Chapter 14: XIV – (Lots of) Choices

“Oldies?” asked Esperanza within her mind.

 

Yes, Esperanza?

 

“There’s five options for the second tier class here?” she queried once more, the question at the tip of her tongue evident.

 

That is as it should be. The System itself curated classes that matched your experiences and feats, ones that fit the life you had lived in your passage to earn that new tier. We had tried to include some of our influences within, but by and large, the System still held the reins on this field. Are there any problems about it?

 

“Well… from what I can see out of the names the pendejo System seems to think of me as some sort of kill-happy monster that eats everything in my way here,” explained Esperanza with some exasperation in her thoughts. “There’s one that’s likely caused by your influence, but there’s also definitely an ongoing theme with the rest. Should I just pick the one that’s likely yours?”

 

We recommend that you take a closer look at all of them first, Esperanza. Maybe some of the other paths would suit you better, maybe they would not. We will not advocate which one you should choose, as that choice should be done by yourself, of your own free will and no other. Follow your heart, child, and see where it leads. Tread the path you choose for yourself rather than the one pioneered by others, unless that was the way you had chosen for yourself.

 

Either way, evolving into the second tier brings many advantages, so one way or another, whatever you end up choosing will be beneficial for you in some manner, at the very least.

 

“If you say so. Guess I got time to take a closer look for myself before deciding one way or another anyway… Mierda,” mumbled Esperanza with some exasperation.

 

She would have liked a bit more guidance from the supposed patron god that had made her current existence possible, but they seemed to be the completely hands-off sort rather than the meddling type. In a way, she was thankful for that, as it also gave her a lot more freedom than she had expected, but at times like these, she wished they might be a bit more hands-on.

 

With a sigh, she turned her attention back towards the status screen that hovered before her. Fortunately she was allowed to take a closer inspection on all the options even without needing to use her skills. That was probably something the system intentionally did, so as to allow people to make more informed choices without needing to consult experts on the matter.

 

[Primordial Devourer]

You are a being from the primordial times, long unseen by the world brought back to life. All that stands in your path shall be devoured and made into a part of you.

 

Gain +10 Body -5 Mind -5 Soul upon Evolution

Gain +1 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Constitution per level
Gain 2 Free Major Stat Points per level

Gain [Mindless Rage] Skill upon Evolution

Gain [Endless Hunger] General Skill upon Evolution

 

Do you want to become a [Primordial Devourer]? Yes/No

 

Esperanza decisively chose “No” without a second thought. Even at a glance she could tell that to pick that class meant walking down the path to becoming a mindless, all-consuming beast that probably had little thoughts of its own and was controlled by its hunger. It was most definitely not the sort of existence she would want to live.

 

With a metaphorical shake of her head she moved on to the next option on the list.

 

[Formless Predator]

One without a shape to call their own, one that flowed as freely as water. All in life are prey to the ultimate predator, all that existed served to be part of the one without form.

 

Gain +5 Body +5 Mind upon Evolution

Gain +1 Dexterity +1 Perception +1 Intuition per level
Gain 2 Free Major Stat Points per level

Gain [Mimicry of Form] Skill upon Evolution

Gain [The One Without Form] General Skill upon Evolution

 

Do you want to become a [Formless Predator]? Yes/No

 

The second class had more promise. From the looks of it, it would allow her to transform into shapes of things she had consumed in the past, likely in ways that were far more detailed and stable than her current skills. She tentatively picked “No” but placed the class on her “maybe” pile. That it had no penalties unlike the previous one was also a good sign all considered.

 

[Beast of Gluttony]

Others hunt for sustenance, for strength, for survival. You do not. You hunt to satisfy and indulge your appetite. May your endless appetite one day consume the whole world

 

Gain +15 Mind +5 Soul upon Evolution

Gain +3 Wisdom -2 Sanity per level
Gain 2 Free Major Stat Points per level

Gain [All For One] Skill upon Evolution

Gain [Assimilation] General Skill upon Evolution

 

Do you want to become a [Beast of Gluttony]? Yes/No

 

It was an obvious theme shared between the three classes she checked so far, all of them focused on devouring everything in their way, though with various takes on it. This one seemed like it was linked to her [Consume] skill. From the names of the skills it offered, and the things that [Consume] itself allowed her to do, she guessed it would likely focus on absorbing stats from other things she devoured, so it could also be useful. There were even more stats overall from the evolution and levels.

 

She placed it on the “maybe” pile as well.

 

For the time being, she skipped the Emissary class for last, as it was likely the one Oldies influenced, judging from the name. Instead she checked the other class first, which was also slightly different from the three she already checked so far.

 

[Huntress of Horror]

She who lurks in the dark, she who stalks the nights. The Huntress brought fear wherever she tread, may all prey tremble before her presence.

 

Gain +10 Body +10 Mind +5 Soul upon Evolution

Gain +2 Dexterity +2 Intelligence +1 Intuition per level
Gain 2 Free Major Stat Points per level

Gain [Tread the Shadows] Skill upon Evolution

Gain [Aura of Fear] General Skill upon Evolution

 

Do you want to become a [Huntress of Horror]? Yes/No

 

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That one also showed a lot of promise. Clearly it was linked to [Gauze of Oblivion] and [Aura Control]. The pattern was clearer to her. Each of the class options she received was linked to some of her existing skills in some manner, which in turn were gained from how she approached things during her first tier. It made sense to her.

 

The class also went to the “maybe” pile while she discarded the previous two, as this one was just better all around in what it offered compared to them. She had high hopes for the last class though, given the likelihood of Oldies influencing that one to be more “suitable” for her needs and all.

 

[Emissary of the Forgotten]

You stood before those long forgotten by most, and brought their words back to the world at large. A messenger who conveyed the will of the Forgotten ones, and a pillar of support for those who still remembered them.

 

Gain +5 Body +15 Mind +10 Soul upon Evolution

Gain +1 Constitution +3 Wisdom -2 Sanity per level
Gain 2 Free Major Stat Points per level

Gain [Shepherd of the Lost] Skill upon Evolution

Gain [A Glimpse of Understanding] General Skill upon Evolution

 

Do you want to become a [Emissary of the Forgotten]? Yes/No

 

As much as Esperanza disliked the idea of being too trusting of Oldies, since the old gods clearly had their own agenda and machinations and she could never be sure that her mind had not been tampered with or if they had been truthful at all to her, she had to admit that the class they influenced was one suited for her. At a glance, the skills it offered seem to facilitate communication with others. Maybe she read into it too shallowly, but the class also offered the most stats compared to the others.

 

She dithered for a while between [Huntress of Horror] and [Emissary of the Forgotten] before she made up her mind. She did not want to be some huntress who brought fear to others. If she could do things without having to resort to violence all the time, that would be even better altogether. As such, she decisively made her choice.

 

You have become an [Emissary of the Forgotten]

You stood before those long forgotten by most, and brought their words back to the world at large. A messenger who conveyed the will of the Forgotten ones, and a pillar of support for those who still remembered them.

 

Gained +5 Body +15 Mind +10 Soul!

Gained Class Skill [Shepherd of the Lost]!

Gained General Skill [A Glimpse of Understanding]!

Class Skill [Shape Alteration] Evolved into [Shifting Guise]

 

Name : Esperanza Marisol de Gonzalez Cabrera

Race : Human (?)

Age : 18

Class : [Spark of Hope Lvl20]/[Emissary of the Forgotten Lvl1]/???/???/???

 

Stats :

Free Major Stat Points: 2

 

• Body : 35

• Strength : 35

• Dexterity : 34

• Constitution : 36

• Mind : 34.66

• Intelligence : 36

• Perception : 35

• Wisdom : 33

• Soul : 59.66

• Willpower : 37

• Intuition : 34

• Sanity : -108

 

Skills:

 

Class 1: [Spark of Hope]

• Far Down the Deep End :EX

• Fleshweaving: Lvl 5

• Shifting Guise: Lvl 7

• Consume: Lvl 3

• Gauze of Oblivion: Lvl 1

Class 2: [Emissary of the Forgotten]

• Shepherd of the Lost: Lvl 1

• ???

• ???

• ???

• ???

 

General Skills:

• Respawn: EX

• A Glimpse of Understanding: Lvl 1

• Language Understanding: Lvl 1

• Gaze Unto the Abyss: EX

• Aura Control: Lvl 5

• Tracking: Lvl 3

• ???

• ???

• ???

• ???

 

The first thing Esperanza felt after she made the choice was a boost of power that surged through her body and stayed there. She instantly understood why Oldies told her before that a leap in tiers was more noteworthy than a simple leap in level. Someone of a level close to the next tier who had yet to reach the final step would more likely than not fail to be a match for those of a tier above.

 

Just the stats she gained from the choice was easily equivalent to more than what she gained over a dozen levels in her previous tier. The change to her Body and Soul was not that drastic since they only added to what she already had relatively plenty of, but it directly brought her lagging Mind value all the way to catching up with her Body in one go.

 

Esperanza quickly allocated her free points, half to body and half to let her Willpower and Intuition catch up a bit more with her sky-high Sanity score. Then she took a look at the new skills she got, starting with the general one.

 

[A Glimpse of Understanding]

Legendary Skill

Level 1

Understanding others has never been easier!

Allows the user to catch a glimpse of another person’s surface thoughts when in conversation or close contact with them. Level 1: A brief glimpse of the shallows, must be in direct conversation or touching the target.

 

A mind-reading skill of sorts? She guessed that would help her gain a proper understanding of others, if in ways she had not expected. That said, she noted that the skill mentioned direct conversation. How was she supposed to converse with people when she could hardly form the right shape in her “throat” to even make proper voices?

 

Then she instinctively tried to do just that and was rewarded with a voice that eerily reminded her of how she used to sound, if a bit more echoing, with some sort of strange, otherworldly timbre to it. Pleasantly surprised, Esperanza immediately tried to shift one of her tentacle-like appendages and soon found that she could turn it into a passable facsimile of a human hand, as long as one did not look too closely.

 

She made a note to get to the lake and use it as a mirror before she tried to reconstruct her own face later, but first she took a look at the culprit of her newfound improvements.

 

[Shifting Guise]

Unique Skill

Level 7

What is a face but just another guise, a mask to don to face life with?

There is no one definite form. What one assumed as a guise depends on what one wished for. Freely alter your guise, choose the face you wish to portray to others. Level 7: Capable of assuming a rough guise of any configuration desired. No time limit.

 

Sure enough, the evolved [Shape Alteration] was the reason for her newfound ability.

 

Then Esperanza took a look at the last of her new skills and gasped audibly.