Chapter 140 - TFF (Patreon)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Do you guys prefer a breakdown of all the bonuses in the status or a cleaned-up version? I'll be making a separate post for all the titles and skills in the future. maybe after we tier up. Enjoy the chapter!

Congratulations you have been granted the Title: Inheritor.

Title: Inheritor (hidden)

You are the chosen inheritor of Saiya, Witch of Smiling Carnage, Black Star, Butcher of the Golden Arc, and Throne Scourge. A piece of her will remains intact and will seldomly guide you through your journey, as you uncover her knowledge and power and make it your own.

You have a gift for magic which gives you +10% to the Magic attribute.

Your aura may contain a hidden hint of Her presence.

Now that was something. Alan finally got to know the name of the woman from the vision, and the titles listed after it made his skin crawl with both terror and excitement. Those were some heavy monikers and what they implied was way over his head. Throne Scourge… Yeah, even without knowing those titles I’d have kept it all a secret.

He tried to keep a calm—something he achieved with surprising ease now. As if the anger burning a hole through him was all gone along with Bonez’s life.

The next title was also welcome news.

Congratulations you have been granted the Title: Scion.

Title: Scion

No shadowless walks alone, especially the Scion.

You are the last, or maybe the first of a new generation of the elusive Shadowless. You’re the most important one, the current sole member of a dead race. On your shoulders lies the heavy burden of continuing their path.

Whispers of long-gone shadowless will walk with you in your journeys offering guidance.

You are a noble representative of your race. You can infuse your aura with your will, giving yourself an air of nobility.

A Scion is never caught lacking. +15% to the Mind attribute.

Another percentage bonus, and a big one at that. Alan felt excitement and couldn’t wait to test how much his newly boosted attributes changed things. There were a few more system messages to go through. However, the next one made his eyes widen.

You have lost the Trait: Tongues of the Four Corners

You have lost Body Enhancement: Rune: Myriad Tongues

What was he supposed to do without those? He needed them more than most of the skills and traits he had! Without understanding anyone and being unable to communicate he would’ve died a thousand times over.

You’ve unlocked a new trait: Shadowspeech (Racial)

Shadowspeech (Racial)

You will not be left misunderstood. You will not be left unknowing. After all, isn’t the greatest joy in the world being able to share the wonder of existence with others? To speak, to learn, to grow?

You easily absorb traits, skills, and other mediums that carry knowledge of languages.

Current: Tongues of the Four Corners, Myriad Tongues

He breathed a sigh of relief. That was good. Better even. He wouldn’t have to bother with fixing the rune whenever it gave him problems. Master Wilbis had been less than impressed with it. Plus, it seemed that he would have an easier time adjusting in the future.

Alan briefly wondered what was going on outside, but he had more to go through, and there would be time to rejoin the fight. Sadly, apart from receiving the (Heritage) curse his skills had remained the same. It was probably due to his class, and not his race.

Trait: Shadow Mind (Rare) has become Shadow Mind (Epic)

Trait: Shadow Mind (Epic) has become Shadow Mind (Ancient)

Trait: Shadow Mind (Ancient)

Your mind is a fortress that can hold against all but the most elaborate and strong of mental attacks.

The strength of the protection is determined by your Will and Mind attributes.

All who attack and fail to break the protection will suffer Terror.

A corner of your mind has become impenetrable. No one shall know of the Legacy that yet lives through you.

His first (Ancient) anything… And it was the trait protecting his mind. Fitting considering all the bullshit. It was almost the same as it had been before. However, now both attributes contributed to his defenses and it gave him more freedom in how to retaliate and added an effect that protected the knowledge specific to the Legacy. It made sense.

Alan sighed.

His [Limited Vitality] remained unchanged and untouched. He had hoped there would be a transformation there too, but alas he had hoped too much. Maybe reaching the next tier would finally offer a proper solution that didn’t rely on him stealing others' life force.  

His skills were left mostly untouched too. He figured that was the domain of classes and not the race. Classes seemed to define much more, although his current changes were already more than he could have wished for.

However, one skill had changed. His defining skill, and the precursor to all of this. It followed the example of one of his old [Mind Shield] which had become a trait when he had chosen his class.

Monochrome Armor (Epic) has become a Trait: Monochrome (Racial)

Monochrome Armor (Racial)

A shadowless is one with shadows. As they can change in the flicker of a candlelight, so can the shadowless. You are one with your shadow, and it protects you, as you protect it.

You can amplify your speed by having it be determined by your Mind attribute plus 50% of your Dexterity attribute.

You are protected by a passive armor of almost invisible shadows. If the armor is destroyed it slowly recovers on its own. This process can be sped up with mana.

The shadows may gain additional effects if paired with other skills.

The shadows may often reflect your state of mind.

It was a great change. He had a permanent [Monochrome Armor], without the time limits it had suffered before or the drawbacks to its duration. It seemed that it would keep a part of its active component, but there were no time limits and no additional cost to do so.

He felt like the skill, now trait, was better suited to an [assassin] or something like that. However, why would an assassin prioritize Mind over physical attributes? Ah, whatever. If it works it works. I don’t want to be a glass cannon, but I do want to get better magic. Nor did he want to continue being so one-dimensional when it came to fighting. While the problems of his dexterity seemed to be fully resolved now, his strength was low, and his vitality remained the greatest problem. Without proper enchantments, he was not a great fighter up close. His will had alleviated that problem somewhat, but he still wished to change further.

And the clock was ticking.

Only a couple more levels, she said. I wonder what more stepping into tier two will bring…

He was level 87 now, after the battle in the piece of the temple and dealing with Bonez. That gave him 51 free attribute points which he instantly dumped into Mind alone, leaving 3 free just in case.

His status screen was looking mighty fine now if he could say so himself with all the bonuses. It felt great.

INFORMATION:

Name:

Alan Morgan

Race:

Shadowless

Class:

Warlock

Level:

87

Insight:

Flow;

Titles:

First Pathfinder; Scion; Inheritor; Madcap; Slayer; Friend of the Spirit World; Enlightened, Mercenary(F)

ATTRIBUTES: 3

Strength 110

Dexterity 125

Vitality 5

Will 390

Mind 441

Magic 480

TRAITS:

One Mind, One Body; Limited Vitality; Shadowspeech; Broken One’s Will; Shadow Mind; Oathbound; Monochrome Armor;

SKILLS:

Warlock’s Body Mastery; Synaptic Failure; Shadow Creation; Ritual: Enchanted Bones; Ritual: Infused Flesh; Mortal Peril; Curse: Stolen Life; Mana Zap; Sacrificial Attack; Last Glimpse; Chains of the Dark Servants; Curse of Buried Shadows;

BODY ENHANCEMENTS:

Shadow Space; Enchanted Skeleton;

I have a lot of skills. I might try to figure out a way to organize this mess. First things first.

Alan stood up and felt light on his feet. With a thought, he stood over Bonez’s mangled corpse. Not a single piece of bone remained there, apart from the multiple small pieces hanging over the man’s torn leather vestments. Without worry about the mess he had made out of the [Warlock], Alan reached and started patting down the body. There were no obvious enchanted items, but he felt mana from a few of the bone fetishes. That didn’t bode well. Even if they were amazing, he didn’t want much to do with them.

He had just the right person for the job though. In a magnificent swirl of shadows, a cube appeared in Alan’s hand.

“How are you doing, my friend?” Alan smiled. His voice sounded a bit different, with a slight otherworldly tone around it, but nothing drastic as when the shadows had made his words echo everywhere.

“You moronic bastard,” Xil greeted back. “How long do you plan on staying in this shithole? I’m not that sleepy anymore! I want to look, to explore, to experience things. Goddamn it, I swear you better return to that piece of rotten rock you call home and… Whoa. What’s up with you? What’s up with this fleshy mess? Who did you mangle, you rabid dog? Did you even chew up the bones?!”

Alan laughed. Xil was a breath of fresh air after everything that had happened. Just to test things out Alan wrapped the cube in shadows, just so it was obscured from vision if something happened, and then put it in one of the few clean pouches hanging from Bonez’s belt. There had been a bunch of small bones inside, but he dumped them unceremoniously.

“A lot happened in the time I couldn’t bring you out. A whole lot. I plan on keeping you out for now though, things might get messy and I’d want to keep a friend close.”

Xil was silent for a few moments. His voice came quieter into Alan’s mind this time, “You smell scary,” he said. “You smell like you’re about to rip my throat open and then go pick flowers. I’m the demon here, man. You will tell me about it later.”

“Sure thing. It might be sooner than you expect. I’m a lot stronger now. Try to sense anything interesting on this pile of flesh for now.” Alan didn’t hope for much. And he was planning on getting anything bone-related destroyed to the best of his ability.

“Nothing of interest. Few bones that smell of strange magic. I don’t recommend using them. That armor used to be of very good quality, possibly enchanted. You know? My seal is doing even better now. A few hundred years and I’ll be out and about, showing you my full glory!”

“Glad to hear that—”

“Someone’s coming!”

The turbulent and violent aura Xil had sensed before him a was familiar thing. Zirida came bursting through the hole left behind by [Sacrificial Attack] and almost stepped upon the remains of Bonez. Her scarred skin was red and her veins were clearly outlined against it. She was an intimidating sight, with her toned body and scars, and a look that was ready to murder.

Alan smiled. There was something vaguely resembling Ashlyn in her. Both women had a fight in them that was hard to describe, and apparently Zirida, despite belonging to a literal Blood God’s cult, was a great friend to have.

“Hey there,” Alan smiled.

***

Zirida had rushed back as fast as she could. The battle at the temple had become a mess when some of their forces had broken down and turned towards their own. Everything reeked. Who had the resources to throw at harming the dragon and the desolate fractal? It was a mess.

It had taken Kalyntha rampaging to bring the situation back under control. There had been a real danger of shattering the space around the temple, which would’ve brought the whole fractal down. Even the monstrous dolls had understood as much and had pulled back, following the example of the confused outpost forces.

She had felt Alan disappear and rushed back as fast as she could. The bone bastard had felt odd and creepy and none of the patrons in the Realm were famous with their ability to accept ‘no’. As long as she tore his head off, however, his patron would lose the ability to affect anyone in the fractal.

When she finally sensed Alan, it turned out he was back in the almost deserted outpost. In his room. It took her a short time to reach him.

His room was broken, and the smell of strange, almost fake, blood permeated the surroundings. There was also an aura. Dark, sinister, yet gentle and familiar.

She stepped through the whole, ready for a fight, only to see a pile of flesh on the ground dressed in leather, and Alan smiling at her. Were those the remains of the [Warlock]?

“Hey there,” Alan said with a smile.

She stared at him. He was… different. Pale to the point of worrying and his eyes were darker than ever. His vital energy was still a barely existing thump in her ears, as his heart struggled to keep up. It seemed like whatever transformation he had gone through had shortened his lifespan even further.

However, the magic contained in him had shot up in a way she hadn’t seen before. It was almost comparable to Kaly’s strongest clone now. What had he done? Was he a tier two? Had he accepted a pact?

The bleeding shadows that had followed him for a while now were contained, subdued. Wisps of darkness would flash a bit over his skin when he moved, or even as he breathed. His protection was still there, stronger than ever.

He was just massively different. His whole presence had transformed. She felt danger radiating from him. Not aimed toward herself.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Silly, why would she ask that? It was obvious he was alright. She wasn’t very good at showing care. It always felt unnatural and came out aggressive.

Alan didn’t care. He smiled wider at her and nodded, “Better than ever, actually.” he said.

That was good.

“And thank you for rushing to my aid,” Alan added.

Zirida opened and closed her mouth, before mirroring his nod. There were more important things now. She had already sent word to Kalyntha.

“On the way here I sensed my missing sister. Everyone’s wrapping things up in the temple now, and they will be coming. Worst of all, I sensed the dragon and Wilbis there too.”

Alan’s eyes widened at that. He didn’t question her. In the next moment, he was standing next to her, only dissipating shadows remaining where he had stood previously. He was faster. Much, much faster than before.

“Let’s go then,” he said.

Zirida smiled and the two shot out.