Unbound

Ouranic Dominion!

Felix borrowed Pit's Skill to hover atop the wind currents high above Fortress Fenwald. It was a clever Skill, though it didn't quite work without wings. Felix was forced to utilize Storm Shaping to balance himself on tufts of air, which gave him the interesting side effect of gathering a small bank of clouds around him like a cloak.

Dang, that Skill didn’t lie. Using your Skill is almost scary easy, Felix sent to his friend.

Easy huh? How come you’re so wobbly then?

Shush.

Their bond shook with chirruping laughter. Felix ignored it and focused on the task at hand. Flying was for a purpose aside from testing their Skill sharing; he was assessing the fortress below. Fenwald had taken serious damage during their fight against the Janus Hydra. All of the walls not directly attached to the mountain had collapsed inward, completely covering the inner bailey where it didn’t outright spill into the swamp itself. Apart from the danger of falling debris, it was in the way of their small army, and Felix had places to be.

Stone Shaping.

Massive sections of stone were immediately seized by his Will. Rock flowed, pulling away from soldiers that picked through the rubble and collecting against the sides of the fortress. Even the corpses of the Hydra and its minions dissolved, leaving behind nests of twisted branches like uprooted trees, and a vast collection of broken tents and shattered belongings.With surprisingly little effort, Felix merged the stone all together, forming at first one wall and then two more. Sweat beaded on his brow as Mana poured from his Gates in thick torrents, spending huge amounts of Mana to hold it all at once, while his Intent shaped the thousands of tons of rock into a rough approximation of the fortress it once was; he even rebuilt the front gate, which had been broken since before he’d arrived.

Not gonna add a portcullis? Pit asked.

Pit hummed to himself. Nope.

Me either. Felix grunted and the front wall shifted as a giant double gate formed in the jellied stone. So they get a big door.

Stone Shaping is level 106!

…

Stone Shaping is level 110!

Below, people watched him hovering in the air, surrounded by clouds, as the stone around them solidified into a final shape. Felix was incredibly aware of their emotions, especially the blue ripple of awe that many resonated with, but he blocked them out by cinching his Affinity shut. They were a distraction more than anything, and he had to focus.

The fortress was fixed, at least superficially. There was nothing Felix could do to repair all of the sigaldry that doubtlessly threaded the interior of the broken walls, but he had a solution for that. He’d tackle that in a few minutes.

For a few minutes, he hovered in the air atop a bed of clouds and thought about his Skills.

They’d certainly grown in his fight against the Hydra, and Tiering several into Master had been a huge boost for him, both in terms of stats and capability. Yet the Hydra had given him more than a few levels: it had taught him a lesson. Avet had said it himself, in fact. Felix hadto stop waiting for the perfect moment. It would never come, and if he didn't choose to advance now, when he could, he might die in the next confrontation.

His Tenth Pillar was waiting, and so were the other two free Skill evolutions. So during the night, he had spent them. Felix brought up his old notifications.

You Have Evolved Voracious Eye (E) Into Emperor's Vigilance (T)!

Level Has Been Retained!

Emperor's Vigilance (Transcendent), Level 97!

You sit tall upon a throne of the devoured and stare into the endless dark without fear. Before your gaze, your enemies are stripped bare, even those of a higher Temper. No one below Paragon Tier can hide from your sight, and none below the Divine will detect your plundering of their secrets.

You Have Evolved Chthonic Tribute (L) Into Empyrean Embrace (T)!

Level Has Been Retained!

Empyrean Embrace (Transcendent), Level 99!

The shadows of the earth cannot contain you any longer, and the heights of the burning sky beckon to be taken. Consume completely any object or creature you have claimed, gaining greater portions of Mana, Essence, and significance from them. Uses Mana to power conversion. Greater chance of gaining Skills and/or Memories from the target if applicable.

Thankfully there had been no trace of the Link-spanning agony during these evolutions. All they had required was a large amount of his Mana and Essence, but even then it was less than expected. Felix supposed the special nature of his free evolutions was responsible…and the distinct lack of Dissonance when they upgraded. Still, they were excellent evolutions—incredible, really, and both were very close to Tempering now. How will they change once I pick their Master Tier Features?

Already, his Tempered Master Skills were very different from before. Stride of the King now had a domineering feel to its cadence, as if he were conquering wherever he stepped. Void Sanctuary was utterly changed inside of him, weightier and more solid, and containing a steady drum beat that laid underneath all that he did. Magus of the Grand Design had him draw out more of the mysterious Grand Harmony into his workings, which hadn't quite benefited him yet, but made the Skill feel both more ethereal and more potent at the same time. Finally, Astrum Ascendance was strange, but burned with a power he didn't understand. It was the many working as one, according to its Feature, and Felix was only just coming to understand its power.

Sovereign of Flesh, the Song of Absolution, Voracious Eye, Chthonic Tribute, and Adamant Discord were yet to Temper, but he had a feeling their attack on Pax’Vrell would provide him those final levels.

They better. Despite what he’d said to Vess, facing down a Grandmaster priest surrounded by an army of zealots was not something Felix thought he could easily win. It was possible, absolutely, but there were too many points of failure in their plan. They needed more intel or, failing that, a dose of overwhelming power. And after Master Tier, I need to push toward Grandmaster.

It was a daunting task, not only because of the challenge and insight required to press his Skills so high, but because of the next meta-step after his final Pillar. The Tapestry Stage…and forging his Core Manifestation so that it didn’t nearly kill him when he used it.

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Felix had meant what he'd said to Vess. He would take care of the Hierei, but they were a stepping stone to bigger targets.

Holier ones.

"Felix!"

The call came from far below, and Felix looked down to see Beef standing amid a swirl of mud in the now-cleared inner belly. Felix flew down, giving him plenty of time to observe his friend. He was easily a foot taller and broader too, now a hulking figure strapped with thick bands of muscle beneath his fur and armor. His horns had darkened and thickened into brutal looking weapons, and his hands and hooves were twice the size they once were. It was like the Minotaur teen had gone through a second puberty.

Even more surprising was the enormous creature standing beside the Minotaur.

"Did you Evolve, Hallow?" he asked, landing lightly in the mud.

"I have," she said, her echoing voice clearly proud. "I am no longer a Homunculus. I am a Graven Aegis."

“What a cool name,” Felix said with a bright grin. The Mana crystals that had once formed her hair and weapons had filled out her Body, which was now taller than Felix by half a foot. Instead of gray, lumpy stone, she was formed of sleeker, faceted crystal that looked much more humanoid than before. Necromantic Mana pulsed through her, lighting up her body with blackened-green energy. “You hit your first Evolution? How?”

Beef beamed proudly. "She Evolved overnight. Something about how you absorbed all the rock in the fortress?"

"Indeed," Hallow said, "I absorbed much of the stone in order to make my Body bigger, but it was brittle and unstable. So with Yintarian's approval, I absorbed the broken Dragon cores in the undercroft."

Felix blinked in surprise. "You absorbed a bunch of Domain cores?"

"Broken ones," she said. "They had little power left other than the material they were formed from, but as you can see, it was what was needed."

"Yeah," Beef said. "Turns out she needs to be killing things and eating their cores, like whole. She just absorbs them. It's wild," he laughed. "Oh! Hallow, show him the thing!"

Hallow gestured and her slender hands and forearms sprouted into a forest of crystalline spikes. "An evolution of my Mana Dart Skill."

Beef stomped on the ground, sending a ripple through the earth. A thick, 12-foot chitin block formed out of the ground. “You’re not selling it right! Watch this, Felix.”

"Razorhail."

The crystalline spikes, each around a foot long, shot off from Hallow’s arms in a cloud of projectiles. They traveled fast and almost soundlessly, only making noise when the first impacted the chitin block. Materials screeched as the crystals tore into the block, nearly punching all the way through the back.

"Whoa." Felix looked at Hallow. "That’s a hell of an improvement.”

Hallow smiled, which was another change. She had a faceted face that could emote now. A face that, to Felix's memory, looked remarkably like a low poly rendering of Beef's mother. "Yes, I'm faster now in addition to being larger and able to withstand a greater measure of punishment. I believe in our assessments I'm equivalent to what one would consider a high Master Tier mortal."

"Oh, Hallow, show him the other thing too," Beef said before he T-posed in the center of the mud. Felix had only a moment to look at him in confusion before Hallow's form melted, latching onto Beef's Body and shifting across his very large frame. Not just as a breastplate, she now formed a crystalline suit of armor that incorporated and reinforced the arcanite pieces Horn had made. It made the already huge Beef look like a literal tank, and as he moved his arms and legs it flowed seamlessly with him.

"Full coverage armor, I love it.”

“My old Switchshift Skill has become Protean Aegis,” Hallow said, eyes and a mouth forming across Beef’s chest. “Not only can I encompass Beef entirely, but I can manipulate my form as I Will.”

Beef’s arm lifted up and a spike of Hallow-crystal speared six feet into the sky.

“Please tell me when you’re gonna do that. I feels weird when you move my Body around,” Beef said as he pulled his arm back down.

“My apologies, Beef. I will be sure to do so in the future.”

Felix flared his Emperor’s Vigilance, and noticed neither of them shivered as it fed him information. The Skill hadn’t lied, his modified Analyze was undetectable. “Beef. You’ve been holding out on me.”

The kid grinned. "I'm Adept! Full-on Tempered!”

“Awesome, man! Congratulations! I mean, I kinda figured what with—” Felix gestured at Beef. “Everything you got going on here.”

“Hah! Yeah, it’s different, huh?” The guy flexed a couple times. “My Body finished during the battle, or right after the battle at least. And! Best part! My Blunt Weapon Mastery evolved and so did Circle of Smash and—"

“Send me the notifications?”

Beef laughed. "Oh right, right, right. Here." Beef flicked his thick fingers and sent a number of stat screens toward Felix.

Your Skill Has Evolved!

Blunt Weapon Mastery (C) Has Evolved Into Deathblow Conduit (T)!

Level Is Retained!Deathblow Conduit (Transcendent), Level 76!

Your expertise with instruments of death has grown as you’ve faced adversity, harsh training, and an increased flow of entropic might. Now, your strikes now turn any warhammer into a conduit for Necromantic Mana, designed to deliver devastating blows that echo through the Wild Threnody.

Your Skill Has Evolved!

Circle Of Smash (U) Has Evolved Into Crushwave Surge (L)!

Level Is Retained!Crushwave Surge (Legendary), Level 75!

The very earth bows before your might! Slam the ground and send out a tidal wave of earth Mana to demolish your enemies, disrupting their balance before exploding the ground beneath their feet. Range increases with Skill level. Control increases with Skill level. Explosive power increases greatly with Skill level.

Your Skill Has Evolved!

Relentless Charge (U) Has Evolved Into Ruinous Rampage (L)!

Level Is Retained!Ruinous Rampage (Legendary), Level 77!

Face your foes with weapons drawn and blood upon your brow, and all will tremble in your wake. Power gathers around you like a comet, dealing double damage to standing structures (natural or mortal made), and your speed doubles so long as your head is down.

Congratulations!

You Have Tempered Your Body!

You Have Formed: Annihilation Body!

+175 WIL

+200 STR

+100 MIG

+175 VIT

+50 END

+50 AGL

Felix whistled, flicking through Beef’s notifications. “Your Body turned out crazy good.”

“Right? I feel like I could take on that Hydra all by myself!”

“Perhaps not quite,” Hallow said from his chest. “But you are certainly mightier than ever.”

“Listen, both of you are incredible. Not only helping to save people, but pushing yourself into an Evolution? Into Adept Tier?” Felix shook his head, a wide grin on his face. “I’m very proud of you both.”

A wash of embarrassment and pride gushed from Beef, and had he been a bit less hairy Felix was positive the kid would be blushing. Hallow, for all that she was a piece of armor, beamed in a very Human way.

"What about Harn’s armor? It still fits?"

"Yeah," Beef said, more than happy to move on. "Those size enchantments you put on them worked perfectly. They stretched with me and don’t feel tight at all."

"Oh good. I was worried about that. You grew more than I anticipated." Beef laughed, embarrassed but clearly pleased. Felix looked around. "What about Archie?"

Hallow’s smile faded. "We have not seen much of him for several hours."

"Yeah," Beef said. "But he’s stronger too. He improved Stoneswim to something called…Tokyo Drift?”

“That can’t be right,” Felix laughed.

“I forget the name, but it's good from what I read. Like really good.”

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Tell me all about it."

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