize well with his current tank approach. As long as he gained more Endurance-based skills and boons, he wouldn’t just dodge. He could become a tank in every sense of the word.
It was more understated compared to the Wild Lord, but it was more in line with Justin’s way of conducting himself.
He filed it away as a strong contender before reaching for the Scholar Core, which emitted a cool blue light.
[You have found a Scholar Core! Combine it with your Socialite Prismatic Core to gain the following advanced class: Erudite.]
Erudite: A Gentleman and a Scholar! The Erudite combines scholarly intellect with a gentleman’s charm. They move through society and unravel complex problems, or subtly guide events through well-informed, eloquent arguments. And they know how to hold their own in combat, too, with a keen eye for weakness and a knowledge acquisition that allows them to hit where it hurts the most.
Weapons: Rapiers, Daggers, Canes.
Erudite’s Eureka (Class Skill): For one minute, gain a spontaneous flash of insight that allows you to miss no detail, whether unraveling a complex problem or deciphering an enemy’s or rival’s weaknesses. Its power is based on your Intellect attribute. This skill also reveals levels of all characters, creatures, and monsters, along with their ranks, classes, attributes, and their four most-used skills, boons, or spells.
Affinity: Unchanged.
Aspect: Your Aspect will become Epiphany for the Erudite class. Epiphanies will work in lieu of Advantage for all skills previously adopted.
Justin was intrigued by this option. The class skill alone seemed to be a stronger version of Ignis’s Identify Weakness skill. Besides letting him see weaknesses, it also allowed him to see base attributes and their key abilities.
Besides that, it would help him when trying to think about a problem, allowing him to find novel solutions. He assumed it functioned like a sort of “limitless pill,” if only for one minute.
But would one minute be enough for a particularly advanced problem? He had a feeling that, like Noble Wayfarer, he could make this one work too.
He set it aside and picked up the Priest core, which radiated with gentle purple light.
[You have found a Priest Core! Combine it with your Socialite Prismatic Core to gain the following advanced class: Prophet.]
Prophet: The Prophet is a divine messenger who blends the articulate grace of a Socialite with the spiritual authority of a Priest. They deliver pronouncements, visions, and sacred truths related to their chosen deity in a manner that can sway hearts and minds, gaining Favor in recompense for their divine deeds. In exchange for Favor, their chosen deity will grant them skills, boons, and even powerful spells that cannot be accessed elsewhere.
Weapons: Canes, Rods, Daggers, Shepherds’ Crooks.
Convert Follower (Class Skill): Pitch your deity’s benefits package. If they convert to your deity, gain 1 Favor (Favors cannot exceed your current level... mass conversion events are imbalanced). Your deity promises not to judge your recruitment tactics too much.
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Affinity: Chosen upon adopting this class, and it must be the same as your chosen deity.
Aspect: Your Aspect will become Favor for the Prophet class. Favor will work in lieu of Advantage for all skills previously adopted.
Justin considered the class. Pitch your deity’s benefits package? Was the System itself poking fun at the idea of gods in this world? It made sense in a twisted way. Anyone would technically be a god if they got to Level 70, so why not acknowledge the absurdity?
The cooldown for the class skill was ridiculously short compared to the others. Ten seconds? He could imagine himself walking down a street, stopping random people. “Excuse me, do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior Vorthak?” Vorthak might not be the best option. He could probably go for someone like Zephyra, Goddess of Charisma. That way he could operate in Serenthel without raising the Church’s eyebrows too much.”
So, could he really see himself in robes, looking skyward while counting Favor points like a divine accountant?
“Hear ye, hear ye!” he said. “Accept this god into your heart, and I’ll get a neat spell! It’s a win-win!”
And hell. With his Charisma, who was to say he couldn’t do it? Besides morality, of course.
There was a sticking point, too... worship. He wasn’t sure if he could get away with lip service, or if he actually had to believe and supplicate himself to his chosen deity. If Ashralok was any indication, gods tended to complicate things. But they might also offer protection.
Though, considering he’d met an actual goddess who’d been imprisoned in a statue, perhaps there was something to this whole worship thing after all.
He had a feeling this advanced class started off weak but could grow quite strong as the deity started granting unique powers. It might also give him an interesting edge in dealing with other divine entities in the future.
“You know what?” he asked, glancing at Atlas. “I’m actually considering this one.”
But there was still more to explore. Four cores down and six to go. Of the four selected so far, Justin was most drawn to Noble Wayfarer, Erudite, and surprisingly, Prophet.
Justin next reached for the Athlete Core, curious about what bizarre combination it might create.