Chapter 210 - Comprehensive Analysis

[                                   Status                                      ]
[Name: Reivyn   Class: Imperial Liaison: Grand Arcanist  Lvl 60   Age:    14 (20)]
[                                 Fighter                                       ]
[Health:  9,180/9,180 (+310)  Stamina:  17,670/17,670 (+410)  Mana:  11,735/11,735 (+50)]
[Physical Stats   Mental Stats]
[STR:   849 (+10)     INT:    1024 (+4)]
[VIT:    918 (+31)   MAG:   1,323 (+6)]
[DEX:  848 (+10)     CLA:   861 (+1)]
[CHA:  222 (+1)       PER:   860 (+1)]
[LUK:   200 (+1)]
[Bloodline: Lvl 1 Unknown 227,822/10,000,000,000]
[Experience: 6,377/15,000]

[Skills:]
[Tier 1:]

[Aim (46), Athleticism (61), Balance (51), Dancing (29), Drawing (23), Drill (24), Drive (7), Haman (20 MAX), Heavy Armor (29), Hiding (35), Horsemanship (24), Light Armor (24), Map Making (29), Map Reading (26), Mathematics (18), Marching (41), Medium Armor (40), Memorization {Social} (22), Mining (22), Observation (59), Penmanship (37), Piano (16), Ride (24), Running (53), Rhythm (28), Shading (7), Shields (49), Sneaking (32), Stealing (9), Swimming (12), Tracing (7), Tutor (11), Woodworking (17)]

[Tier 2:]

[Acrobatics (28), Alcohol Tolerance (11), Ambidexterity (24), Backstab (9), Camouflage (22), Color Correction (1), Eavesdropping (33), Evasion (60), Forced March (25), Gab (20), Linguistics (11), Mana Absorption (60), Mana Circulation (49), Meditation (49), Numbers Concepts (10), Pain Resistance (54), Pickpocket (6), Sense Mana (74), Silent Step (23), Stealth (28), Strategy (31), Tactics (44), Teach (19), Tracking (10)]

[Tier 3:]

[Ambush (13), Battlefield Awareness (49), Blind Fighting (33), Command (51), Commanding Shout (33), Danger Sense (44), Decipher (1), Detect Lies/Truth (17), Eagle Eye (3), Identify {All} (24), Infiltration (3), Inspire (51), Mana Conjuration (51), Mana Manipulation (58), Mana Shield (41), Mana Sight (63), Mental Fortitude (49), Night Vision (34), Poison Resistance (3), Sense Threat (19), Silver Tongue (12), Sure Step (20)]

[Tier 4:]

[Assassination (3), Charm (2), Dreams of the Past (17), Dual Casting (49), Iron Will (24), Mana Weapon (41), Runes (1), Spatial Awareness (62)]

[Tier 5:]

[Aura {Bloodlust, Heroism} (4), Heroic Bearing (22), Mana Drain (6), Mana Healing (5), Mana Reinforcement (17), Multi-Casting (24)]

[Tier 6:]

[Akashic Record (1), Weapons Master (100), Regeneration (10)]

[Tier 6.5]

[Divine Sense (14), Perfect Domain (9)]

[Affinities:]

[Tier 1:]

[Air (101), Earth (101), Fire (101), Water (101)]

[Tier 2:]

[Ice (88), Lightning (86), Magma (90), Metal (90), Mist (88), Mud (88), Plasma (93), Wood (87)]

[Tier 3:]

[Bludgeon (54), Darkness (100), Durability (59), Friction (52), Gravity (49), Kinetic (61), Light (100), Mass (52), Piercing (62), Sharpness (62), Weight (53)]

[Tier 4:]

[Eternal (17), Traveler (17)]

[Tier 5:]

[Abyss (1), Veridical (1)]

[Transcendence: Obedience]

[Tier 1:]

[Air, Earth, Fire, Water]

[Ability: Command the Affinities within your influence, and they will obey]

[Class Skills:]

[Magic Spells (188): Level 1 2MP, Level 2 10MP, Level 3 20MP, Level 4 50MP, Level 5 100MP, Level 6 500MP, Level 7 1,000MP]
[Deconstruct (99): Pick apart Spells to their base Elements. Bonus to understanding Weaves, Knots, and Patterns. Bonus to Mana Manipulation +99%]
[Will of the Realm (90): Your Will is True]
[Impart (1): Impart your understanding of Spell Matrices and Affinities to a student]
[Mana Well (46): Increase your Mana regeneration by 31%] (31.50) (1 Lvl = 0.25%)
[Available: Enforce (22), True Mana]
[Cleave (111):  Reset stance at an accelerated rate of 253%]
[Multi-Strike (48): Attack multiple times with anything, up to 19 times at once.]
[Elemental Weapon (118): Coat your weapon in an Element. Able to extend the length of the Elemental Weapon with additional mana]
[<Locked>]
[<Locked>]
[Available: Charge (117), Devastating Strike (99), Intermediate Light Spells (0), Intimidate (0), Power Swing (0), True Illusion (0), Quick-Draw (81)]

Reivyn perused his Status Page more intently than he had done in months. He had gained a lot of Skill Levels in that time, and he had maxed out his Level in Tier 2. He wanted to reach Transcendence with his Weapons Master Skill before he pierced the barrier to the next Tier, though, so he had once more turned his Experience Siphon Ability on. He had gained nearly 100,000 Experience from the battles since, but it was just a drop in the ocean to the amount of Experience he needed to advance to the next Level in his Bloodline.

The army had successfully retreated from the battle with the invaders, and the enemy hadn't continued to press their advance. Remnants from the other camps scattered across the front line had converged in the city with them, but there were considerably fewer than Reivyn had seen on his trek to root out the spies. The number of captured soldiers and casualties had averaged around 70% for the other camps. Prince Allik's troops had been lucky.

Not all of the surrounding outposts had met up with Prince Allik's army, either. Word had been spread from the other major camps that they had reached various other cities, forming a new front line against the enemy invasion. Several of the commanders hadn't made it, one way or another, but Prince Endrew had evaded all attempts to capture him and he remained in overall command of the defense of the Region.

Most of the civilians had already evacuated the city once the civilians from Piori had arrived. They had told a tale of a never ending horde, and the locals had packed up and headed closer to the capital city right away. There were still a few who stuck around, and there were the Adventurers who had arrived to take part in the conflict - not all of them were indifferent to the plight of their home Region.

Reivyn had conversed with Prince Allik and the command staff to get his men set up in a new barracks area along the inner wall, and aside from being on high alert, still, things had mostly returned to how things had been before the resumption of hostilities. Reivyn was taking time out to check his Status Page after a long time of being a bit too busy to keep up with it consistently.

The only real solution to upgrading my Bloodline is using natural treasures from the higher Tier Regions, Reivyn thought. The power differential between putting that Experience into Levels verse the gain from upgrading my Bloodline just doesn't make sense. The Experience is just a numerical representation, anyway. I watched the numbers tick up when my parents helped me consume the natural treasures to fully unlock it.

Reivyn dismissed his musings on his Bloodline and focused on his Weapons Master Skill. He had put most of his effort into training the Skill, and fighting for his life multiple times against the assassination squad and that Tier 5 giant had really pushed his Skill along. He was actually a bit surprised that he had already reached Level 100 with the Skill. He had expected to hover around 95 to 99 for quite some time.

It's probably something to do with the nature of the Skill. It's always acted as if it was several Levels higher in effectiveness verse other weapons Skills, it must have reached the threshold some time ago, and the System recognized that the incremental improvements I've made since being equivalent to 100 with other Skills was enough to warrant an increase. Either way, I just need some inspiration to reach my goal.

Speaking of waiting to advance to my next Class...

Reivyn pulled up another page from his Status that was only available once he reached within ten Levels of the maximum.

[Tier 3 Classes Available]
[Common] - White
[Expert Dancer]
[Expert Hunter]
[Expert Laborer]
[Expert Mason]
[Expert Miner]
[Expert Performer]
[Expert Story Teller]
[Expert Tracker]
[Expert Woodsman]
[Fortune Teller]

[Uncommon] - Green
[Cataphract]
[Charming Dancer]
[Charming Performer]
[Expert Hunter *Wood]
[Expert Laborer *Earth]
[Expert Mason *Earth]
[Expert Miner *Earth]
[Expert Miner *Metal]
[Expert Tracker *Wood]
[Expert Woodsman *Wood]
[Marksman]
[Politician]
[Recon]
[Soldier]
[Soldier of Fortune]
[Wizard]

[Rare] - Blue
[Arcanist]
[Assassin]
[Chevalier]
[Elemental Swordsman]
[Magic Swordsman*]
[Mystic]
[Siege Engineer]
[Shade]
[Sharpshooter]
[Sorcerer *Air/Earth/Fire/Water]
[Veteran]
[Wizard *Air/Earth/Fire/Water]

[Epic] - Purple
[Arcane Elementalist]
[Battlemaster]
[Champion]
[Death Knight]
[Foundation Establishment - Gray]
[Juggernaut]
[Sorceror *Dark/Light]
[Warlord]
[War Wizard]

[Legendary] - Gold
[Edge of Duality]
[Embodiment of Elements]
[Grand Arcanist]
[Justicar]
[Master]
[Perfect Foundation - Gray]
[Royal Commander]

[Mythic] - Red
[Carnage]
[Incarnation of Darkness]
[Incarnation of Light]
[Lost Soul]
[Pillar of Truth - Gray]
[Soul of Duality]

He glanced over the options available to him. They were mostly the same, especially in the lower Rarities, as to what had been available when he had forced his Class Transition, but there were some notable differences. There was the inclusion of the locked Cultivator Classes, and there were a few more worrisome Classes available, as well.

Carnage might be a Mythic Class, but I'm not sure I like the sound of it, Reivyn chuckled to himself. It's definitely one of those granted because of my connection to the Abyss. I'll still look at it, of course, but I'm not going to pick such an ominous sounding Class. I also notice that the Imperial Liaison designation is missing from all of the entries.

From context, I'm guessing Pillar of Truth is the ultimate Cultivator Class. If that's the case, then the one Class I can feel just out of reach but not on the list isn't below the Cultivator Classes. I forgot an important truth Xudrid told me: Cultivators are just another Class. I wonder what it is?

Reivyn would find out when it was finally revealed. He instinctively knew that it wouldn't appear until it was fully unlocked, unlike the other ones that appeared when he was close. It gave him hope that it was special. There were differences in potency between Classes in the same Rarity, and one that required more than what Reivyn already had was definitely something that would stand at the top.

Out of curiosity, he focused his attention on a few of the new options to see what they were all about.

[Battlemaster]
[You live for the battlefield. You can wield a variety of weapons and use the right tool for the job. This extends to your command of the battelfield as a whole. With a sweep of your spear you can clear the field of enemies, and your presence alone is like a magnet for change. Where you direct your fury, the battle swings in your favor.]
[Battlemasters can use all implements of war, be they personal weapons or siege. They are not necessarily a leadership Class, but they can inspire morale and dread in equal measure.]

That's an interesting Class, Reivyn stroked his chin in thought. It would definitely be worthwhile to cultivate some of the mercenaries towards this Class in the future. Not all of them can stand out, but the few who do could form a powerful secondary force.

Reivyn's mind focused on the next Class that caught his interest.

[Foundation Establishment]
[Take the true first steps of being a Cultivator. Gather the wisps of your Qi and build your Foundation for future growth to have a solid base to stand upon.]
[Foundation Establishment Cultivators are still novices in the Cultivator society, though it is an important step that can dictate the heights one can reach in the future.]

That's about what I expected. According to Xudrid, there's not a terribly large difference between Qi Gathering in Tier 2 and Foundation Establishment in Tier 3 other than potency. The true differences start in Core Formation in Tier 4. The ability to walk through the air with ease is a clear sign, Reivyn chuckled.

[Edge of Duality]
[The core of your being is one of Duality. Use the edge between polar opposites to sever all that opposes you. You have mastered the ability to harness the thin line between two completely different aspects to your will. You are not a master of one or the other aspect, but you instead turn your focus to the phenomenon created when they are brought together.]
[The Edge of Duality can use any juxtaposition between polar opposites they command. They are a master of none of them, but their mastery of the conflict between them makes them much more of a versatile threat.]

That, honestly, looks amazing. Especially for me. I have so many different Affinities and abilities that could be harnessed by this Class. If it was a Mythic Class, there would be almost no contest. There has to be a reason it's one step below.

[Embodiment of Elements]
[You represent the Affinities themselves. Any Affinity you have sufficient control over can be fully expressed by your very being. Take on the aspect of the Elements and bend them to your purpose.]
[The Embodiment of Elements perfectly integrates the aspect of the Affinities into their body, Not only can they weave Spells perfectly and without thought when they embody an Element, their very nature takes on the inherent characteristics of the Affinity.]

That seems like an improved version of my trick of flooding my body with an Affinity. I imagine it opens up a lot of other utilities with ease I would otherwise have to spend countless hours practicing.

[Justicar]
[You are the law. You wield authority not only over subjects, but of limited reality itself. Judge, jury, and executioner, use your influence to stamp your will onto the world.]
[The Justicar is typically one with authority unto themselves, but they can also borrow authority from a recognized patron. The limits to affecting reality are severe, however, and can only be exercised in one's own domain.]

Even though I can see why I've unlocked this Class, that doesn't seem like anything I would ever be interested in. I can see some other people - Ren comes to mind - who would jump at being able to wield authority directly through the System like that, though.

[Master]
[You have mastered your body. Perfectly use your body exactly how you intend to in every situation. The dimensions to your body are no barrier to your will, either. You can freely alter your skeletal structure.]
[The Master is a perfect martial artist. They can learn and master martial Skills with ease, and they can fit their body to their needs at will.]

If I was born without access to my Mana Skills, that sounds like it would be right up my alley. It has some interesting side-abilities as well. I bet a Master would be excellent at infiltration. In fact, I wouldn't put it past the invaders to employ a couple as their spymasters. It would make sense, and these Classes are still Tier 3. They're not exclusive to me.

Reivyn skipped over the Perfect Foundation. It wasn't available to him, and the only difference in wording between it and regular Foundation Establishment was about a taller building being able to stand on a firmer foundation.

[Royal Commander]
[The blood of royalty courses through you. Even if you aren't in line to succeed the throne, you can harness your inherent nature to command those around you. Not just a master battle tactician and strategist, you can also command respect among the masses.]
[The Royal Commander is typically one who is not in line to inherit the throne. They don't care, though, and they use their bloodline to inspire and suppress in equal measure.]

That Class seems a little strange, to be perfectly honest. The way it's worded makes it seem like it's not suitable to someone competing for the throne. It's more like they could care less about the actual chain of command within the royal or imperial family. Just looking at the name, I would have thought it was more line with Battlemaster or Warlord, but that doesn't seem to be the case, entirely. Either way, not interested.

[Incarnation of Darkness]
[The Darkness lives within you.]
[The Incarnation of Darkness is the Darkness. Literally and metaphorically.]

That... leaves a lot to be speculated. "Literally and metaphorically" leads me to believe it's not just about the physical aspects of Darkness, but the concepts as well. I'm not sure what to think about such a Class. It obviously has some influence from my connection to the Abyss.

[Incarnation of Light]
[The Light illuminates all.]
[The Incarnation of Light is the Light. Literally and metaphorically.]

The wording is almost exactly the same as the other. I doubt this has anything to do with my connection to the Abyss, though. I would be more inclined to pick this one than the other if I had to, but there's a lot to contemplate about this Class.

[Lost Soul]
[You've been displaced out of Space and Time. Your soul remembers, though.]
[The Lost Soul isn't bound to a specific reality. They can harness the powers surrounding them, wherever they are, and they can draw upon past experiences from other Realms of existence.]

The availability of this Class actually answers some questions. I've never thought too deeply about my Dreams of the Past, but this pretty much makes it obvious. My soul has traveled through the River of Souls but still remembers. Those Dreams really are memories.

[Skill Leveled Up!]
[Tier 4]
[Dreams of the Past (17) ->(24)]

Wow! That's a big jump! Reivyn was momentarily shocked. It actually makes sense, though. I've been resisting the truth of the matter for so long, and finally coming to terms with it has probably just pushed it to the Level it was supposed to be.

[Soul of Duality]
[The very fabric of your being is one of Duality. You are a master of all opposites as well as the interactions between the two. You were born of two opposing aspects, and you've only nurtured their opposing natures as you've grown.]
[The Soul of Duality is a paradox. They are the opposing aspects and they're each individually. Wherever there are polar opposites, the Soul of Duality flourishes.]

That explains why Edge of Duality is Legendary. This is the upgraded version, and it's not limited to just the interaction between the two polar opposites. I can see why the other is a step below in Rarity, now. If my gut feeling about the Class still hidden from me turns out to be untrue, this is definitely the number one contender for my next Class.

Let's take a look at the ultimate Tier 3 Cultivator Class.

[Pillar of Truth]
[Your foundations are eternal. They're better than perfect. They are built upon the very fabric of the Realm itself.]
[The Pillar of Truth can ascend the heights of Cultivation with ease. The work has been put in up front, and the door to true perfection has been opened to them.]

Ah, I see. It seems that the best of the best Cultivator Classes can't be reached without attaining this Class. There will always be a moat barring one from achieving the best in Tier Cultivator Class to those who don't take this version of the Foundation Establishment, even if they have the necessary Stats and Life Experience to otherwise unlock it.

The wording also implies it's based on the Realm. If I was in the Abyss Realm using their System, would it be Pillar of the Abyss?

Let's look at that Abyss Class, now.

[Carnage]
[Revel in the blood of your enemies. Who are your enemies? Who aren't? There are no allies, only competitors.]
[Carnage lives for blood. They reap all opposition before them, even if those opponents aren't currently even standing in the way.]

Yeah, definitely not taking that Class. It screams murder-hobo, and that is definitely not me. Reivyn paused for a second. Where did the term "murder-hobo" come from? It must've come from my Dreams of the Past Skill that I've finally fully accepted, Reivyn shrugged.

Reivyn dismissed the Class Page. There were a lot of underwhelming Classes, even in the higher Rarities, but that could just be because of the lack of information associated with it. Less description might not mean less powerful. They were Mystic Classes, after all, and the words that were used implied a lot of utility. He wasn't really interested in those, either way.

The Soul of Duality was the clear frontrunner. Aside from the characteristics of Battlemaster and Master, it fit him almost perfectly. Battlemaster and Master were great for him because of how he'd lived his life, but Soul of Duality was a perfect match for his very nature, down to his balanced soul. If the Masked Man hadn't done whatever he did to balance out his soul, he didn't know if the Class would be available to him.

Reivyn stood up from his lotus position on his bed and strode out of his room. He made his way down to the first floor and stepped out into the sunlight. Refix was standing there, arms crossed and one foot against the wall as he leaned against it, watching the mercenaries drill.

"Done with your introspection?" Refix asked, glancing at his son from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Reivyn nodded his head. "I have a frontrunner Class selected if reaching Transcendence with Weapons Master doesn't unlock another one, and I've gotten a sort of confirmation about some things." Reivyn paused and looked at his father. "I also have some new questions."

"Uh huh. So what Class did you choose?"

"It's called Soul of Duality, and it has something to do with some of the questions I have. For you."

Refix tilted his head to the side.

"A Class option prompted questions for me? What questions?"

"Why is my soul, the very center of who I am, made up of two opposing forces?"

Refix stood up straight and dusted himself off before turning to face Reivyn with a serious expression.

"I know some of the answer to that, but not everything," he answered. "A lot has been lost to time, but enough has remained. We'll talk about it tonight in your room, but I will answer your question to the best of my ability. Now, what was the other thing? The confirmation."

Reivyn eyed his father for a moment before sighing and accepting the suggestion. He obviously wanted answers now, but it wouldn't be appropriate to talk about it right out in the open like this.

"I'm definitely a reincarnated soul. My 'Dreams' are memories of my past life, for sure."

"And? Your mother and I pretty much knew that already."

Reivyn quirked an eyebrow.

"That doesn't strike you as strange?"

"Not really?" Refix replied. "I mean, it's not necessarily common knowledge or accepted belief, but reincarnation is a fairly universal concept. Considering your stories about the sparks between Realms and what they obviously represent, it makes sense. I would argue that it's probably more rare for someone alive to not be a reincarnated soul. I mean, those souls had to start somewhere. We just don't remember our past lives.

"It changes nothing about our relationship together. So what if you can remember some snippets of another life. In this one, I am your father and Ameliyn is your mother. Nothing can change that."

There was a moment of silence as Reivyn processed what his father said. He felt a bit of moisture in his eyes when he finally responded.

"Thanks, dad. I feel the same way."

"Of course you do! Who's son are you?" Refix thumped his chest. Reivyn chuckled and playfully shoved his father's shoulder. "Now, tell me about the other Class options you had available to you. I'm really curious what the System has deemed fit to offer you."

"Sure," Reivyn said with a smile.