173: Quests Complete (Patreon)

You have unlocked 3 Achievements:

* Defeated a Higher-Grade Classer (Legendary, Top Ten). Awards: 10 free Attribute points, 1 Legendary Item Upgrade Token, 75 Essence.

* Defeated a Higher-Ranking Cultivator (Legendary, Top Ten). Awards: 10 free Attribute points, 1 Legendary Item Upgrade Token, 75 Essence.

Still getting those, Roland thought as he reviewed his changes before moving on. But didn’t get anything extra for beating someone two Ranks above mine.

His time with Quietus had come to an end. All that was left was collecting Raven from She Who Waits and getting his reward from her. Or beat a hasty retreat if his bird friend had picked a fight with her.

It had been a very productive week.

The following Arts, Skills and Techniques have improved: Ancestral Visions (Beginner 8), Analyze (Evolved to Full Analysis (E), Beginner 9), Crushing All-Knowing Presence of the Reaper (Apprentice 4), Death Bringer’s Gaze (Apprentice 4), Learn From Your Kills (Beginner 7; Feat: Technique Fragment duration extended to 90 days), Reaper’s Flickering Dance (Apprentice 4)

Congratulations! You have learned a new Dao: Fist of the Death Bringer (Legendary) and a new Technique: The First Strike: Heavenly Killing Jab (Beginner 3). This Technique focuses your power on a quick striking blow, multiplying it into (Aura Rating/5) ghostly punches, each of which inflict (Strength/3) points of Physical damage and (Willpower/3) points of Death damage. Cost: 50 Mana and Endurance.

Roland had used the time to work on the Technique Fragments he had acquired, some of which were dangerously close to expiring. He had reconstructed the Boxing Saint’s First Strike Technique, turning it into a Death-based move.

Under Quietus’ guidance, he had fixed his Pattern, undoing the damage the cultists’ Taint had inflicted. Between the Dragonkin’s teachings, his scrolls and natural treasures, and his remaining Technique Fragments, he made some important breakthroughs.

You have evolved two Daos: Third Eye has become Celestial Awareness (Legendary). Phantom Limb has become Aura Over Matter (Legendary).

You have learned a new Technique drawing from both Daos: Pattern Inscriber (Beginner 3): You can study Patterns (your own included) and remove errors, repair damage and even improve Configurations or Pattern Quality. Can only be used on willing subjects that trust you enough to let you play with the foundation of their power. 

Using his new Technique, Roland had added an extra layer of protection over his inner energy network. If anybody attacked his other Dantians or his Class Core, the energy would be shunted toward his Middle Dantian, protected by a Gold-ranked Core Shell.

Modifying his Pattern to add the new defenses was almost as painful as inscribing his first Pattern, but it was worth it. And Quietus had told him that the ability to refine Patterns was highly coveted by cultivator sects. That could turn out to be a problem, since some Sects weren’t above enslaving someone with valuable abilities.

I’ll just have to make it clear I’m more trouble than my refining abilities are worth.

*

“And he is gone, correct?” She Who Waits asked for the third time.

“Quietus has left the Land,” Roland repeated patiently. “He has moved on to the Elemental Planes to go through a Tribulation, whatever that is.”

“Cultivator nastiness. The entities behind their power – called the Heavens – like to test those who wish to ascend to their level. That restrictive elitism is one of the reasons the System was able to absorb them.”

Cultivators’ strength ramped up at higher Ranks, leaving most Classers behind, although Class Quality could narrow or even eliminate the power gap. But if the Heavens made it more difficult to advance, the System’s Classers would have a numerical advantage. Quantity had a quality of its own.

“In any case, I’m glad that he is gone. Hopefully things will settle down for a while. Here is your reward.”

Raven landed on Roland’s shoulder; at the same time, he got a new notification:

She Who Waits has offered you a Core Evolution Talisman (Death).

* Core Evolution Talisman (Death, E-Grade, 2,500 Bound Essence): This is the creation of a powerful D-Grade entity with Authority over Death. Used while ascending to E-Grade, the Talisman with provide the Essence and Death potential to evolve a Death-oriented Class by one or more Quality tiers, to a maximum Quality of Divine. 

Roland accepted it. “Thank you very much.”

Thank her but do not offer anything, Raven warned him. She has Fae blood, and they can twist your words into an unbreakable obligation.

“You are welcome, Scion of Death. As a final word of advice: you should advance your Class before your Cultivation, because you will almost certainly be struck by a Tribulation when you rise to Copper Rank. Dual-Path Ascendants incur the wrath of the Heavens early on.”

“Thank you again.”

She is right, and I was going to suggest doing so myself. Good advice, freely given. She is a nice gal, under the arrogance and paranoia.

She Who Waits disappeared without any further words.

“She didn’t say goodbye to you,” Roland noted.

We said what needed to be said before you arrived. It was a pleasant time. Made me feel young again. But much remains to be done.

“Let’s get to it, then.”

*

Two more Lands and three weeks later:

And here we are.

A Sylvan Elf city lay empty behind him. These Elves hadn’t been the wise and regal type from Tolkien’s stories. They had arrived as conquerors in an alternate 17th century, wiping out the fledging European colonies of North America and pushing out or exterminating the native tribes, already reeling from the initial invaders’ plagues and technology.  

The System had arrived with the Elves, but the inexperienced locals couldn’t compete with the outsiders’ knowledge and resources. The Iroquois Confederation faced extinction, ethnic cleansing, or slavery.

That was when Roland had arrived and changed the balance of power.

Both sides were stuck at F-Grade, with some elites having risen to level 40, the maximum you could be at that Grade. Even they couldn’t stop him.

He didn’t have to kill people by the busload to bring both sides to the negotiating table. Just showing them that he could was enough.

The Elves pleaded their case. A Peak E-Grade monster had forced them to flee their planet. Roland agreed to fight the Boss if the Sylvan Kingdom returned to their world afterwards.

The Boss fight had been a near-cakewalk. Then a group of Elves had tried to ambush and kill Roland, rendering the contract null and void. Unfortunately for the assassins, their target turned out to be more than they could handle.

The surviving Elves had left, leaving behind the city they had grown from an ancient forest. The Algonquin Confederation was still debating what to do about it but were leaning toward settling there and learning the magic and architecture of the previous owners. When the next wave of Europeans arrived, they might be unpleasantly surprised.

That was beyond Roland’s purview, of course. The job was done, his preparations were complete, and he only had one thing left to do before taking the exit portal that would deposit him in the Frozen Land, where the final Boss and the Dungeon Core waited for him.

You have resolved 4 Disputes.

You have found 4 Teachers, and all have helped hone your Skills and your understanding of you Attunements and Affinities.

Death Attunement: 43%

Speed Affinity: 98%

Spirit Affinity: 99%

Prerequisites for Class Core Advancement to E-Grade have been met.

Cost: 1,500 Unbound Essence.

Core Evolution Talisman detected. You may activate it during the Advancement process. Your Class will evolve. The evolved Class will be Death-oriented and linked to your Death Bringer Bloodline and your Status as Scion of the Reaper of Lives. In addition to the 2,500 Essence contained in the Talisman, you will need to spend an additional 1,500 Essence.

Total Cost: 3,000 Essence.

Unbound Essence: 13,826

Roland looked at Raven. “Any suggestions?”

You know what you are going to do. What you are meant to do.

“A lot of people are counting on me. More power means more ways to screw up, and bigger consequences. Will you tell me when I’m screwing up? Before I do something that kills people who don’t deserve it?”

All part of the job, grasshopper. Just remember that neither of us can see all the possible results your actions will bring about. There will always be unintended consequences. Even gods are imperfect and do imperfect things.

“That’s why nobody should have that kind of power.”

But many entities do have that power, and the only restraint outside their own scruples must be provided by beings of equal or greater power.

“All part of the job,” he said, choosing to spend the Essence, activate the Talisman, and advance in Grade.

There will be a great deal of discomfort, Raven warned him even as he did the deed.

Roland felt the marrow of his bones ignite and then explode, shattering him from the inside out.

*

Tryxannatollassna had just hung up on a wannabe replacement Guide when she got the notification.

Roland Webb has advanced to E-Grade and Copper Rank. He remains at Number One on the preliminary (unofficial) Exemplar leaderboard. The chances that he will remain at Number One on the official Planetary Ascendant Leaderboard are 96%. Current Scores: 150% Power, 48% Territory, 94% Titles and Achievements, 87% Dueling Performance.

“He did it,” she muttered to herself.

She was in her Inner Sanctum, which no longer felt safe, not since Raven’s visit. Roland was off in a Dungeon, out of reach and spending hours or days doing gods only knew what while mere seconds passed in the physical world.

“If I pass him off to another Guide, I’ll never have an opportunity like this.”

Sharks were already circling the potential prey. As Roland’s Guide, she could designate a replacement, although her ward could reject her choice, something that no doubt Raven would mention. But even the chance to be chosen by Roland would be worth Essence, favor, clout.

The Guide for the Planetary Champion of XXI-993 would earn prestige and power that even a lesser Court would envy. And Roland was the most likely candidate for that role. Assuming he didn’t burn out, get killed, or go bad, of course.

“If only he didn’t make me so afraid, everything would be perfect.”

But he did scare her.

When Roland had assumed the Aspect of the Reaper, she had seen him become something far more than a simple Ascendant using a long-cooldown ability. Roland hadn’t worn the guise of the Reaper like a child putting on a costume.

What Tryxanna thought she had seen was the Reaper taking off the human skinsuit he’d been wearing and showing its true self in all its cosmic awfulness.

Primal Entities treated the Fae either as minor nuisances or as food. Their relationship was much like that between Krill and a great whale. Even the Fae Pantheons feared them.

“The Grim Reaper isn’t truly there,” she told herself, almost desperately. “He can’t be. A mortal shell would be obliterated even by proximity to its being. Even with his Bloodline, Roland can’t be an actual incarnation of a Primal being.”

Not yet, a treacherous part of her mind responded.

“Maybe not ever. As a Guide, I can advise him, help him retain his humanity rather than surrender to his Primal heritage.”

Unless you see profit in doing the opposite.

The network deal she had secured for Roland would demand more outrageous deeds from their star. And the Satori Zaibatsu might also get involved. But if she pushed Roland into growing more powerful even faster than he already was, she might end up dealing with something that neither her nor the Eye of Ptah Corporation could handle. Even Satori would likely retreat or grovel at that point.

“I’ll just have to watch my step. Give EPC the heroics it wants, but keep Roland from losing himself. If he becomes a planet-ending Calamity, the ratings will tank and I’ll die a horrible death. Let’s avoid that.”

If she succeeded, she would be able to purchase a Warrant of Nobility from any Court she chose to approach. She would no longer be merely Tryxannatollassna; her name would have several more syllables and she would have a title before it, be it Lady or Baroness – maybe even Duchess, with a world of her own, stocked with entire civilizations willing to sacrifice everything just to please her.

Failure would kill her, but remaining a Free Commoner would also kill her, albeit more slowly.

Might as well roll the dice.