---
After the heartfelt conversation with Celene, Gabriel decided to head upstairs to his room. The events earlier had prevented him from fully assessing his newfound strength and the additional skills he had acquired. As he settled into the familiar comfort of his room, he opened his stats with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.
---
[Name: Gabriel Heart]
[Class: Priest]
[Level: 15, Bronze Mid Stage]
[Health Points: 10,930/10,930 (+10,930)]
[Mana: 10,320/10,320]
[Experience: 550,000/550,000]
[Magic Attack: 2,010 (↑1,106)]
[Defense: 1,334 (+60)]
[Attributes: STR: 75, AGI: 71, DEX: 101, INT: 188 (+157), VIT: 153 (+167)]
[Skills:
Light Hurricane Level 10
Healing Totem Level 10
Goddess Blessing Level 10
Grace of Life (Not yet learned)
Cleanse (Not yet learned)
Faith (Not yet learned)]
[Tome Skills:
Tail Wind
Blessing of the Ocean]
[Talent [☯]: Yin-Yang Soul Harmony (D)]
[Harmony Essence: 252,200]
[Equipment:
Golden Staff, Gold Robe, Gold Boots, Gold Mitten, Gold Mitra, Gold Trousers, Crimson Shield]
[Equipment Effects:
+140% Healing
+100% Max HP
+300 HP
+200 Mana
+50% Mana Regeneration
+40% MATK
+15% Movement Speed
+40% Cooldown Reduction
+60 Defense
+25% Damage Reduction
+600 Magic Attack]
[Engravement Effects:
+500 HP
+15% MATK
+15% Magic Penetration]
[Unused Skill Points: 11]
---
Upon reviewing his stats, Gabriel's breath caught in his throat. The sheer increase in his abilities was staggering, but what truly captivated his attention were the new skills that had been unlocked as a result of his class advancement. His fingers trembled slightly as he allocated six of his unused skill points to learn these new abilities. Then, with a furrowed brow, he leaned in closer to scrutinize their details:
---
[Grace of Life - Increases Maximum HP by 15% for its target.
Duration: 30 minutes
Mana Cost: 600
Cooldown: 20s]
---
[Cleanse - Removes all negative buffs from all party members, including the caster, and heals them.
Heal = [(HP + MP)/2 + Sk. Level {MATK x (1 + MagicPen)x (1+Healing%)}]
Mana Cost: 500
Cooldown: 5 seconds]
---
[Faith - Increases the effectiveness of healing by 25%.
Status: Passive
Mana Cost: 0
Cooldown: 0]
---
As he read through the descriptions, Gabriel's mind whirled with possibilities. He could see the potential of these skills, but something gnawed at him—a sense of incompleteness. The skills, while powerful, didn't quite align with what he felt he needed most in the heat of battle. This realization unsettled him, casting a shadow over his earlier excitement.
To gain more insight, he activated his talent [Yin Harmony] and observed the mutated versions of the skills:
---
[Call of Death - Decreases Maximum HP by 15% on the target.
Duration: 30 minutes
Mana Cost: 600
Cooldown: 20s]
---
[Besmirch - Inflicts random negative buffs and damage to all enemy units within a 180m diameter.
Damage = [(HP + MP)/2 + Sk. Level {MATK x (1 + MagicPen)x (1+Healing%)}]
Mana Cost: 500
Cooldown: 5 seconds]
---
[Faithless - Decreases healing by 25%.
Status: Passive
Mana Cost: 0
Cooldown: 0]
---
Gabriel's brow furrowed deeper as he reviewed the mutated skills. Out of the three, only two seemed beneficial in combat; the third, [Faithless], felt counterproductive to his role. A surge of frustration welled up inside him. He clenched his fists, his mind racing.
---
"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Gabriel muttered to himself, his voice tinged with irritation. "I need to be stronger, but these skills...they're not enough."
---
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing in his chest. Every decision he made now could mean the difference between life and death in the battles to come. The pressure was immense, almost suffocating. His thoughts spiraled as he tried to make sense of his next move.
When he opened his eyes again, the uncertainty lingered. He knew he had to make a choice, but each option seemed fraught with potential risks. Should he focus on increasing his HP and defensive capabilities with [Grace of Life] and [Goddess Blessing]? Or should he prioritize an offensive strategy by leveling up [Cleanse], which could provide the AOE damage he sorely needed?
His mind replayed countless scenarios—facing enemies with overwhelming numbers, struggling to survive against powerful opponents. Every outcome seemed to hinge on the right allocation of his limited skill points. The more he thought about it, the more his thoughts tangled in a web of doubts and possibilities.
---
"If I level up [Grace of Life], I can boost my HP by 25%, but is that really what I need right now? If I pair it with [Goddess Blessing], I could generate a shield that would protect me with around 75,000 HP, but will that be enough?" Gabriel's voice grew more desperate as he paced the room, his hands running through his hair in frustration. "But then there's [Cleanse]... It's the AOE skill I need to keep up with stronger opponents. I could clear out groups of enemies faster, but..."
---
He stopped pacing, standing still as the seconds ticked by, each one dragging out his internal conflict. His heart pounded in his chest, the pressure mounting. He felt like he was on the edge of a precipice, teetering between two very different paths, each with its own set of unknowns.
---
"Why can't it be clearer? What if I make the wrong choice?" Gabriel whispered, the fear of failure creeping into his voice. "I only have a few skill points left. I can't afford to waste them."
---
The room was silent except for the sound of his uneven breathing. Gabriel felt the weight of his indecision crushing him, the anxiety gnawing at his resolve. Minutes turned into what felt like an eternity, the pressure of making the right choice pressing harder and harder.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Gabriel made a decision. His mind felt clearer, though the remnants of doubt still lingered. He would prioritize [Cleanse], channeling all his remaining skill points into it. The reasoning was simple—this skill would enhance his damage output while farming and its AOE effect would be invaluable in facing groups of enemies. It wasn't a decision made lightly, but it was one that he felt was necessary for the path ahead.
Once his choice was made, a strange calm settled over him, though the shadows of uncertainty still hovered at the edges of his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that every move he made from this point on would have far-reaching consequences.
After leveling up [Cleanse], Gabriel turned his attention to his subtalent, [Elemental Conversion], which had awakened alongside [Yin-Yang Harmony]. This talent, though deceptively simple, held incredible potential. It allowed him to eliminate his elemental weaknesses, a crucial advantage in battle.Also this talent also lets him see the weakness of his opponents, which in battle could deal more damage to them. He decided to test it by examining his [Light Hurricane] skill, the only one imbued with elemental power.
---
[Light Hurricane Level 10: Unleashes a whirling storm of light that attacks the enemy three times. There is a 20% chance to stun the enemy.
Damage = 1,200% x [MATK x MagicPEN] per hit
Mana Cost = 150
Cooldown = 1 second]
---
Gabriel activated his talent, but instead of using [Yin Harmony], he utilized its sub-property [Elemental Conversion] and chose fire as the primary element.
---
[Flame Hurricane Level 10: Unleashes a whirling storm of flame that damages the enemy three times, leaving a lasting burn effect on the target.
Burn Damage = Decreases the target's HP by 1% for 5 seconds.
Damage = 1,200% x [MATK x (1 + MagicPEN)] per hit
Mana Cost = 150
Cooldown = 1 second]
---
The result left Gabriel
astonished. He could hardly believe how drastically the skill had changed. Fueled by curiosity and excitement, he continued experimenting with different elements. When he selected water, the skill inflicted a freeze effect with a 75% chance of freezing the enemy. Next, he tried lightning, which provided a debuff suitable for that element. Each element brought a unique effect, opening up new strategies Gabriel hadn't considered before.
He became so engrossed in his experiments that he lost track of time. The world outside his room faded away as he explored the depths of his newfound powers. Only when he finally paused did he realize how late it had become. A glance at the clock revealed it was already 1:00 AM.
---
"Time really got away from me," Gabriel muttered, a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction washing over him. "I'll continue this tomorrow."
---
As he wrapped things up, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement amid the lingering doubts. The path ahead was uncertain, but Gabriel knew he had made progress. He only hoped it would be enough.