by Aleron Kong
This particular evolution had been made possible by his training and his bond with Alma. If not for her, his Mental resistance wouldn’t have been nearly high enough to qualify. This Path of Ascendance would increase his mental defenses even further, nearly doubling them. When you factored in that his Psi Bond ability increased his base Thought defense by 60%, it meant he would actually gain +1.6 rather than just +1.0 to Mental Aegis. His current mental defenses were already much stronger than the average person. Despite that, they weren’t high enough. Even with his psychic fortifications, he’d nearly had his mind shattered by the lich lord. In the wake of that battle, a stronger mental defense was a very attractive choice.
It could also be ranked up four times rather than the common evolution that could only advance twice. He didn’t know what perks that would manifest, and he didn’t know how to advance its rank, but he’d figure it out. Also, he had to imagine that being able to advance more ranks would translate into more power down the road.
The ranks of these Paths of Ascendance looked to follow the normal pattern of The Land. Common, Uncommon, Unusual, Scarce, Rare, Epic, Mythic, and Legendary. There were more ranks beyond that like Relic and Artifact, but they seemed to not completely fit within the normal ranking progression. From the first two prompts, he was deducing that the number of possible advancements in an evolution was the rank of the ascended form plus one. The next form he examined would confirm that.
CHAPTER 14 – Day 151 – Juren 2, 0 AoC
He turned his head to the next figure. So far telepath was the clear winner, but he wouldn’t make a decision until he had all the information. Also, it said he only had a 77% chance to succeed if he went down that path. Richter had a high Luck, but this decision could determine if he made it back to the village or was damned for all eternity. A 23% failure rate wasn’t a good look. The increased cost of failure made it even worse. He didn’t relish the possibility of losing twenty-seven Attribute Points.
The next figure was five feet beyond the psychic. This one looked markedly different than the first two. The entire avatar was hazy like it was occluded by a thick grey mist.
You have found a Rare-ranked evolution:
Tier 2 Mist Lord
This Path of Ascendance transforms you into a creature of pure elemental power. Due to your Mastery of a Place of Power, you can infuse your essence with these energies permanently. Your form will be partially insubstantial, providing -50% damage to physical attacks.
Spells dealing with the ley lines of your Place of Power will be increased in strength by 50% and cost 50% less. Such power does not come without cost, however.
Choosing this form will require you to stay within your domain. Without the specific combination of ambient magic your Place of Power provides, your form will quickly degrade. Conversely, further Mastery of your Place of Power can drastically increase your strength. As with all evolutions, many other factors will be affected by your ascension.
The racial tendency of humans toward skill will be lost.
As a rare class ascended form, there are 6 ranks of this evolution. You will begin at Rank 1. Advancing ranks will unlock greater power, but > 50% of ranks must be unlocked before Ascendance to a new form is possible.
Ascension Likelihood: 83%
Penalty for Failure: -5 points to each Primary Attribute, -5% chance at next Ascension attempt
Prerequisites: Level 45 Human. Master of a fully unlocked Place of Power containing Air, Life, Water and Dark
Evolution Rank: Rare
Changes if Tier 2 Mist Lord evolution is chosen
Tier 1
Tier 2
Body
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Elemental
-50% Physical Damage
Mind
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Elemental
Soul
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Elemental
Special
Chaos Seed
Chaos Seed
Aura
Chaotic Gradient (Greater rank)
Chaotic Gradient (Greater rank)
Bloodline
N/A
No Cohesive Bloodline
Attribute Bonus
N/A
+5 to all Primary Attributes
+15% to highest Primary Attribute
The Mist Lord evolution was rare for a reason. Richter was somewhat shocked at the perks. Including the boost he already got from his Place of Power, his spell power would be doubled! His spells would also only cost half as much.
Basically, the evolution was the wet dream of wizards. It not only increased his magic strength dramatically, it also gave a 50% reduction to physical damage. There was also the fact that it was a scalable evolution, growing as he unlocked more of his Place of Power. It was the perfect answer to the many enemies that were turning their gaze toward the Mist Village.
If only there wasn’t that pesky catch. All that power came at a horrible price. He wouldn’t be able to leave his domain. That was not a small amount of space. It was a ten-mile radius extending out from the Great Seal north, south, east and west. That meant three hundred square miles. Still, Richter could never allow himself to be so constricted. Even though he had devoted himself to the village, he still personally wanted to explore his new world. Sometimes he felt that the wonders and dangers of The Land were calling out to him. He wouldn’t let go of his freedom, not even for more power.
There was also the matter of the increased number of ranks this evolution possessed. What had at first seemed like a perk was now looking like a potential problem. He still had no idea what it took to advance a rank. If it was easy, then no problem. But in the past Richter had also gotten quests that were still beyond his ability to complete. If he couldn’t progress in ranks, then his next ascension would be in jeopardy. This Threshold threatened to slow his progression to a crawl. The next one might drop him in quicksand. He had to be able to ascend, not just this time, but next time as well. The ranks weren’t enough to dissuade him, but he was paying closer attention to them.
He was used to the axiom that danger and power went hand-in-hand in The Land. it looked like he might have discovered another fundamental truth through his Rite of Ascension. Choosing a higher path of power would lead to greater achievements, but would also require greater sacrifices. Put another way, choosing a more powerful form now might keep him from an even stronger evolution in the future.
Power and danger went hand-in-hand. He’d learned this long ago, and had survived many external dangers. The choice he was facing now was a different type of danger, the lure of temptation. This was a danger from within. Richter examined the form of the mist lord for a few more seconds and realized something. The simple truths of The Land actually hid deep wisdom and warnings.
He was going to move on to the next figure, but he decided to give the Mist Lord one more look. Not at its stats, but at the physical representation. There was no denying that it looked insanely cool. The body was defined by semi translucent mist. The edges were hazy. As he looked at it some parts of him went hazy and others were as solid as he was now. The Mist Lord would obviously have a serious boost to Concealment as well. With a sigh, he moved on to the next figure. Cool or not, it wasn’t for him.
This next figure was seventeen yards away from the center. If the Mist Lord was cool, this one was seriously badass! Richter looked at a face that was his own, but covered in black scales. His mouth was elongated into a faint snout, and talons tipped his fingers. The figure’s musculature was smaller than his current real-world form, but looked like it was carved from marble. A tail, six inches thick, fell to the ground behind him.
None of that was as impressive as the wings extending out from his back. Both were scaled on the outside, but were covered in a soft velvety skin on the inside. Unfurled, they reached six feet to either side. The bones that filled the wings shone a soft gold through the blackness of the membranes. Everything about the figure radiated viol
ence and power.
Shaking his head in wonder, Richter pulled up information about the awe-inspiring figure.
You have found a Mythic-ranked evolution:
Tier 2 Draike
Truly thou art fortunate! You have the ability to ascend from a lowly human form to one with the blood of dragons flowing through your veins!
Your Mark of Dragonkin II allows you to evolve into a new species, a Draike.
Draikes are human-dragon hybrids, an ancient race of powerful majesty. Draikes surfaced after the 4th Cataclysm of The Land and survived through the 6th. Only the 7th, and most recent, Cataclysm laid this proud race low, which demonstrates their power and ferocity. Some say remnants of their mighty race still exist in forgotten corners of The Land, but most consider this a flight of fancy.
The Draike race may not have possessed the majesty of their dragon progenitors but, in ages long past, their wings soared through the skies of The Land, bringing order or death as they saw fit.
Your weak body will be evolved and improved to possess scales that can turn swords and claws that can rend armor! The hearts of your enemies will quiver and quake when they see your awe-inspiring visage!
Upon assuming this form, your wings can be used to glide. By strengthening it, they may one day offer the power of true flight.
The highest pursuit of a draike is to increase the strength of their draconian bloodline and grow closer to their dragon forebears.
Draikes have high affinities for magic in general, but normally focus their powers in one area. If this evolution is chosen, one branch of your known magics may receive a significant boost.
Know This! Choosing this evolution will cause your Mark of Dragonkin to disappear, but the bonuses you have gained will remain.
Know This! All power comes with a price. This evolution comes from a Primal Bloodline, reaching back to the earliest days of The Land. Most of the current races that reside in this world evolved long afterwards. The stewardship of the Draike race was always strong, and oftentimes cruel. The effect your Mark of Dragonkin has had upon other races could be subtle, but the effect of a Draike evolution is anything but. While some of The Land’s current races were made use of as servants by the Draike, others were used as soldiers, slaves or food. Assume that this powerful form will have profound effects on the disposition of other races whose bodies and souls remember the strength of this Primal race.
As a mythic ascended form, there are 8 ranks of this evolution. You will begin at Rank 1. Advancing ranks will unlock greater power, but > 50% of ranks must be unlocked before Ascendance to a new form is possible.
Along with this evolution, you will be awarded a rare Primal Bloodline: Unyielding Dragon Flame
Strengthening your bloodline will increase the power of this new evolution!
Ascension Likelihood: 43%
Penalty for Failure: -7 points to each Primary Attribute, -7% chance at next Ascension attempt
Prerequisites: Level 45 Human. Mark of Dragonkin
Evolution Rank: Mythic
Changes if Tier 2 Draike evolution is chosen
Tier 1
Tier 2
Body
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Draike
Base Attack: +6
Base Defense: +3
Mind
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Draike
+20% Mental Aegis
Soul
Tier 1 Human
Tier 2 Draike
Special
Chaos Seed
Chaos Seed
Aura
Chaotic Gradient (Greater rank)
Chaotic Gradient (Greater rank)
Bloodline
N/A
Unyielding Dragon Flame (rank 3)
Attribute Bonus
N/A
+10 to Strength and Constitution
+30% to Strength
When he had first received his Mark of Dragonkin, it had strengthened his Fire magic, in addition to increasing his Constitution and Strength. When the Mark was upgraded, those bonuses had increased. That had been great enough, but he never thought that it might actually allow him to become a dragon!
Richter had no idea what to think about first. He could actually transform into a dragon! Well, not a dragon, a draike, but still, it was a fucking dragon! The power he felt when he melded with Alma was astounding, but it only lasted for a few minutes. If he chose this Path of Ascension, he could have that power, or greater, all the time.
He walked around the figure and his breath was taken away by the raw power it exuded. He thought it might be his imagination at first, but the draconian body did actually have a palpable presence surrounding it. It wasn’t exactly stifling, but he felt the danger the body possessed.
Looking at the draike’s stats, it was no wonder it radiated menace. The physical changes alone were a marvel. If he chose this Path of Ascendance, he’d never be without weapons and armor again. Even now, without most of his items, he would still have a fighting chance. Also, the boost to his attributes was insane! His Strength was already above sixty. Between the stat boost and the modifier, he’d have almost a hundred points in that one attribute. He could literally lift a ton!
The draike wasn’t merely physically superior to humans. It seemed like it would be a human’s natural predator. Its attribute modifier was almost as powerful as the angel Hisako had summoned, albeit only to one attribute rather than all of them. Richter had no illusions that he could go toe-to-toe with a heavenly creature. The angel had been strong enough to slaughter almost an entire company of bugbears in minutes.
The bonus to Strength might be even more powerful than the Attribute Points would indicate. He’d suspected for a long time that Attribute Points might not be equal for all races. For a human, every point of Strength let him lift ten kilos. Dwarves seemed to be able to do more with the same amount of points. Sprites, on the other hand, did less. At one point he’d thought it might be a height or size modifier issue, but dwarves weren’t much taller than the woodland race.
Conversely, the sprites’ Agility and Dexterity let them climb trees insanely fast and run along tree branches. Richter’s own Agi and Dex were higher than many of the sprites he knew, but he still couldn’t match their grace. The point was, reading the draike’s racial description, the incarnation might enjoy those very same hidden bonuses. Also, there were the wings. Wings were for flying. Richter could one day be able to fly. He might freaking fly!
Richter calmed himself down. The draike was amazing, but before he decided anything, he needed to get all the information he could. It certainly hadn’t escaped his notice that the chances of him successfully completely this evolution was less than 50%. If there weren’t so many amazing benefits, he wouldn’t have wasted any time on it at all. This was the first evolution that came with a guaranteed bloodline. According to the prompt, a draike’s bloodline was an integral part of the evolution. Even more so than the strengthened body and buffed up stats. The chaos seed focused on it and more information appeared.
Know This! There are many bloodlines, but only the strong, lucky or cursed are blessed with such power. The Unyielding Dragon Flame Bloodline can start a fire inside the cells of your body, greatly increasing your physical prowess, perception and will for a short time. Increasing the rank of this bloodline adds capabilities to a draike’s mind, body and soul.
Higher ranks also add a Fire element to your attacks. This Bloodline arose during the 5th evolution of The Land, after the 4th Cataclysm. As such, it is part of a grouping of Bloodlines known as Primal. It is also a rare bloodline of that period. As such, it has 5 ranks per tier. It begins with 35 Bloodline Points to expend before it is exhausted. A bloodline can be exerted with more or less force and will consume Bloodline Points in accordance with this exertion.
A smile crossed Richter’s lips. It was afterburners. This bloodline worked like afterburners! He had absolutely zero idea how long thirty-five Bloodline Points would last, but even i
f it was only a few seconds, it might make all the difference in a battle. The bloodline could also be upgraded. He had no idea how, but it was possible. The draike evolution was looking better and better. How powerful would he be if he had the body of a dragon?
There were a lot of strong arguments toward choosing this form, but he wouldn’t. It wasn’t even the fact that he wouldn’t look human anymore. Taking on a Messeji form with Alma had shown Richter just how much power he could have. With all the enemies he had, he needed all the power he could get. More than that, he had come to crave great strength.
No, what stopped Richter was that in his time leading the Mist Village, he’d become a lord in truth as well as name. He was not just a gamer that had been pulled into a new world. He was someone who knew the importance and the gravity of leading a diverse population. Despite what others might think, he knew on a fundamental level just how much stronger his tribe was for counting so many different peoples among its population.
