I feel a rise of anxiety wash over me as my Evolution finishes and I come out of the warm glow to become fully aware. The completion notification is flashing in the corner of my vision and I open it up before I do anything else, even rise from the bed I’m on. My body feels leaner, more solid and dense. More grounded in reality as if the area around me bends to my presence.
Congratulations! Dark Mana Knight Evolution Initial Step Complete!
Exploring synergies and integrations currently available… multiple found.
Quantifying synergies and integrations…
Outputs and outcomes calculating…
It’s not a completion notification after all, there’s more to come with my Evolution. I hope with everything I have that the main reason I picked this Class will come shining through.
Effects related to Mana absorption, processing, and advancement doubled.
I feel dizzy and disoriented so I stay where I am. Intense changes continue to take place inside of me that I can sense with my Mana Affinity, although they’re way beyond my comprehension. As some time passes, the sensations clarify and my mind fog lifts to the point I can track the changes that the Mana is making to me. The patterns are so complex there’s no way I can unravel them, so I just watch them with wonder. Maybe after a few hundred years of practice with my Affinity I could extract some of their secrets.
Evolution Progression Complete
As part of your Ascended Class Evolution, additional changes have now completed.
Further Progressions are possible in the future.
Current Evolution Progression outcomes:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Two Class Skill points per Level doubled to four</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Number of Gift of Gaia anchor points doubled</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Mana Affinity strength and potential doubled</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Base Physical Regeneration doubled</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Doubled Dark Mana Tempered adaptation rate</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">Stamina boost per point of Constitution doubled</li>
</ul>
I’m stunned and I swing my legs over the bed and sit up, then look at the ceiling and take a deep breath in and out, not believing it.
I’ll never get to compare this Class I picked to the other options I didn’t, but this is beyond what I was hoping for. My Dark Mana Tempered Title already gave me a unique benefit of getting two Class Skill points per Level instead of one, and now to double it to four through my Class is fucking crazy. I do a quick calculation and realize that it means I can Evolve every single one of my Ascended Class Skills if I make it to Level 30, probably breaking ground that’s never been seen before. It’s like gaining four Ascended Class Levels for every Level!
An extra Gift of Gaia anchor point is going to mean I can double the amount of AMLs to draw on, and combined with my base physical regeneration doubled it means my already sky high Health and Stamina regeneration have just been vastly increased. Once I get another anchor point, even in areas with only one AML my Health is going to be fully regenerated in only a second compared to the base I started with of about ten minutes. Crazy! In a high AML environment like a Dungeon, Earth, or a Bane World my injuries are going to heal almost instantly.
Add all that to doubling the adaptive benefit that allows me to build Attributes and Resistances, plus another big boost of Stamina, and over the long haul I really love where I could take this. An increase of anything at this stage by double or quadruple amounts to a skyrocketing of power and potential.
There’s another notification waiting for me that it’s time to open, before I go any further.
Level Up!
All banked XP now released.
You have reached Level 2 as a Dark Mana Knight
+30 Aura, +20 Mana, +60 free Attribute points to assign
You have 120 free Attribute points to assign
Would you like to allocate them now?
(Y/N)
You have 8 unallocated Class Skill points
Would you like to allocate them now?
(Y/N)
This is crazy. I’ll be able to Evolve one of my Tier 1 Ascended Class Skills at Level 3! In fact, I’ll be able to Evolve all of my Tier 1 Class Skills before I even have access to my Tier 2 Skills, with Class Skill points left to spare. I look around the room and up again, wondering if something is broken. If something or someone like Tenebris is going to appear and either rip this all away from me or kill me before I become too powerful.
I take a few more deep breaths to calm myself and shake my head, then laugh.
Fuck thinking like that! I’ve been through too much.
Fuck playing it safe, or hiding away.
I’m going to drive this fucking Class like I stole it.
After a minute of thought I decide to split my free Attributes evenly between Constitution, Strength, and Agility. Then I call up my new Class Skills to check them out.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td> </td>
<td>
Combat
</td>
<td>
Dominion
</td>
<td>
Utility
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Tier 1
</td>
<td>
Resonant Strike
</td>
<td>
Perfect Focus
</td>
<td>
Dimensional Forge
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Tier 2
</td>
<td>
Tempest Siphon
</td>
<td>
Iron Mandate
</td>
<td>
Dimensional Step
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Tier 3
</td>
<td>
Starfire Scourge
</td>
<td>
Temporal Anchor
</td>
<td>
Reality Shaper
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Tier 4
</td>
<td>
CataclysmA case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
</td>
<td>
Ascendent Edict
</td>
<td>
Fatebinder’s Touch
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
I have three to choose from at this Level, my Tier 1 Skills.
Resonant Strike (Dark Mana Knight Skill - Tier 1) (Level 1 of 10)
Like Dark Mana interacts with Mana, the Dark Mana Knight can disrupt enemies through powerful, destructive interactions.
Effect: emits powerful targeted waves of resonant energy that create shockwaves and disruption at a molecular level
Cost: 3000 Stamina
Additional Skill points grant increased damage and control
Perfect Focus (Dark Mana Knight Skill - Tier 1) (Level 1 of 10)
The concentration and focus required to handle an environment near Dark Mana is absolute. The Dark Mana Knight can block out all other considerations, including time. This Skill has been additionally enhanced through Skill integration.
Synergy with Acceleration → Perfect Focus
Effect: allows the user to slow down their Perception of time and increase their speed
Cost: 50 Stamina per second
Additional Skill points grant increased time dilation multiples and speed
Dimensional Forge (Dark Mana Knight Skill - Tier 1) (Level 1 of 10)
Dark Mana Knights manipulate pure energy and Mana to form unbreakable temporary constructs. This Skill has been additionally enhanced through Skill integration.
Synergy with Sentinel’s Swords → Dimensional Forge
Effect: crafts weapons, armor, or tools from pure energy, tailored perfectly to the user’s needs and designs within the limits of the Skill
Cost: Mana regeneration reduced by 20 permanently, variable Stamina drain per second
Additional Skill points grant increased variety of creatable objects and durability
I drop one point in Resonant Strike and Perfect Focus, and the other six in Dimensional Forge. Being able to create powerful armor that I can refresh with a thought is worth the 120 Mana regeneration penalty I’ve got to take, but I will need to be a bit cautious with how much I cripple my Mana regeneration going forward. I’ve only got so many Attributes I can drop into Aura to gain passive Skills and regenerate my Mana. I’m less worried about regeneration since it’s clear
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Status Overview
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Name
</td>
<td>
Bronwic Cadimus
</td>
<td>
Class
</td>
<td>
Dark Mana Knight
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Race
</td>
<td>
Human (male)
</td>
<td>
Level
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Titles
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Exterminator, Overachiever, Powerhouse, Explorer, Bane World Delver, Survivor, Bastion, SSA High Enforcer, Mark of Tenebris (Hidden), Savior of Earth, Dark Mana Tempered
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Health
</td>
<td>
15190
</td>
<td>
Health Regeneration
</td>
<td>
437176 /min
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Stamina
</td>
<td>
30380
</td>
<td>
Stamina Regeneration
</td>
<td>
437176 /min
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Mana
</td>
<td>
2980
</td>
<td>
Mana Regeneration
</td>
<td>
358 /min
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Status Conditions
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
None
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Attributes
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Strength
</td>
<td>
540
</td>
<td>
Perception
</td>
<td>
1550
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Constitution
</td>
<td>
1519
</td>
<td>
Charisma
</td>
<td>
570
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Agility
</td>
<td>
540
</td>
<td>
Luck
</td>
<td>
1250
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Aura
</td>
<td>
584
</td>
<td>
Mana
</td>
<td>
298
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
SMI Skills and Affinities
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Danger Sense
</td>
<td>
160
</td>
<td>
Observe
</td>
<td>
120
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Affinities
</td>
<td>
Dimensional Manipulation, Mana
</td>
<td>
Survivor Damage Resistance
</td>
<td>
+20% when under 20% Health
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Class Specific SMI Dynamics
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Physical regen
</td>
<td>
Base + Base*AML
</td>
<td>
Mana regeneration
</td>
<td>
200%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Personal Weapon
</td>
<td>
Base damage: 9000
</td>
<td>
Tech functionality
</td>
<td>
-25%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Mental Resistance
</td>
<td>
Invulnerable
</td>
<td rowspan="2">
All Resistances
</td>
<td rowspan="2">
Variable [Breakdown]
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Damage Reduction
</td>
<td>
80%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Explorer Bonus
</td>
<td>
+20% XP
</td>
<td rowspan="2">
Foresight
</td>
<td rowspan="2">
Variable [Thresholds]
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Potion/Buff Penalty
</td>
<td>
-80% / -90%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="4">
Class Skills
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Unbreakable
</td>
<td>
Evolved
</td>
<td>
Omnipresent
</td>
<td>
Evolved
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Gift of Gaia
</td>
<td>
Evolved (+30 AML)
</td>
<td>
Runic Recall
</td>
<td>
Evolved
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Psychic Eruption
</td>
<td>
Evolved (Geas)
</td>
<td>
Sentinel’s Fury
</td>
<td>
8*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Dimensional Forge
</td>
<td>
6
</td>
<td>
Imbued Strike
</td>
<td>
6*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Greatest Need
</td>
<td>
3*
</td>
<td>
Wraithstrike
</td>
<td>
3*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Guardian’s Blessing
</td>
<td>
2
</td>
<td>
Perfect Focus
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Elemental Aegis
</td>
<td>
2*
</td>
<td>
Echoes of Einherjar
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Resonant Strike
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Guilty as Charged
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Know Thy Enemy
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Marked for Glory
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Wall of the Clan
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Group Party Chat
</td>
<td>
1*
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
Rise Again
</td>
<td>
1
</td>
<td>
Instantaneous Inventory
</td>
<td>
1*
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The difference between my Mana and Stamina regeneration is laughable, but hardly any of my active Skills use Mana and I don’t expect that to change. If this Class was created to suit me then a bunch of Skills requiring Mana wouldn’t be much of an Evolution.
As I stand up, I feel raw power flowing through me. With a thought I trigger Dimensional Forge and create a super strong dark armor from raw energy and Mana that covers me from head to toe. The faceplate is clear from my side, I can’t even tell there’s something there. This is by far the most protective and free flowing armor I’ve ever worn and I can refresh it with a thought. Combined with my Resistances I can’t even imagine how much punishment I can take before losing even a single point of Health.
I call my Swords to my hands. They’re even more solid and powerful than before, lined with a mononuclear edge that’s impossibly sharp. With another thought I switch them to warhammers, then a spear and shield, then a wicked two-handed scythe. The versatility, speed, and potency is incredible.
I trigger Perfect Focus and feel it take hold. My Agility and Perception ramp up and time seem to slow down but nothing really changes since nothing is moving. I release it and look forward to seeing what happens with it in combat. Resonant Strike is going to have to wait as well.
Satisfied and ready, I open my minimap to find my family. They’re spread out all over the space station so I trigger Omnipresent and manifest a Portal to Carter. The Skill works even more smoothly and powerfully than I’m used to and I can’t pinpoint which of the changes has driven it, but it’s definitely there. I step through and it’s clear Carter hasn’t seen the Portal manifest because he pivots and takes a step back then activates his Flame form. With a laugh I drop my armor, revealing my face and form. I’d forgotten about my armor already.
“Fuck, Bronwic. Being on an alien space station isn’t the best for my nerves, and if you can turn that feeling of threat off then do it. I don’t like the feeling that I’m going to shit my pants because my younger brother is in the room.”
I guess I’ve got a few things to get ahold of.