{Welcome back, Husband.}
In the darkness, Silas was startled to hear that voice.
"Aseria?!"
{I have sent you back in time at the cost of my divinity, Husband. I have also left you a gift to aid you in getting stronger faster than before. I won't be able to talk with you or see you until after you reach your second class change, but I will be patiently waiting. By the time you hear this message, you should have begun to enter Astralis for the first time. I hope you enjoy the gift I've given you. I love you, Silas. I hope to see you soon.}
Silas took a moment to process the message he received from his goddess, unsure of what to make of everything.
'I have to wait until after my second class change to see her? So at least level 50? And what did she mean at the cost of her divinity? What the hell did Aseria do?'
Silas had too many questions and no possible way to get answers at the moment. Instead, he just focused on the environment that slowly came into his field of vision.
He was no longer floating in darkness, but rather he was now floating in a city of clouds, populated by celestial beings and gods and goddesses.
This is the first thing that new players see when they first enter Astralis Online.
The Pantheon of the Gods is what this area is called. It's simply a meeting area for all of the divine beings to gather and talk about their future plans, but Silas knows it's definitely not all sunshine and rainbows.
'Too many of these divine fuckheads were responsible for what happened to the human race. I know four gods for sure that planted the idea that non-humans weren't to be trusted and they were the ones who ended up gaining the most power in the end.'
Silas clicked his tongue and started making plans for the future on how to make those gods lose everything before killing them slowly.
As his disembodied existence passed through the Pantheon of the Gods, Silas finally arrived in front of a reflective pool in a small and elegant hall.
It was time for character creation...
In Astralis Online, you can't change your appearance too drastically.
You can adjust yourself to look better or worse by a maximum amount of 25%, but you can't change your gender, height, weight, mass, voice, hair color, or eye color.
It was very limiting, but people thought the game devs were helping people avoid catfishing.
Little did they know, it was just that the God of Games wanted to be lazy so he kept the players' avatars close to the original for easier integration in 3 years.
Silas only made one change, and that was to make himself look 25% uglier.
He was rather handsome in real life and he didn't want to worry about fame this time around.
In his past life, he was an extremely famous player.
Not only was he the strongest summoner, but he was the strongest summoner without even having a useful Divine Contract.
It has to be said that Divine Contracts are a large part of what make up a top-ranker's strength.
Aseria was the Goddess of Divine Summoning and Silas' class only ever got to Mythical Summoner, not a Divine Summoner--thus, Aseria could offer no benefits other than companionship.
But for Silas, her companionship was all that he needed.
So, his strength and abilities coupled with his good looks naturally made him a rather famous player, not to mention that his personality used to be very kind and gentle to those around him later on during the game.
Now, however...
'The less people know about me, the better it'll be. I'll take everything from those bastards and won't give them the chance to grow. I'll build a squad so strong that I'll be able to wipe out a country with ease.'
In his past life, Silas went by the name "Arclight". He had been using that username for years and it was the namesake of his company.
In this life though, Silas is going a different route.
[Nickname: Graven]
If he was a shining beacon of hope in his past life as Arclight, he will be the harbinger of death in this life as Graven.
'Anyone who dares go against me will die a merciless death.'
After his basic character creation was completed, it was time to choose a class.
There are six base classes that players can choose from: Warrior, Mage, Priest, Assassin, Archer, and Summoner.
Warrior is a close-combat class that focus on either tanking or dealing damage. They can branch out into a wide range of other classes as players progress such as Knight, Berserker, Monk, Martial Artist, Warlord, etc.
Mage is typically a long-range class that focuses on dealing damage, crowd control, and filling in gaps. Some of their class progressions include Arcane Artist, Sorcerer, Elementalist, Necromancer, Spellblade, etc.
Priest is usually a class reserved for healing and providing support. They can job change into a Bishop, Light Priest, Dark Priest, Shaman, Witch Doctor, etc.
Assassin is a class that focuses on burst damage, stealth, speed, and single-target execution. Their branches include Shadowblade, Nighthawk, Reaper, Venomancer, Phantom Dancer, etc.
Archer is class that goes all-in on ranged DPS, mobility, and setting traps. Their branches include Ranger, Sniper, Trickshot, Ballistic Engineer, Stormshot, etc.
And lastly, we have the Summoner. Summoners typically focus on raising their summons and relying on them in battle, but a truly good summoner like Silas learns how to take care of himself. Summoner branches include Spirit Caller, Wyrmlord, Totemist, Marionettist, Divine Summoner, etc.
When Silas was Arclight, he chose Summoner and changed his class all the way from Summoner to Intermediate Summoner, then Master Summoner, then to Legendary Summoner, and finally to Mythical Summoner.
In order for Silas to reach Divine Summoner, he would have had to reach his fifth class change at level 500.
First class change is at level 25, second class change is at level 50, third class change is at level 100, fourth class change is at level 250, and fifth class change is at level 500.
Unfortunately, Silas was killed before he could even reach level 400.
'Obviously I'll stick with what I know. Summoner it is!'
After selecting the Summoner class, it was time to roll for skills.
Each class has a default skillset that everyone acquires. However, the difference between skillsets is the rank of each skill obtained.
Ranks from low to high are: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS.
An F-Rank [Contract Summon] skill has a casting time of 60 seconds, a cooldown of 1 hour, and a cost of 150MP. All it can do is summon a contracted beast right next to your location.
An SSS-Rank [Contract Summon] skill has a casting time of 3 seconds, a cooldown of 3 minutes, and a cost of 75MP. It can allow the Summoner to summon just the voice or ability of a summoned creature without taking it out of the summoning space.
That's just an example using a simple skill like [Contract Summon]. Some other skills have much more insane differences between them from even F-Rank to C-Rank.
The reason why Silas was the top Summoner wasn't only because of his combat skills and his loyal summons, but because he got lucky and his initial skills were all drawn at S-Rank or above.
It wasn't fair to others, but Silas was lucky and thus had a major advantage over the rest.
Silas waited in front of the reflective pool as his information was being rolled for him.
It took a solid 60 seconds before the interface finally stopped changing, but what Silas saw made him question his sanity.
[Player Name: Silas Graves]
[Nickname: Graven]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Summoner]
[Level: 1]
[Title(s): Regressor | Aseria's Husband | EX-Ranked Outlier]
[HP: 200/200]
[MP: 300/300]
[Primary Stats: ]
- [STR: 10 (20)]
- [DEX: 10 (20)]
- [AGI: 10 (20)]
- [VIT: 10 (20)]
- [INT: 15 (30)]
- [WIS: 10 (20)]
[Core Skills: Evolver (EX), Regressor's Mind (EX)]
[Active Skills: Ascendant Gate (EX), Soulbrand Pact (EX), Foldspace Return (SSS), Arcane Projection (A)]
[Passive Skills: Soulforge Nexus (EX), All-Realm Perception (EX), Eternal Chain (EX)]
[Summons: ]
- [Empty]
- [Nyla - Sealed Until Level 20]
- [Ravena - Sealed Until Level 30]
- [Myrrha - Sealed Until Level 40]
- [Luna - Sealed Until Level 50]
- [Aseria - Sealed Until Level 60]
[Summon Slots: 5/6 (Additional slot every 100 SPR.)]
[Divine Contract: None (Locked Until Level 10)]
[Secondary (Hidden) Stats: ]
- [SPR: 50 (INT + WIS)]
- [LUK: 120]
- [CHM: 150]
'...What the hell is all of this?'
It is well-known that the highest rank is SSS. Thus, Silas having so many EX-Ranked skills is certainly enough to baffle anyone, especially himself.
However, what bothered him even more was the fact that he still had his summons from his previous life, but they were all sealed. Not only that, but Aseria is also now a summon.
'How is Aseria a summon? You can't contract gods or goddesses... And how are my main girls still in my summon slots? None of my other summons are here, so why are these four? Also, how the hell can I see my Hidden stats?!'
Silas had way too many questions and really wanted to talk to Aseria about it, but before he could even check his skill descriptions, his body was pulled out of the Pantheon of the Gods and thrown into a starting village, the beginning of everyone's story.
...
[You have entered Starting Village 713]
Silas opened his eyes and saw many thatch huts and simple stone buildings lined up alongside a simple dirt road.
At the end of the road was a large building where the village chief resides.
Despite being a shabby starting village, there were still shops such as a blacksmith, alchemist, general store, herbalist, and even a beast tamer.
The village was bustling with villagers and players alike.
The villagers were going about their day peacefully despite the sudden appearance of strangers while the players were looking around and exploring the area.
"Wahhh, this looks way too realistic! Hey, you, pinch me!"
"Ehhh, okay?"
"Ouch! Holy crap, I can feel the pain! Hahaha, this is so cool!"
Already, there were many players fawning over the realism of the game.
Astralis Online's VR Gaming Capsule allows players to utilize all five of their senses in perfect synchronization. Of course, there are settings to lower the pain receptors and other senses, but most people just choose to lower the pain receptor settings.
Silas isn't one of those people.
When the game merges with reality, there is no setting for any of your senses. Thus, it's better to get a headstart on removing any barriers between the game and reality as soon as possible.
Since Silas already knows where he should be going, he decided to start heading outside of the starting village while he checks on all of his titles and skills.
[Title: Regressor]
[Description: A unique title granted to the one who has returned to the past. This title marks the bearer as one who has defied fate and rewritten their own destiny.]
[Effect: Grants the core skill [Regressor's Mind (EX)].]
...
[Skill: Regressor's Mind]
[Rank: EX (Unique)]
[Skill Type: Passive / Soul-Bound]
[Description:]
A unique skill that was carried over at the end of your previous life as a top-tier Summoner. This skill grants you complete recall of all knowledge, combat experience, tactics, and creature information from your past life.
[Effect:]
- Grants full access to all past-life knowledge and memories.
- Allows mastery of past combat tactics and strategies.
- Provides detailed data on all living creatures, including abilities and weaknesses.
- Enhances decision-making speed and situational awareness in battle.
[Special Notes:]
- Cannot be removed, copied, or traced.
- Only Silas Graves can possess this skill.
...
[Title: Aseria's Husband]
[Description: Earned by bonding with the divine being who sacrificed everything for love. This title reflects the marriage between mortal and goddess.]
[Effect: Grants the core skill [Evolver (EX)].]
...
[Skill: Evolver]
[Rank: EX (Unique)]
[Skill Type: Passive / Soul-Bound]
[Description:]
This skill was created by Aseria after she fell deeply in love with you. After witnessing your death at the hands of your comrades, devastated, she shattered her divine soul to create this skill and sent you back in time, fully reborn. Evolver is the result of her sacrifice—a skill beyond the system, hard-coded into your soul.
[Effect:]
- Allows evolution of all skills and items to the highest allowed rank.
- Allows some system-specific traits to be evolved.
- Past-life summons are reborn in their ultimate forms at Lv.1, retaining memories and experience.
- Experience gain and stat scaling are greatly increased.
- Immune to normal progression limits and caps.
[Special Notes:]
- Cannot be removed, copied, or traced.
- Only Silas Graves can possess this skill.
...
[Title: EX-Ranked Outlier]
[Description: A unique title reserved for the sole individual to wield EX-Ranked skills, standing apart from all others. This title symbolizes your extraordinary existence beyond conventional limits.]
[Effect: Passive multiplier to all primary base stats by 2x. Increases resistance to status effects and magical interference by 50%. Grants immunity to level caps and progression restrictions. Allows seeing hidden information.]
...
'Ah... These titles and their skills alone make me stupid strong. Evolver sounds like a ridiculously overpowered skill. Aseria shattered her divine soul to create it and send me back in time... Now things are starting to make sense. Dammit, she promised me she wouldn't do anything reckless though...'
Silas felt both happy and sad at the fact that Aseria sacrificed her power to send him back and make him stronger, but he's mainly worried about what repercussions Aseria would face.
'I'll think about it when I meet her again. Since she's now my summon, I just have to level up and summon her...'
Shaking off the pointless thoughts, Silas continued looking at the rest of his skills.
[Skill: Ascendant Gate]
[Rank: EX]
[Skill Type: Active / Instant-Cast]
[Cost: 25MP/Summon]
[Cooldown: None]
[Description:]
Summons a contracted being from your soul-bound dimension at full power, bypassing cooldowns and range limits. Ascendant Gate ignores all summoning restrictions, plane barriers, or class penalties.
[Effect:]
- Instantly summons any contracted being with no delay.
- No incantation, ritual, or circle required.
- Can summon multiple allies simultaneously (slot-limited).
- Summons appear beside you or at any location in sight.
- No casting cooldown.
[Special Notes:]
- Cannot be interrupted or countered by any anti-summon wards.
...
[Skill: Soulbrand Pact]
[Rank: EX]
[Skill Type: Active / Ritual-Based]
[Cost: 200MP]
[Cooldown: None]
[Description:]
Instead of a simple magical bond, you create a Soulbrand, forging a deep, permanent tether between yourself and the chosen being. Consent is required, but once made, the pact is unbreakable unless agreed upon by both parties.
[Effect:]
- Contracts are soul-bound and eternal.
- The summon can call for you as easily as you can summon them.
- You can share power, vision, and mana with any Soulbranded summon.
- Allows contract with unique or extra-dimensional beings.
[Special Notes:]
- Some beings may evolve just from forming the pact.
...
[Skill: Foldspace Return]
[Rank: SSS]
[Skill Type: Active / Utility]
[Cost: 25MP/Summon]
[Cooldown: 1 Hour/Summon]
[Description:]
Instantly returns any or all active summons to the Summoning Space, regardless of distance or obstruction. This evolved version also heals damage and stabilizes summoned entities.
[Effect:]
- Instantly recalls one or more summons.
- Cancels control effects on summons during retreat.
- Restores HP/MP equal to 10% of your SPR * 10 on recall.
- Automatically used before summon's death as a safeguard.
[Special Notes:]
- Cannot be blocked by dimensional barriers.
...
[Skill: Arcane Projection]
[Rank: A]
[Skill Type: Active / Combat]
[Cost: 100MP]
[Cooldown: 30 Minutes]
[Description:]
No summon? No problem. Projects a temporary Arcane Familiar crafted from mana and memory. The projection adapts to your surroundings and battle style, gaining traits to suit the current battle.
[Effect:]
- Summons a temporary spirit ally.
- Spirit evolves based on environment and intent.
- Lasts 10 minutes or until defeated.
- Has self-preservation capability and limited spell mimicry.
[Special Notes:]
- Cannot form contracts with this summon type.
...
[Skill: Soulforge Nexus]
[Rank: EX]
[Skill Type: Passive / Soul-Bound]
[Description:]
Your soul has been reforged into a multidimensional core capable of sustaining limitless contracts. Each summon's bond becomes a living extension of your soul.
[Effect:]
- No fixed cap on summon slots — scales dynamically based on SPR stat.
- Summons suffer no degradation from time away or death.
- Contracts may form across time, planes, and alternate timelines.
- Reduces summoning costs by 75%.
- Strengthens emotional, spiritual, and magical links with each summon.
[Special Notes:]
- Your soul is now a living anchor across all summonable dimensions.
- This skill cannot be transferred, suppressed, or copied.
...
[Skill: All-Realm Perception]
[Rank: EX]
[Skill Type: Passive]
[Description:]
You perceive all planes connected to the Astralis system. Your awareness now touches parallel worlds, dream realms, spirit domains, and soulspace frequencies.
[Effect:]
- Detects presence of potential special summons across dimensions.
- Allows remote viewing, dream-linking, and astral projection.
- Grants immunity to planar interference or teleport traps.
- Can track severed contract fragments to their origin.
[Special Notes:]
- Functions even while unconscious or magically silenced.
...
[Skill: Eternal Chain]
[Rank: EX]
[Skill Type: Passive / Soul-Bound]
[Description:]
The bond between you and your summons has transcended death, time, and reality. Even if erased from existence, your contracted beings will return to you eventually.
[Effect:]
- Summons cannot be erased or permanently destroyed.
- Reconstructs destroyed summons using soul echoes.
- If a summon is killed, they auto-revive using your MP and soul energy.
- Immune to contract-severing effects.
- Links evolve into deeper forms (e.g. Divine Pact, Blood Oath, Soul Marriage).
[Special Notes:]
- Summons revived this way retain all memories and emotions.
...
When Silas finally finished reading through all of his new skills, he was gobsmacked.
Naturally, he knew what abilities he was supposed to get, but most of them had gone ahead and evolved into EX-Ranked skills that are perfect for him.
For one thing, his summons will never be trapped in the summoning space due to a trap or spell ever again like when he was betrayed. Silas was unaware, but when he was being trapped and killed by his comrades, his summons saw everything and were trying to break free as hard as they could.
Unfortunately, Silas died before his summons could help him, causing the summons to feel an indescribable sense of heartbreak and loss. They even planned to kill themselves so they could follow Silas, but Aseria intervened.
However, that's a flashback for another time...
Another massive perk is the fact that nobody can break the contract formed between Silas and his summons anymore. There had been times when Silas had his summons forcibly stolen by another Summoner, though they only ever managed to take the non-core ones.
There was even a time when someone tried to steal Nyla, his first summon, but luckily there was a charm around her neck that prevented the theft. Nyla swiftly ate the man's head from his body after the failed attempt...
His summons are also now unable to die. While that's a wonderful thing, Silas doesn't plan on letting them get hurt much in the future anyway so he won't be letting them test out that function.
He's rather curious about the [All-Realm Perception] skill, but before anything else, he needs to get familiar with the other skills.
After Silas finished briefly checking his skills, he arrived at a small cave hidden in a forest near the starting village.
'The Gale Wolf Den. A low-level dungeon that offers a simple utility skill called [Flash] and a dagger called [Swift Rending Fang]. Not my weapon of choice, but it's the best I can get in this area...'
Silas got himself ready and slowly crept inside of the cave, not worried about the lack of starting equipment most games have whatsoever.
'There should only be a pack of Gale Wolves no higher than level 4. With my experience, I should easily be able to pick them off one by one with the assistance of the Arcane Familiar. Let's just get this part out of the way and then take care of the hidden quests scattered around...'
He readied himself and stepped into the cave, officially starting his journey to become the strongest Summoner once more.