He’d held the fruit in his mouth because he knew he was on the verge of a level up. And the level up came with one very specific perk.
There was a flash. Then he stood up, shirt all but shredded off his body, his trousers torn to limp strips, but underneath was cords of smooth, clean muscle. There wasn't a mark on the skin. Perfectly healed.
The chief's face went slack with horror. It tried to get up, even managed to stagger to a knee. No, you don't. “Round two.”
He took a step and full strength, full essence, he blasted a Titan's Fist in the Chief's face. Again.
It was like a bolt of lightning touched down. And when it vanished, it left a smoking heap. This time the Chief did not get up.
There was a deafening silence.
The Hobgoblin Chieftain has been slain!
Objectives Complete: 1/3
The Chief's body began dissolving to white.
All its minions ran screaming, but they didn't get far before they were stumbling over themselves, smoking into nothing too; it seemed once their boss went, so did they. And all that essence flushed straight into Zane, thick rivers of light merging to one.
Level up!
Essence Level 23 -> 24
Level up!
Essence Level 24 -> 25
Title Earned!
Goblin Slayer I [Common]
All attacks deal 3% more damage to Goblin family Monsters
He grinned stupidly. He was still drunk off the heat of the fight, but he felt himself quickly cooling. It took a moment to get himself to focus, take in the words floating before him. His first title—how neat. 3% might not seem like a lot, but spread over dozens of strikes in the course of a battle, it’d surely add up.
You have resonated with a Signature Title.
Signature Titles are unique in the Universe. They are passed down only to those deemed worthy. The Universe weighs mind and action, and it has found you worthy.
Title Earned!
Savage Sage, 114th Incarnation [Signature]
For those with a cool head but a hot heart. The Savage Sage lives for the thrill of battle, yet remains clear-eyed under the most dire of circumstances: controlled chaos personified. Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.
Skill: Sage Mind (Active) [Signature]
Deconstructs the enemy, gaining deep insights into their powers and weaknesses.
Skill: Savage Body (Passive) [Signature]
Activates once the Sage's health drops below 50%. Instantaneously increases Strength, Speed, and Vitality by 25%. When health drops to critical levels, this effect rises to 50%. This Skill does not Level.
Zane reread the numbers. Then again.
What.
He thought about Goblin Slayer granting a 3% boost to damage against only goblins. 25%? 50%?! These titles were not at all alike—if he assumed Common was the lowest rank, just how much higher was Signature?
What the fuck did I just get? He was reeling. This Title gave him the sense that it was something so huge, he couldn't even understand the implications of it from where he was standing. Even so, he could tell this was not normal.
Before he could think further on it—
Level 25 reached. First-class evolution unlocked. Please select your class evolution.
Note: all class evolutions come with a Soul Weapon. It evolves with your class. Once chosen, it cannot be changed.
He blinked, shook his head, tried to wrap his head around the new thing. Right. The system did mention that classes evolved. He’d been wondering when it would happen. He'd expected it at Level 10, actually.
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Knight [Common]: Knights are armored guardians. They excel in defense, protecting allies, and holding strategic positions, but are also capable of meting out punishment. Knights are ideal for those who hold strong in the heat of battle, a balanced class. Soul Weapon: Spirit Sword I (Common)
Berserker [Common]: Avatars of raw fury, Berserkers are relentless in their attacks, thriving in the chaos of combat. They overwhelm their foes through sheer ferocity and grow stronger as the battle intensifies. Soul Weapon: Spirit Axe I (Common).
Gladiator [Common]: Gladiators are masters of the arena, skilled in engaging multiple foes with grace and efficiency. They blend offensive prowess with crowd control, ideal for those who enjoy a showy yet effective combat style. Soul Weapon: Spirit Spear I (Common).
Martial Artist [Common]: Focusing on hand-to-hand combat and agility, Martial Artists are swift and precise. They make lethal weapons of their bodies, ideal for those who prefer a more refined, technique-oriented approach to physical combat, valuing speed and skill over brute force. Soul Weapon: Spirit Gauntlets I (Common)
Iron Vanguard [Uncommon]: The Iron Vanguard specializes in resilience. Known for their ability to endure and counter heavy assaults, Iron Vanguards are adept at controlling the flow of battle through their unyielding presence. This class excels in defensive tactics, turning endurance into a weapon by outlasting their opponents, converting defense to offense. Soul Weapon: Soul Pavis I (Common)
Zane was pretty close to selecting Berserker. It was a good thing he hesitated, because—
Savage Sage grants you the choice of its signature class path.
Chain Reaver [Rare]: The Chain Reaver is where primal wrath meets the elegance of chain combat. Their chains are extensions of their spirits, transforming into weapons of war that wield explosive, suffocating power. The Reaver binds, and the Reaver reaps.
Soul Weapon: Prometheus Chains I [Signature]
…If the other classes were Common, and this was Rare—and it came with a signature ‘Soul Weapon’, whatever that was…
That Berserker class, that axe, spoke to him. But he’d just seen the difference between Common and Signature. This was not a choice.
Class Gained! Chain Reaver [Rare]
Level-up stat bonus: Vitality +0.6, Regeneration +0.2, Strength +0.8, Dexterity +0.3, Speed +0.1.
Class Skill Learned!
Chain Mastery I (Passive) [Rare]
Enhances proficiency in wielding chain weapons, significantly improving attack effectiveness and precision in chain movements. The chain becomes an extension of your body.
Class Skill Learned!
Chain Cyclone (Active) [Rare]
Executes a swift, 360-degree sweeping attack, a cyclone effect; an artificial natural disaster. This skill crushes surrounding enemies, offering both offensive reach and a defensive barrier.
Spirit Weapon Unlocked!
Prometheus Chains I [Rare]
A tool of wisdom and fire, capable of binding and annihilation both. The Signature Weapon of the Savage Sage. Currently at the first stage.
Stage I Powers: Heavy to others, light to the Sage, its weight scales with the Sage’s level.
He felt like he'd been struck by a whirlwind, and now that things had finally calmed down, it was time to assess the damage. He was still baffled by what just happened.
First, that Title. Savage Sage. Its description—that was him. Was it tailored to him? But that notification made it sound like it was the other way around; he was chosen for it. And as for his class evolution... chains? He was ambivalent about it. He never fought with chains before. He never played characters that fought with chains before. Did Kratos count? He was skeptical they could actually be used to fight. Light to the Sage, heavy to others , it said…
He could feel them there, like a new limb, waiting. If he wished, he could simply summon them and they'd come. So he did.
They burst into being mid-air, ranged before him like two great coiling serpents. He could believe these are chains meant for a God. It was pitch black, the blackest thing Zane had ever seen; it was not reflective at all—light went in and got swallowed whole. The links fit his grip perfectly, like they were made for him.
He saw all this while the chains were falling. Then they hit the ground, and he was thrown off his feet.
He stumbled back up and blinked. There were two new furrows dug deep into the ground, dust drifting over them. He swore. It wasn't kidding when it said these things were heavy. It wasn't kidding when it said they'd be light to him too; he could shuffle around just pretty easily, but every small shift made the earth groan.
He realized he could actually control the weight with his mind. Or rather that he had a kind of bond with it, and he could use that bond to carry most of its weight, artificially lighten it.
Could he move it around with his mind too? He tried, but all he could do was point it, steer it. No. He couldn't give it energy, impetus with just his mind; that had to come from its base, his hands. His mind would do the steering, his hands the throwing.
And it came so easily too, as though he'd been practicing for years. Chain Mastery did this? He lashed it up and down, and it undulated like a wave; it felt like cracking a whip. He took most of the weight with his mind, and it clattered like a common chain.
Then he put all the weight back and threw it casually to the side, and it flattened half the tree line.
Three big ones were almost fully decapitated, the trunks clinging on by a strip; wood chips showered everywhere. Through the gaping maw he’d torn in the canopy, he got a glimpse of blue sky. Sunlight burst through, making a golden pool on the twilight-purple ground.
Zane was quickly changing his mind. Yeah—he could see how these things could be useful in a fight.
Then he had an idea. He turned to the massive moon tree, cocking his head. He lashed his chains at it, curled them around the base, and yanked with all his might.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then it started trembling at the roots, and Zane yanked again, harder.
It burst clean out of the ground. It was like the chains were an extension of his strength stat. He felt the tree's enormous weight bearing down on him; the chains shook with the effort of it, but still he managed to turn it over in one slow revolution.
He shook it vigorously, and Moon Fruit dropped like hail into the crater the tree left behind.
Satisfied, he tossed the tree off to the side. It rolled over to join its fallen brethren, and Zane enjoyed a pleasant dinner on the goblins.
That was all very fascinating, but he felt to really understand what he'd just gotten, he'd have to test them live. Only all the goblins were dead.
It was time to move regions. He couldn’t wait until tomorrow. Next up: Crystalback Highlands!