Ein gasps, awakening in the void once more. His panic sets in as he touches his chest, or more accurately, his now lack of one. In its place was the gaping hole that Grimm made.
[CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR DEATH. IN YOUR LAST RUN, YOU:
KILLED 9 RAZORWINGS
KILLED 4 BEOWOLVES
KILLED 1 A. BEOWOLF
WALKED 9300 M
RAN 5000 M IN 26 MINUTES.
WENT A TOTAL OF 22 MINUTES WITHOUT BEING DETECTED BY GRIMM
TRAPPED 2 GRIMM
OUTSMARTED 10 GRIMM
DODGED 33 TIMES
CLASHED HEAD TO HEAD WITH 1 POWERFUL FOE
COMPLETELY DOMINATED 1 FOE
SURIVED 1 DAY
CALCULATING XP GAINED...]
The panel opened in front of him, snapping him out of his panicked state. He breathed heavily, but slowed down gradually. Eventually, he calmed down from his stupor. "Fuck…" He placed his face in his hand and slumped down. He felt like he was on the verge of crying. That pain... I'm gonna feel that plenty more times, aren't I? He shook his head. He was never going to get used to it, but he can at least use it to his advantage.
As he waited for it to finish its calculation, he recalled the few things he he did in that life. Even if he only survived a day, he got a lot of valuable information. Firstly, his STP is directly linked to his actual stamina. For as long as his STP doesn't go down, his actual stamina doesn't either. Meaning that STP's just that much more important now.'
Secondly, things that have hidden information can be revealed if he's either told about it, in the case of the Oak Wood when Artie told him about it, or if he reads about it, like the name of the village when he saw the Convenient Store's name. However, that's not the case if the item was made by Ein or (Rebirth).
[CALCULATION FINISHED. HERE ARE YOUR RESULTS:
KILLED 9 RAZORWINGS ... 9 x 5 = 45 XP
KILLED 4 BEOWOLVES … 4 x 10 = 40 XP
KILLED 1 A. BEOWOLF … 1 x 20 = 20 XP
WALKED 9300 M ... 0.01 X 9300 = 93 XP
RAN 5000 M ... 0.05 x 5000 = 250 XP
WENT A TOTAL OF 22 MINUTES WITHOUT BEING DETECTED BY GRIMM ... 22 x 8 = 176 XP
TRAPPED 2 GRIMM … 2 x 10 = 20 XP
OUTSMARTED 10 GRIMM … 10 x 3 = 30 XP
DODGED 33 TIMES … 33 x 1 = 33 XP
CLASHED HEAD TO HEAD WITH 1 POWERFUL FOE … 1 x 30 = 30 XP
COMPLETELY DOMINATED 1 FOE … 1 x 10 = 10 XP
XP GAINED: 747
SURVIVED 1 DAY … 747 x 1.1 = 822 XP]
[ACCEPT XP?]
[Y/N]
Ein widens his eyes. So much XP in front of him… And there's a survival bonus as well… "Works for me. That's one more reason to survive." He accepts the XP with eager delight, the XP count distracting him from his haunting death.
[PLEASE STANDBY FOR SKILL CALCULATION]
The panel in front of him read out. He supposed there's nothing much else to do but look at his system. He hasn't seen any other notifications since he tried to run back to camp and died. The notification he saw made him go wide eyed and involuntarily grin.
[CALCULATION COMPLETE.]
[RECIEVING REWARDS...]
[RAZORWINGS x9: +71 RAZORWING FEATHERS, +20 RAZORWING POULTRY, +8 RAZORWING TALONS, +12 RAZORWING EYES, +3 RAZORWING SOUL.]
"So I can still get the items when I die?" In response to his question, a (Rebirth) panel popped up before his eyes.
[UNUSED NEW ITEMS WILL BE DESTROYED UPON REBIRTH. JUST LIKE ANY ITEMS YOU AQUIRE AFTER YOUR LAST SAVE.]
Ein clicked his tongue, he supposes that's fair enough. That didn't matter though, since at the end of the day, he still got what he wanted. The last piece of the Research Table. "Wait, unused? I can craft things in here? Also, 8 talons? I took out nine of them though?" He asked in surprise.
[DROP RATES SCALE DIRECTLY WITH LCK LEVEL.
TIER 1: 10% PER LCK LVL
TIER 2: 5% PER LCK LVL
TIER 3: 2.5% PER LCK LVL
vvvEXPANDvvv]
[YOU CAN CRAFT IN THE VOID, BUT THE MOMENT YOU LEAVE, ANY OBJECTS LEFT IN THE VOID (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RESEARCH TABLES) WILL BE DESTROYED.)
"Why just the Research Table Specifically?"
[YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE LIVING. HAD YOU CREATED THE RESEARCH TABLE IN THE REAL WORLD, IT MERELY WOULD HAVE TELEPORTED HERE.]
"Oh." Now that he was thinking about it, yeah that does make sense. Research needs XP, and XP can't be taken to the real world. He extends his hand to create a LVL 1 Worktable with his spare wood. Then he uses a bit more wood to craft a short oak wood handle so that he can use THAT to make a Wooden hammer. "Damn, this process is way too long!" He shouts in exasperation.
[CRAFT:]
[WOODEN HAMMER x1 (COST: ANY 1 SHORT WOOD HANDLE, ANY 3 WOOD, ANY 4 FIBER)
He confirms the crafting process. The materials on the table begin its process. In perfect timing, his skills finally finish calculating.
[CALCULATION FINISHED. HERE ARE YOUR RESULTS:
OUTSMARTED 10 GRIMM
(PASSIVE SKILL GAINED: PLOTTER. {AVAILABLE TO EVOLVE AT MAX LVL}
-WHEN IN ANY FIGHT, THIS SKILL GRANTS +2 INT
-PERMANENT +10% AP/MP
-PERMANENT +2 INT
SKILL COST: NONE
COOLDOWN: NONE
SKILL LVL: 1/10 |0/30 XP|)
CLASHED HEAD TO HEAD WITH 1 POWERFUL FOE
(ACTIVE SKILL GAINED: FLASHING STRIKE. {AVAILABLE TO EVOLVE AT MAX LVL}
-WHEN ACTIVATED, MOVE FORWARD UP TO 5 METERS IN A FLASH AND DEAL DAMAGE TO ANY FOE IN THE STRIKE ZONE.
-THE STRIKE ZONE IS 5 METERS IN LENGTH AND 1 METER IN WIDTH BEHIND THE HOST
-+5 ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO ANY FOE IN THE STRIKE ZONE.
-THIS SKILL CAN'T PASS THROUGH WALLS
SKILL COST: 6 STP
COOLDOWN: 5 SECONDS
SKILL LVL: 1/10 |0/75 XP|)
COMPLETELY DOMINATE 1 FOE
(PASSIVE SKILL GAINED: SADISM. {AVAILABLE TO EVOLVE AT MAX LVL}
-ABSORB HP BY 0.5% OF DAMAGE (1 HP MINIMUM)
-THIS SKILL CANNOT BE OVERWRITTEN BY (CALM MIND)
SKILL COST: NONE
COOLDOWN: 10 SECONDS
SKILL LVL: 1/100 |0/50 XP|)]
[ACCEPT SKILLS?]
[Y/N]
"Jeez, talk about a wall of text." Ein chuckles as he pressed the yes button. A bunch of new skills, a lot more power. A better chance to survive the Grimm. He glanced briefly at his (Sadism) skill and got a shiver up his spine.
[STAND BY FOR STAT CALCULATION]
"Ah, the big one." He awaits his stats. The real big thing. His real power spike.
But it seems that he'll have to check up on that later since his hammer is finally done crafting.
[WOODEN HAMMER
QUALITY: HORRID (TIER 1)
DURABILITY: 100/100
STATS: +1 TOTAL DAMAGE
DESCRIPTION: A HAMMER CREATED BY REBIRTH AND ITS HOST. IT'S NOTHING SPECIAL.]
Ein chuckles. That's about what he expected. Its stats didn't matter to him much though, since it had a greater purpose. He takes out the necessary materials from his inventory. "Create… Research Table."
The wooden hammer fired a bright white beam, the materials glowed white and went up to the sky. The void almost sounded like it made a cartoony sound effect, leaving Ein dumbfounded. "…What." He couldn't ponder for too long though, as from the sky, he saw a glimmer. As the meteor like object came down at an incredible speed, he realized what was going on. Just like last time a, Research Table, albeit a higher tier, was being delivered, and it was coming to him the same way.
"Oh god!" He quickly uses (Sprint), saving himself just in time as the table crashed down alongside in a cloud of dust, causing him to cough.
A few seconds later, the dust clears. The LVL 1 Research Table from the tutorial was before him once again. He holds his hand out towards the table. "It's gonna do that every time I upgrade, isn't it? Interact."
[RESEARCH TABLE {LVL 1}]
[DURABILITY: UNBREAKABLE]
[DESCRIPTION: THE LOWEST TIER OF RESEARCH TABLE. THIS RESEARCH TABLE CAN RESEARCH UP TO TIER 3 SKILLS. SKILLS THAT ARE TIER 4 AND ABOVE ARE BLOCKED OUT FROM THE HOST'S VISION.]
The skill tree opened up before him. Unlike last time, the skill tree was more of an actual skill tree instead of an incomprehensible web of symbols and numbers. "What changed?"
[FOR THE HOST'S SAKE, REBIRTH HAS AUTOMATICALLY DECIDED TO SORT THE SKILL TREE.]
"Oh, you can do that? Then can you automatically press yes to the calculations?"
[YES. AUTOMATED ACCEPTANCE INITIATED.]
"God, if only I knew earlier." He chuckles before looking back to the skill tree. Now that he could actually see what was going on, it was definitely unfortunate that he missed such essential skills.
The skill trees were divided into three tabs. Production, Combat, and General.
In the Production skill tree belonged the (Craftsman) skill, but also a number of others. The craftsman skill branched out into three separate skills. Blacksmith, Woodworker, and Alchemist, and from those were other skills that branched out from those. Some even connected to other skills of the same tier. Up until Tier 3, they were visible, but the Tier 4 skills were completely blackened out. Just as the description of the research table said. He does see some interesting converging skill tree names though. Namely, (Umbrashift), (Mechashift), and (Gaiashift) in the Tier 3 section.
In the Combat skill tree, he found the (Combatant) skill, which branched out into 5 paths. Hunter, Fighter, Bard, Mage, and Rogue. The combat skill tree was by far the most expansive tree out of the three to the point of not being bothered to look through the rest of the skill tree beyond Tier 2.
Lastly was the General skill tree. It was barren, and extremely so. It had far fewer research bubbles than the other two trees, including the (Survivor) skill which branched out into 4 skills which were absolutely essential, there were only thirteen nodes through Tier 1 to 9. One of the Tier 2 skills was something he desperately needed. Grimm Encyclopedia, Magic, and last but absolutely not least, Aura. The latest of which branched out into one skill. Semblance.
Of course, like a normal person, he immediately gunned for it. Hovering his hand over the (Aura) skill.
[AURA]
[DESCRIPTION: AURA IS THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE SOUL. ANYONE CAN USE IT, BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN MASTER IT.
[UNLOCKS RESOURCE: AP]
COST TO UNLOCK: 150 XP]
[UNLOCK?]
[Y/N]
"Obviously yes!" He says excitedly and bracing for impact. It hurt his XP wallet, but it would be a hundred percent worth it
Yet nothing happens.
"Why's there n-" If the timing couldn't be worse, the installation process begun the moment he let his guard down.
[NOTICE: THE (AURA) SKILL IS BEING INSTALLED. PLEASE WAIT.]
Unlike with the last few skills, this one was different. Instead of feeling like a bomb of knowledge exploded in his brain, words were being spoken into his mind, thousands of voices chanting a familiar yet unfamiliar mantra, and it hurt. It almost reminded him of how Pyrrha unlocked Jaune's aura in the first volume, if it wasn't for the fact that this process was painful, and Jaune's process was not.
"A hell one is bound to is a hell one must break free from."
"With a will never broken, a mind always whole. You shall overcome even death."
Yet what is the use of my will if I were to just die again and again anyway? He thought.
"Despite tribulations, a torture that will never be known to anyone but you."
"Like a snake that eats its own tail, the cycle of rebirth shall perpetuate your soul."
That's right… Ein thought, gripping his head, the splitting headache getting worse by the second. No one will ever be able to know my pain… The suffering of death… Over and Over again…
"Through your downfall, you rise higher than ever before."
"Through death, you live."
As the chanting stopped, so too did his headache. His breathing was labored. If he had a heart instead of a gaping hole in his chest, it'd definitely be beating real quick.
That chant… It gave him a lot to think about.
[AURA UNLOCKED.]
[672 XP REMAINING]
The window distracted him from his thoughts. He slapped himself gently on the face, fully getting him out of his trance. "Now's not the time to get depressed, Ein." He said to himself. He noticed that his body was emitting a dark forest green, well, Aura. His body felt invigorated.
[AURA (AP) IS A SPECIAL STAT THAT ACTS AS HEALTH, ARMOR, AND A RESOURCE. YOUR SEMBLANCE WILL USE AURA UPON ACTIVATION. UPON TAKING DAMAGE, YOUR AP WILL ALWAYS DRAIN BEFORE YOUR HP DOES. WHILE YOU HAVE 25% OR MORE AP REMAINING, YOU GAIN A PASSIVE +5 ARMOR. UPON HITTING 0% AP, YOUR STP LOSES 50% OF ITS REMAINING QUANTITY.]
It works just like how it does in the show, and then some more! He pumps in fist in excitement at this. Finally, about time I got SOME semblance of armor! No pun intended.
He hovers his hand over the (Semblance) skill in the skill tree.
[SEMBLANCE]
[DESCRIPTION: ALL PEOPLE HAVE AURA, EVEN IF ONLY INNATELY, BUT ONLY FEW CAN MANIFEST THEM TO GREATER HEIGHTS. THESE ARE SEMBLANCES. THOUGH, THERE IS GREATER HEIGHTS… PERHAPS THAT'S WHY IT'S MERELY A SEMBLANCE.
(UNLOCKS ACTIVE ABILITY: SEMBLANCE.)
(PREREQUISITES: AURA)
COST TO UNLOCK: 200 XP]
[UNLOCK?]
[Y/N]
Ein sucked air in through his mouth and teeth. It may not have hurt physically, but his XP wallet would hurt a lot from getting it. Not that unlocking Aura didn't hurt either, but it was a necessary sacrifice. He presses yes to unlock his Semblance.
[NOTICE: THE (SEMBLANCE) SKILL IS BEING INSTALLED. PLEASE WAIT.]
This one was instant. Painless too. Much unlike the last time a voice invaded his head. "What is a weapon to you?" The gentle voice said in a serene grace. The gentleness of the voice compelled him to answer. "A partner to never leave my side. The same way goes the other way around." The voice hums joyfully.
"Are you satisfied with yourself?" That a question that cut deep. Even before he was transmigrated to Remnant, he never could truly be satisfied with himself. He was never happy with who he was. His parents cared a lot, he could tell. Yet, they never noticed his problems. It felt infantilizing. He had friends, but they always felt fake. Is it his fault? Maybe, or maybe not. "No…" The voice acknowledges his answer with a sorrowful hum.
"Last question. If you had the chance, would you earnestly change not just yourself, but everyone and everything around you for the better?"Is this a call to action? Probably, Ein thought. Though, thinking about it, if he was given the chance. He probably would 9 times out of 10. For the sake of others? Maybe. One thing to be guaranteed though. He'd do it, if only to have his parents acknowledge his talents. If only to have friends who truly care.
He didn't have to answer. The voice already understood what he meant. His face was solemn. Anyone would be able to tell what he was thinking. "In that case… Yes… You shall obtain a semblance of enhancement. Not just of yourself, but of others too, whether it's animate or otherwise. Live on, Death's Conqueror. One day, death will not haunt you anymore. Just wait for that moment." Ein looked down on the ground, no longer answering, but rather just listening to the voice's reassuring words. Maybe it was just a hallucination, but he felt as if the owner of the voice petted and ruffled his hair gently, before he was once again alone in the void.
Yet, it was a comforting silence.
Within the darkness, the echoing of dripping water could be heard.
[SEMBLANCE UNLOCKED.]
[DESCRIPTION: THE ABILITY TO TAKE AND THE ABILITY TO GIVE. THE USER OF THIS SEMBLANCE, (HOST OF REBIRTH), HARBORS DEEP DISSATISFACTION TOWARDS BOTH HIMSELF AND THE WORLD. IT IS ONLY THROUGH A SELF REALIZATION CAN THIS SEMBLANCE TRULY BECOME WHOLE.
-WHEN USED ON AN ITEM THAT HAS 'A HIDDEN POTENTIAL', AWAKEN THAT ITEM AND USE UP ANY GRIMM SOULS.
-WHEN USED ON THE HOST, REPLACE ONE VALID PART WITH A GRIMM PART.
-WHEN USED ON ANOTHER, REPLACE ONE OF THEIR VALID PARTS WITH A GRIMM PART.
SKILL COST: 75% MAX AP, GRIMM SOUL (MAX 1)
COOLDOWN: 1 WEEK
SKILL LVL: 1/100 |0/10 XP|]
[472 XP REMAINING]
---
[CALCULATION FINISHED. HERE ARE YOUR RESULTS:
WALKED 9300 M ... (1 AGI/1000 M) = +9 AGI
RAN 5000 M IN 26 MINUTES ... ((5000/26) x .5) AGI = +10 AGI
WENT A TOTAL OF 22 MINUTES WITHOUT BEING DETECTED BY GRIMM ... +1 DEX/5 MINUTES = +4 DEX
TRAPPED 2 GRIMM … +1 INT/2 GRIMM TRAPPED = +1 INT
OUTSMARTED 10 GRIMM … +1 INT/3 GRIMM OUTSMARTED = +3 INT
DODGED GRIMM 33 TIMES … +1 AGI/5 DODGES= +6 AGI
CLASHED HEAD TO HEAD WITH 1 POWERFUL FOE … +3 STR +2 VIT/FOE CLASHED = +3 STR +2 VIT
COMPLETELY DOMINATED 1 FOE … +2 STR +1 INT/FOE DOMINATED = +2 STR +1 INT
DUE TO CERTAIN GAINS ECLIPSING THE 5 LEVEL SOFT CAP, ANY POINTS PAST 6 WILL BE DIVIDED BY 5.
TOTAL STATS GAINED: +4 STR, +2 VIT, +3 DEX, +5 AGI, +1 INT]
Ein had long since ceased crying and calmed down. That's twice now he cried his eyes out, but at least this time, he cried for a happier reason. He breathes in deep… And exhales. He lets out a whistle, seeing the gap between all of the other stats and AGI. "Damn... Agility's pretty easy to raise, no?" He chuckles in amusement. "That soft cap, still sucks though." He says before opening his (Menu) to check his current stats.
[MENU]
[AVAILABLE XP: 472]
[HOST INFORMATION]
[NAME: EIN VALESTEIN
TITLE: NONE
AGE: 17
GENDER: MALE
HP: 0/50 ((VIT + STR) x 5)
STP: 6/30 ((VIT + AGI) x 2)
MP: N/A
AP: 66/66 (((INT + VIT) x 5) x 1.1)
AC: 0 (+5)
(INCLUDES PASSIVE SKILL BONUS. EXCLUDES ALL OTHER SOURCES OTHER STAT SOURCES UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.)
CLASS: NONE
STATUS EFFECT: NONE
SEMBLANCE: [ABSORB AND INFUSE]
[EQUIPMENT]
[HEAD: NONE
TORSO: REGULAR T-SHIRT
LEGS: SLACKS
SHOES: RUBBER SHOES
ARMS: NONE
HANDS: NONE]
[vvvEXPANDvvv]
[STATS]
STR: 2 --> 6
VIT: 2 --> 4
DEX: 3 --> 6
AGI: 6 --> 11
INT: 5 (+2) --> 6 (+2)
LCK: 6 (0/60 XP)]
Oh yeah… I can definitely work with this." He marvels at his stats, eager to test them out. He does a sideward kick to test out his now eleven agility. He feels it. The force behind the kick. The wind rushing around his legs as kick travelled along the air. He grins. Next he tests out his running speed.
He didn't expect to get that fast though. He was running as fast as he was when he had (Sprint) on.
He ran for only a few seconds, but he was already extremely far away from where he first ran. He turns around in a quick motion, activating (Sprint) and wasting the little STP he had left.
As quick as he departed, he was back even quicker. He was pretty damn confident in his speed now. To be exact, he was going about 22 km/h. And that was without (Sprint). With (Sprint), he was going just above 33km/h.
"Scratch what I said earlier. I'm not just working with this, I'm making speed my bitch!" He exclaimed, pumping his fist upwards. That too, was so much more powerful than before. "Not even Alpha Beowolves will be a match for me!" And to make that point even clearer, he also unlocks (Magic) and (Grimm Encyclopedia).
[GRIMM ENCYCLOPEDIA]
[DESCRIPTION: KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. TO KNOW YOUR ENEMY MEANS TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP AGAINST.
(UNLOCKS SKILL: GRIMM ENCYLOPEDIA)]
[PASSIVE SKILL GAINED:
GRIMM ENCYCLOPEDIA.
-REVEALS STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING GRIMM:
-BEOWOLF ALL VARIANTS
-BOARBATUSK ALL VARIANTS
-CREEP ALL VARIANTS
-KING TAIJUTU ALL VARIANTS
-NIGHTMARE ALL VARIANTS
-LANCER ALL VARIANTS
-RAZORWING ALL VARIANTS
-SABYR ALL VARIANTS
-URSA ALL VARIANTS
SKILL COST: NONE
COOLDOWN: NONE
SKILL LVL: 1/3 |0/3000 XP|]
However, when he unlocked (Magic), something odd happened…
[MAGIC]
[DESCRIPTION: A POWER LOST TO TIME. PERHAPS WITH YOUR HELP, THIS POWER CAN BE REUNITED WITH HUMANITY.
(UNLOCKS RESOURCE: MP)
(UNLOCKS MAGIC SKILLS.)]
[MAGIC (MP) UNLOCKED.]
[THIS MYSTICAL POWER HAS A MUCH LESSER DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY, HOWEVER IT IS MUCH MORE VERSATILE AND AT TIMES, MUCH MORE POWERFUL. IT'S AN ANCIENT ART LOST TO TIME AFTER HUMANITY REBELLED AGAINST THE BROTHER GODS.]
[ACTIVE SKILLS GAINED:
[FIRE BOLT. {AVAILABLE TO EVOLVE AT MAX LVL}
-3 INNATE DAMAGE
-DEALS FIRE ELEMENTAL DAMAGE
-HAS A 5% CHANCE TO BURN
-QUICK CAST
SKILL COST: 5 MP
COOLDOWN: 3 SECONDS
SKILL LVL: 1/10 |0/40 XP|]
[LIGHTNING SPEAR.
-5 INNATE DAMAGE
-DEALS ELECTRIC ELEMENTAL DAMAGE
-HAS A 25% CHANCE TO STUN
-THE LONGER THIS SPELL IS CHANTED, THE GREATER THE CHANCE OF STUN (+5%/s of chanting) (+25% max)
-THE LONGER THIS SPELL IS CHANTED, THE GREATER THE DAMAGE (+5%/s of chanting) (+25%)
-LONG CAST, EARLY CAST CAPABLE
-"A power that travels at the speed of light, o holy thunder, heed my call. Appear before me to strike true all those who oppose me. Bless me, for it is through me that lightning shall reign. Lightning Spear."
SKILL COST: 20 MP AT STARTUP, 2 MP/S
COOLDOWN: 1 MINUTE
SKILL LVL: 1/10 |0/60 XP|]
[172 XP REMAINING]
[THE WORLD HAS DETECTED THAT YOU POSSES BOTH AURA AND MAGIC. YOU HAVE BECOME A TIER 1EXISTENCE. YOUR EXISTENCE HAS BECOME CLEARER.]
[ALL HOSTS HAVE REACHED TIER 1]
[THE WORLD RESPONDS TO YOUR EXISTENCES.
-THE GRIMM HAVE LEVELED UP TO LVL 2.
-GRIMM GAIN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE TO STATS.
-GRIMM NOW HAVE A CHANCE TO MUTATE.
-GRIMM PATRIARCHS NOW HAVE A CHANCE TO SPAWN.
THE CYCLE HAS BEGUN ONCE MORE. THE PIECES HAVE BEEN SET. ALL IS LEFT TO DO NOW IS DEVELOP NOT ONLY YOURSELF, BUT OTHERS. DESTINY WILL LEAD YOU TO YOUR FELLOW HOSTS. WHERE YOUR PREDECESSORS HAVE FAILED, YOU SHALL HOPEFULLY SUCCEED. GOOD LUCK.]
"A clearer existence?" He asks in vain, for (Rebirth) has no answer. No matter how long he waited. He sighs. That's just another mystery to solve one day. Now that Ein's done with unlocking the General skills he wanted, he moves on to Combat. He can only unlock one thing in the Combat Skill Tree. He hovers his hand over the icon of the skill.
[COMBATANT]
[DESCRIPTION: TO BE A COMBATANT IS TO FIGHT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. BECAUSE ONE DAY, IT MAY JUST BE YOUR LAST.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: COMBATANT)
(PREREQUISITES: NONE)
COST TO UNLOCK: 50 XP]
[UNLOCK?]
[Y/N]
A class! I had enough for it last time too! "I'm so dumb!" He berates himself. He could've had a much easier time against that Alpha Beowolf. He clicks yes and braces himself for the installation. He was ready.
[NOTICE: THE (COMBATANT) CLASS IS BEING INSTALLED. PLEASE WAIT.]
He wasn't ready.
Instead of knowledge being injected into his brain, he whited out.
…
…
Ein(?) opens his eyes and looks around. It was a boxing ring. In front of him was a buff man with a set of boxing pads. Ein(?) has never met this man in his life, yet he knew instantly why he was there in front of him.
"Alright kid, one more!" Ein(?)'s body moved on its own. A jab, a right hook, an uppercut. All in quick succession, then he follows it up with a series of kicks, yet the man remained unfazed. "Is that all you got, Sam?! Hit me with all your strength!" 'Sam?' Ein asks himself before realizing the implications. 'Oh. These are Sam's memories.'
…
The memory cuts ahead. Once again, Sam is in the ring. This time however, it's not a mere practice match. No mentor, but rather an foe. An obstacle in his journey to become the strongest kickboxer.
"Looks like we're nearing the end, ladies and gentlemen. Both fighters are tuckered out." One of the two commentators said tensely. "This finals match is matching up to be one of the most historic events in kickboxing history." Compared to his Co-Commentator, this one was much more energetic. "This is a fight between two titans of the ring. Who do you think will come out on top, Joey? Samuel Graham or Romani Fisher?"
…
Ein could sense it. This'll be the last time the memory skips ahead. It showed Samuel Graham. He was smiling, looking at his protégé. The child kicked and punched, looking towards Sam every now and then. Sam acts like he doesn't notice, but he does. He's very proud of his protégé.
His son.
"Dad! How'd I do?! Pretty damn good righ-" The child was interrupted by Sam gently tugging on his ear. "O-Ow! Dad!" "Upup! No swearing, Rio!" "Sorry!" The child exclaimed as the father playfully tugged at his ear. They were both laughing. As Rio was giggling, Sam was reminded of his late wife. They had the same laugh.
…
…
…
Ein wakes up, taken back to the void, looking outward aimlessly. He looks at his hand, gripping. His hands were more powerful now than ever before. His grip, stronger. Veins running through and pumping blood. His body also changed to a slightly more athletic form. He reminisces a bit before sighing. "I'll honor your memory, Samuel Graham."
[NEW CLASS UNLOCKED:
(COMBATANT)
-+1 TO ALL BUT STR AND ARMOR
-+2 STR
-+5% TOTAL DAMAGE
CLASS LVL: 1/10 |0/10 XP|]
[122 XP REMAINING]
He hovers his hand over the branching skills to inspect them.
[HUNTER]
[DESCRIPTION: STALK YOUR PREY. LAY DOWN TRAPS. DRAW BACK YOUR BOW. BE PATIENT. WAIT FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT TO STRIKE. THAT IS A HUNTER.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: HUNTER)
(PREREQUISITES: COMBATANT LVL 5, TRAP 5 FOES TOTAL|2/5|)
COST TO UNLOCK: 100 XP]
[FIGHTER]
[DESCRIPTION: A FIGHTER NEVER YIELDS. A FIGHTER IS ONE WHO CAN FACE THEIR ENEMIES HEAD ON. TO BE A FIGHTER IS TO BATTLE WITH NO REGRET.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: FIGHTER)
(PREREQUISITES: COMBATANT LVL 5, AURA)
COST TO UNLOCK: 100 XP]
[BARD]
[DESCRIPTION: COME AROUND, LISTENERS. FOR THIS SONG IS A TALE, REMINISCING THE SACRIFICE OF ONE NOBLE HERO. FOR I AM A BARD, AND A BARD SHALL SPREAD JOY TO THE PEOPLE.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: BARD)
(PREREQUISITES: COMBATANT LVL 5, INSTRUMENTALIST)
COST TO UNLOCK: 100 XP]
[MAGE]
[DESCRIPTION: A MERE STUDENT OF THE ARTS. THOUGH THEIR MANA RESERVES ARE SMALL AND ARE RELATIVELY WEAK IN THEIR PHYSICAL ASPECT, THEY HAVE THE BENEFIT OF BEING YOUNG AND SPRY. MAGES HAVE SO MUCH AHEAD OF THEM. SO MUCH TIME TO LEARN.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: MAGE)
(PREREQUISITES: COMBATANT LVL 5, MAGIC)
COST TO UNLOCK: 100 XP]
[ROGUE]
[DESCRIPTION: AN OUTCAST OF SOCIETY, BORN FROM AND RAISED BY THE STREETS OF POVERTY. AS SUCH, ROGUES DEVELOP A CERTAIN SET OF SKILLS.
(UNLOCKS CLASS: ROGUE)
(PREREQUISITES: COMBATANT LVL 5)
COST TO UNLOCK: 100 XP]
"Oh. They need (Combatant) on LVL 5?" He thinks about it. He's got 122 XP left. Getting (Combatant) to LVL 5 would cost right about…
"5,120 XP?!" He exclaims, doing the calculation for how much XP it would take. He could feel his XP wallet disintegrating from the mention of the cost alone! "Well, I guess I'm not getting another class for a while…" He sighs in resignment before moving to the production tab. The good shit, as one would say. He already has a pretty good list of things he wanted to get
[BLACKSMITHING]
[DESCRIPTION: A (BLACKSMITH) IS A MASTER OF FIRE, FORGING BLADE AFTER BLADE IN PURSUIT OF MASTERY. THROUGH ENOUGH PRACTICE, AN (ALCHEMIST) AND A (BLACKSMITH) MAY COMBINE THEIR POWERS TO CREATE A POWER DARK ART LOST TO TIME. THROUGH ENOUGH PRACTICE, A (WOODWORKER) AND A (BLACKSMITH) MAY COMBINE THEIR POWERS TO CREATE SOMETHING WHICH CAN GIVE PEACE TO ALL WHO KNOW IT.
(UNLOCKS RECIPE: METAL TOOLS, WEAPONS, AND ARMORS TO TIER 3, ANVIL AND FORGE {LVL 1})
COST TO UNLOCK: 50 XP]
[ALCHEMY]
[DESCRIPTION: ONE WHO DABBLES IN THE DARK ARTS. AN ALCHEMIST ONE WHO CREATES CONCOCTIONS AND BREWS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ALLIES OR WEAKENS THE ENEMY. AN (ALCHEMIST) AND A (BLACKSMITH) MAY COMBINE THEIR POWERS TO CREATE A POWER DARK ART LOST TO TIME.
(UNLOCKS RECIPE: ALCHEMY TABLE {LVL 1}, UPTO TIER 3 POTIONS.)
(DISCLAIMER: UPON DISCOVERY OF YOUR ABILITIES, GREAT POWERS MAY TAKE INTEREST IN YOU.)
COST TO UNLOCK: 50 XP]
For a grand total of 100 XP. Without hesitation, he unlocks the two skills. The knowledge was injected into his brain painfully, yet through the pain, mastery is unleashed.
Concoctions of power and techniques to mold the very earth to his will. All of it was now known to him. He had everything he needed, there's only one thing to do now.
[22 XP REMAINING]
Find a way to use his remaining XP. In truth, there was only really one choice.
[CLASS:
(COMBATANT)
-+1 TO ALL BUT STR, LUK, AND ARMOR
-(+2) -> +3 STR
-(+5%) -> +10% TOTAL DAMAGE
CLASS LVL: 2/10 |0/20 XP|]
[12 XP REMAINING]
He was satisfied with his spending. This death, as much as he didn't want to admit it, was incredibly lucrative. He spends the rest of his EXP on luck just to not lose it all. Before he went out, he had one last thing he wanted to do.
He gets his (Flint Spear), holding it in his hand. Next, he gets a (Razorwing Soul) from his inventory.
[RAZORWING SOUL]
[QUALITY: BAD (TIER 2)]
[DESCRIPTION: AN IMPOSSIBLE ITEM CREATED BY THE HELP OF (REBIRTH). THE SOUL OF THE SOULLESS. THE WEAK SOUL OF A SOULLESS BEAST WHICH ROAMS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, SWARMING ITS PREY WITH ITS BRETHEREN.]
It was a fiery, yet calm thing. The soul wished to lash out at him, yet it can't. It merely swirls around his hand. Cutting it slightly as razor sharp blades of wind erupt from it. Then he focuses. He activates his aura, breathing in and felt the warmth of his weapon in his left hand, and the cold, cutting of the souls in his right.
The souls travel to the (Flint Spear), swirling around it before completely enveloping it in darkness. The spear's silhouette gradually changed form as his aura was getting drained. The soul coat was slowly taking form, enveloping his arm as it begins to solidify into a singular wing, wrapping around his arm. The tip of the spear became sharper. Deadlier. It was as if it was made of the Razorwing's bones. Just below the spearhead, two ribbons were being formed. On pme ribbon, red and black. On the other, red and white. They were both wild with a tempest energy as the element of wind flew wildly. The shaft was the last thing to take form. From top to bottom, the spear's once uneven and rough handle was replaced with one of regal feel. Intricately and beautifully done, the white, black and red handle felt natural to his skin. Like it was another limb.
The weapon's transformation was complete. It was a beautiful work of art.
[GALEPIERCE]
[QUALITY: BAD (TIER 2)]
[DURABILITY: 250/250]
[STATS: +8 TOTAL DAMAGE (WIND ELEMENT), +2 AGI & DEX WHEN WIELDED. HAS A UNIQUE DAMAGE CALCULATION.]
[DESCRIPTION: A POWERFUL WEAPON CREATED BY FUSING THE SOUL OF A RAZORWING GRIMM AND THE HOST'S SEMBLANCE, (ABSORB AND INFUSE). THROUGH THIS PROCESS, THE HOST HAS BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO THE WORLD. HAS MULTIPLE SPECIAL ATTACKS.]
Even with the world's level up, he was confident that he was significantly more powerful than most things at his level. Even then, with his new production skills, he can potentially get even stronger.
He checks his stats one last time. Before setting out. He was nervous, yet at the same time confident.
[MENU]
[AVAILABLE XP: 0]
[HOST INFORMATION]
[NAME: EIN VALESTEIN
TITLE: NONE
AGE: 17
GENDER: MALE
HP: 0/50 ((VIT + STR) x 5)
STP: 6/30 ((VIT + AGI) x 2)
MP: 88/88 ((INT x 10) x 1.1)
AP: 66/66 (((INT + VIT) x 5 )x 1.1)
AC: 0 (+5)
(INCLUDES PASSIVE SKILL BONUS. EXCLUDES ALL OTHER SOURCES OTHER STAT SOURCES UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.)
CLASS: COMBATANT LVL 2/10 |0/20 XP|
STATUS EFFECT: NONE
SEMBLANCE: [ABSORB AND INFUSE]
[EQUIPMENT]
[HEAD: NONE
TORSO: REGULAR T-SHIRT
LEGS: SLACKS
SHOES: RUBBER SHOES
ARMS: NONE
HANDS: NONE]
[vvvEXPANDvvv]
[STATS]
STR: 6 (+3)
VIT: 4 (+1)
DEX: 6 (+1)
AGI: 11 (+1)
INT: 6 (+2) (+1)
LCK: 6 (12/60 XP)]
[SKILLS]
[(ACTIVE)
SPRINT LVL 3/5 |5/120 XP)|
FLASHING STRIKE LVL 1/10 |0/75 XP|
FIRE BOLTLVL 1/10 |0/40 XP|
LIGHTNING SPEAR LVL 1/10 |0/60 XP|
(PASSIVE)
CALM MIND LVL 2/10 |0/60 XP|
FIRST BLOOD LVL 2/20 |0/100 XP|
PLOTTER LVL 1/10 |0/30 XP|
SADISM LVL: 1/100 |0/50 XP|
GRIMM ENCYCLOPEDIA LVL: 1/3 |0/3000 XP|]
With the reassurance of his new strength, he once again, is rebirthed anew.