Hey my friends, welcome to this humble chapter!
A small thing, I changed his previous stats... Again!
This is because there was a consistent mistake throughout the entire old version where, instead of adding +15 from the aspect of might, I consistently added +25 to the first three stats and Magic because I'm damn stupid.
Instead of turning 104 into 119, I transformed it into 129...
So I'll always be fixing it as we go, sorry for that, but I ended up allowing it to pass.
Also, aside from this chapter, we'll be having two more side chapters as we passed 350 power stones! Yay!
And if we're lucky, we may breach 10 Golden Tickets, meaning, +1 chapter.
That's about it, peace.
Link -> https://discord.gg/zpAgtPBAMK
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Dale remained silent for a few moments before coming to a decision.
Rumbling on and on inside his mind, thinking about the possible ramifications and consequences his actions could possibly have while also accounting for anything this game could offer.
His only basis was what the previous game challenged their players with during its end game.
"I'm thinking about this from the wrong perspective…"
'Who cares about what my Focus is? It's too soon to be thinking about that…'
'Even for the people who would eventually become Alma Conquerors, they went through a lengthy process of self-discovery before they stuck with something that represented them.'
'Why am I supposed to choose it from the get-go? It's even a bit unfair.'
'But regardless, this choice has to be made now.'
"I need to make a choice between 3 options, Sword, Spear, and Self. Otherwise, I'm stuck…"
'There is no 'leaving things for later' kind of thing... My options are limited from the start.'
'Do or do not, the game doesn't care what choice I make, neither does time.'
'But if I have to follow a certain path to grow, as such, I can only try my best to make the most suitable option…'
'However, what is a suitable option?'
'It isn't just a matter of it being the one I want or am most comfortable with since, in the end, I may find myself regretting this very choice.'
'I don't even know what'll happen once I choose the Class…'
'Sigh… I can't see the future, besides, it'll take a long time for me to regret it… Or hopefully, I never will.'
'After all, I first need to learn the ways and techniques that are bound to this Class before diving into what makes it unique.'
"I have made my choice."
Dale took out his book from his inventory…
[Consuming the book will give you access to a new compatible Class]
[You have chosen, Alma Conqueror (Self)]
[Never let your Will be subjected to that of others, even in the direst of circumstances, as that is the path of a Conqueror]
[Witness the world through your very eyes and not through the words of others, as those are subjected to the corruption of man, let yourself dictate the truth]
[Let your Soul run ablaze like the brightest of Stars]
As Dale read the messages, the book in his hand burned to cinders, leaving behind a strange, floating green rune.
"Hm?... How is there such an effect when this is just a mere copy?..."
'I don't think the old man would be able to copy whatever magic was innately cast upon it during its confection...'
'This must be an effect of the System.'
[DING]
[You have met the requirements for a Class Change]
[Would you like to receive a New Class?]
"..."
'No point in turning around now... '
"Yes." Dale replied with certainty as he looked at the rune
Before he even had the time to process what it was, the rune broke into many brilliant pieces, and those same pieces rushed into Dale's eyes at incredible speeds, making him blink in surprise!
He felt his body turn cold than hot in the blink of an eye...
[Your Class has changed from Heavy Spearman to Alma Conqueror]
[Previous Class benefits are being overwritten]
[Constitution Ratio has changed from 1.1 to 1]
[You have gained a new Skill, Confluence 0-Star]
[Hidden Stat, Soul Power has been revealed]
As the clear sounds echoed in his mind, rivers of information poured into Dale's mind.
"Urg!!"
It wasn't foreign knowledge though, instead, it was the practices and techniques of the InnerLight Cult, information he had read about previously, but not quite understood due to how vague the book was about it.
But now, all of it was revealed to him, making him understand a lot more… All at once.
Dale felt the greatest headache he had ever felt, and it wasn't short-lived as this process would last for a little while longer…
…
/10 minutes later…/
"Arg!... Finally… Phew…"
As the words and images stopped passing through his mind, Dale finally let out a sigh of relief as the pain subsided.
He rested his head on his trusty pillow, but he thought about nothing, letting his mind rest...
Instead opened the Game menu and brought forward his stats…
[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston)
Attainments: Body Reformation; Eclipsed; Massacre of 100; Culling Blade; Forged Heart amidst desperation; Minor Enlightenment; Heart Gate Open
Level:27 (89.3%)
Class: Alma Conqueror 0%
Character Status:
Strength: 104(119 -> 69); Constitution: 104(129 -> 79); Dexterity: 104(119 -> 69); Mental Power: 79(94 -> 44); Reflexes: 79(94 -> 44); Mana: 104(119 -> 238 -> 188)
Soul Power: 10(25)
Skills:
Slot 1-> Spear Technique 3.5-Star (Neutral)/ Mana Conduction 2.5-Star (Neutral)
Slot 2-> Close-quarters Combat 3-Star (Neutral)
Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 3-Star (Passive)
Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 1-Star (Passive)
Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 3-Star (Active)
Slot 6-> Miasma Immunity 0-Star (Passive)
Slot 7-> Vital Heart 0.5-Star (Active)
Slot 8-> Confluence 0-Star (Neutral)
Temporary Skills: None
Current Effects:
Aspect of Might -> All Stats +15
Molded Heart -> Mana Ratio = 2
Heart Gate -> Mana +50
Body Reformation -> Natural Healing and Stamina recovery speed has been greatly increased
Blessed by Ju-Arkesios -> Constitution +10 while within a 5Km radius of any of her Temples
Injured Heart -> All Base Stats -50 /Received treatment/(1 Hour 46 minutes...)
Inventory (+)
]
As expected, nothing much changed, it hadn't been long since he checked it after all.
But some things seemed to be added… And removed.
'My constitution dropped significantly… It's okay though, I'll recover it one day.'
'Losing 10% of it is a bit of a loss though... Sigh.'
He checked his Status again, this time, paying attention to the big changes.
'A new Stat… A new Skill… And at the very end, the description for the Injured heart changed from -50 to all Stats to -50 to all Base Stats, probably due to the appearance of this new stat.'
'Interesting, this would mean there are other Stats aside from the Base ones, this wasn't a thing in the other game even with some of the rare Classes and Skills.'
'There were mentions of other powers, but I have no recollection of players that admitted having unlocked such things.'
"Overall, I would say it's pretty underwhelming for something I found in a hidden safe of the Office of a Corps Commander…" Dale said with a serious face as he let his back touch the wall
'Regardless, I have no comparisons anyway...'
"As for what I gained from this..."
'It may not be much...'
'But the reason for this is hidden within the information I gained after my Class changed.'
'Power is not given immediately, I have to work for it.'
Dale focused his gaze on his Class:
[... Class: Alma Conqueror 0%...]
'0% huh...'
'This must be what I think is...'
'That currently, I'm far from this Class' true potential, so I have to work hard for it... You know, walk down the path and all of that.'
'The closer I get to it, the better the benefits… I hope.'
'As to how I'm going to do that?...'
Dale changed his focus to his new Skill.
'This is the way how.'
'Although it's not much, the memories I gained gave me a better and clearer idea of what this Cult works with, their techniques and methods.'
'And all of it is centered around this simple Skill, Confluence.'
'Confluence is the term given to the junction of two rivers, but it can be extended to other things such as roads, and in this case, it's the junction between the Mind, the Soul, and the Body.'
'It may seem strange at first...'
'As how I'm I going to make those 3 aspects come together when in theory, they should already be one and the same?'
'But this isn't something that should be viewed only in a physical way, but more in a metaphysical way...'
'When my Mind alone can influence both my Soul and Body and vise versa… That is when I will have reached the first requirement to become an Alma Conqueror…'
'At least by this Cult's perspective.'
'But to achieve that, a lot of training will be required…'
Dale smiled.
"The fact this Class has a percentage gauge already proves its Uniqueness, something I wasn't aware of at all…"
'However, it would be hasty of me to assume this is a progress bar, it could very well be something else...'
Dale looked at David, noticing he had returned to his strange, sleeping state.
"The day is still long…"
'One less thing for me to worry about, but as soon as it went away, something else filed its place.'
'Now I have to worry myself with training, studying, completing my Quests, and the progress of Resko and everything around it…'
Dale opened his inventory and took out a pre-selected book.
It read: The Inner and Outer Circuit Volume 1 out of 2, Version 3.4
It was a rather thick book, at least 200 pages long…
But Dale was determined to read it.
"I need to understand more about Mana before trying to play with it…"
'Time to dive in…'
With a focused smile, Dave rested his back on the wall and brought forward the book's translation, reading it all under the faint sunlight coming from his window…
…
/At the same time, somewhere in Japan…/
An old man rested his back on his very expensive chair with a pensive look as he waited…
/Knock knock!/
"Come in, I've been waiting." The old man said as he looked at the door
"Excuse me Mr.Robert…" Said the woman who entered
She was the perfect definition of a sensual secretary, with her glossy black hair and glasses, and her curvy figure as she walked inside holding a thin pile of old-fashioned papers in her right hand.
There was also a small rectangular tablet floating behind her.
(Should I make an image for both her and Roger?)
However her expression wasn't sensual in the least, and it could even be said to be cold and professional... Perhaps even tense?
"Did you do it?" The old man asked coldly as he tapped his fingers on the table
"Yes, we collected everything you asked for." She replied professionally as she swiped her finger on the tablet next to her, sending an archive to the old man's computer
His vision, however, did not move away from her.
"What do you think of it?" He asked calmly
The woman remained silent for a while before saying:
"It's… Odd? I don't quite see how and why we… Pardon me. I simply found nothing unusual about it." She said as she adjusted her glasses
"..."
Robert looked at her with an inquisitive glance before saying:
"Is that so… Let me take a look."
The woman nodded and gave him the papers.
/Flip flip flip…/
At an incredible speed, borderline inhuman, the old man read page after page, as if he was flipping through the pages with no aim…
"Hm?"
But he then stopped.
"There's indeed nothing… How unusual."
'I didn't expect this… So why?...'
'Is this really that same person?'
/Poof…/
Robert placed the papers on the table and frowned.
"Sir… How about we proceed from this for now and go on with the rest?" The lady asked slowly, trying to be as respectful as possible
Robert took out his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes.
"Yes. That seems to be the better option, for now..."
"I'll think about this later, it seems one or two readings aren't going to be enough." He said with conviction
'I need to make sure I didn't miss anything… This is crucial.'
'I can't commit the same mistakes they did, not this late in the run.'
The secretary took out a small square object and unfold it like paper, revealing another tablet.
"I've already sent you the weekly and daily reports… But these are the encrypted files." She said as she gave the old mand the folding tablet
"It's already been a day since the explosive Launch of Azimuth, and we…"
Robert shook his head and said:
"No, leave this talk for later, I'm not in the mood to hear numbers… Let's talk about something else."
"Yes sir."
The woman knew her Boss very well, she knew that he wouldn't hear anything she said at all if she were to continue talking.
Even though she felt it was a bit unfair since she had to put all of this info together, it was just a part of her job.
"If we jump all of this… We're left with a single piece of news."
"Oh? What is it that requires my attention?" Robert asked with a smile
"Our teams in America have detected some Unusual activity from the Blue Candles…"
"What?" Robert asked with a surprised expression as his tone and posture changed
'Have they started to move? But why in America of all places? That's far from their area of influence...'
'On the contrary, they're moving into my territory... How did they even get in? In North America of all places?'
'Also, how are those guys allowing that to happen?'
'It's too soon, the promise between countries only ends in 2 months...'
His expression changed as he realized something.
'Those bastards... Have they already started to choose sides?'
'Impartiality will only stand if the ground beneath it is stable, now that the world is about to shake, those with the weakest legs are already starting to give in.'
'Impertinent people, they made an Oath and are now taking a step back... How dare they... This won't just end with a slap on the back.'
'Do they think they can circumvent the Oath with such cheap tactics?'
'It seems reality has not yet fallen onto them... But it's to be expected of such hasty fools.'
'There's no need for me to act, they're digging their own tombs...'
'Wait, is someone else behind this? It's hard to assume the Blue Candles are the only ones behind it all...'
"Do we have a place and a date?" He asked as he scratched his chin
She nodded and said:
"Around 4 hours ago, New York…"
She proceeded to say even the finest details such as the city block and street.
"They didn't even try to hide, instead… It seemed they were in a hurry to get somewhere?" She asked out loud as her expression turned into one of inquiry
"Hm…"
'A hurry? This means they haven't gone senile with all those years of silence, they must've also realized that now is the time to prepare.'
'But they're too late in the run, how are they even going to keep up?...'
'So what is it? What is it that they want to get, so much so they would risk revealing themselves at this time?'
'If I were them, I would just stick with remaining incognito, at least that way you can maintain one of your advantages, but appearing like this...'
'It must mean they found something of value to counterbalance their loss.'
'What exactly...'
Robert thought deeply… But then…
"...!!"
/BAM!/
He smashed his hands on the table, breaking the solid wooden table in half as his knuckles cracked violently!
"THOSE FUCKING ASS EATERS!"
/FWOOSH!/
Wind blew onto the secretary's face, sending her hair back as if an air cannon had blown onto her.
/Jump!/
He got up from his chair and jumped over the girl in a way unimaginable for his age.
He turned around and screamed at her:
"Dammit! GO! GO NOW! Call out Task Force Blue Dice and prepare the fastest Jet we FUCKING HAVE! FOR YESTERDAY!" He said as he rushed out of the room
"!"
The secretary also rushed out at high speeds, entering a call with someone through the device on her ears almost immediately…
It seemed this wasn't the first time she did something like this as she completely ignored the old man's strange actions...
…
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Notes
I hope you all liked this, I'll try to increase the pace slightly, I know we've been talking a lot.
For example, Dale has been Level 27 for almost 50 chapters, it's a bit much.
There have been a lot of events going on, with most arcs lasting about 5-7 chapters, perhaps less, but it's true it's a bit exaggerated.
Honestly, I think the details are necessary, I mean, we've been learning a lot in a very organic way, and it's not like I suddenly gave the Mc a real-life quest because his brother's girlfriend fled home and he was sidelined for 10 chapters trying to find her.
At the very least, if I were to do that, I would introduce a reason, cause, consequence, and benefit to the story.
For example, the players were introduced through Rodi's existence, someone that was shown all the way since chap 20ish after he got drunk and made a mistake.
That is how I'm trying to write at least.
I think introducing some things in this manner is by no way a waste of time, but I also think that doing a small 2 paragraph mention something instead of dedicating an entire chapter to it is also good.
But in the end, it depends on the readers.
We could have an entire chapter where Dale goes to the farm to investigate a strange Cow that mutated, linking to his forest Quest, but that might take 2-3 chapters...
Or we could just skip that entirely, and then say that Dale did this and that and got this and that...
You know... That feels a bit odd to me.
It feels cheap as if we jumped the development and the author just took something out of his ass and didn't bother to properly explain it.
I can see it working well in several cases, but for most of these, not quite.
After all, how would I jump Dale's journey to discovering the Door of Promise and then send Rodi to go there to send him back just so he could bring Testros with him so he could eventually get enlightened, leading to further events in the story?
It's all connected for me, my notes say it all...
But for some readers, that may be a bit boring... I don't know...
People are weird.
Do you all think I'm weird? Do you guys consider yourselves as weird? Do you think I just write and talk too much?
Suggestions are appreciated.
In any case, peace!
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