Moonlight Relic, Ch 29: First Evolution (Patreon)

“The first thing to know is that every star is a possible class for you. It looks like you have quite a few of them, but most will not be suitable.” Asenya waved her hand toward the stars. “The majority are Common classes, or things like Warrior or Scout, which you won’t want to take. Would you like help narrowing it down, or do you want to search through them?”

“How much time do we have?” Sam asked as he looked toward the stars. He was feeling a bit impatient, since he wanted to get back and prepare for Micas. He wasn’t sure how long all of this was taking.

“Evolution exists in compressed time, so no more than an hour should pass outside. Even if you don’t want them, looking through them could teach you something about class options in general.”

“I’ll look through them,” Sam said finally. “But can you help speed it up? I’d like to see one example of each major type, and then I’ll dismiss it.”

“Alright,” Asenya agreed easily. “You have 1,107 total options. 827 of them are Common or Advanced variants, things like Warrior and then Heavy Warrior, for example. All Common and Advanced classes will receive 4 Attribute points per level at the First Evolution. You will also still receive the +2 free points from each General Level.

“After that, we have the higher tier classes. It goes in order: Common, Advanced, Rare, Ultra Rare, Heroic, Legendary, and Unique, which doesn’t fit the other categories well. Unique can be either stronger or weaker than they are.”

“What do higher tier classes offer?” Sam asked as he looked at the stars. As he focused on each one, an impression of it came to mind. The one directly in front of him was Heavy Warrior, an Advanced class that focused on defense and group tactics. It received 4 attribute points per Level, with 2 to Strength and 2 to Constitution. The only thing he couldn’t see was its abilities. Overall, it looked fairly standard and he wasn’t interested in it.

“Keep in mind that if you choose a class that is too different from your current path, it will mean abandoning your foundation and possibly crippling your advancement. Heavy Warrior, for example, would be a terrible choice for you. You don’t have the foundational abilities for it, and you won’t get them with the Advanced version of the class.” Asenya waved her hand, flicking the Heavy Warrior star off into the distance, where it returned to sparkling in the sky.

"A class is not just some abilities that you receive. It is how the energy of your body functions, including the structure of your meridians and some smaller networks, the physical structure of your muscles and bones for endurance, and particular features like enhanced eyesight or a special physique." At those words, she tapped Sam on the chest again, indicating his physique.

"That is why they are inherited and only change at an Evolution. Changing them is the same as destroying parts of the body and replacing it with something else. If you want a class to function well, it also needs to have room for growth, so that an Evolution can build upon it. This also means that children you have after an Evolution are likely to receive a stronger class, but it is not guaranteed. Additionally, without the World Core, adding a subclass would be incredibly difficult.

“Of the remaining 280 options,” she continued, “252 of them are Rare, which is somewhat impressive. You have apparently achieved a number of things, which are now available to you.” At her gesture, an entire swathe of stars in front of Sam began to gleam. At first glance, he could already tell that most of them were crafting classes, but there were also some for magic and enchantment.

“This one, for example,” Asenya said as she reached out and pulled a star forward, “is an evolved version of Arcane Scribe that might fit you.”

She held it out for him to see and information filled his mind. The class was called Runic Scribe. It received 5 attribute points per level, three to Intelligence and two to Aura. As soon as he saw it however, Sam just shook his head. He could already tell that it was too limited for him. He didn’t need a class that did less than one of his professions. Seeing that, Asenya laughed and flicked the star back into the sky.

“Alright, the rest of those are similar, and probably nothing you’re interested in, but you do have options if you’d like to become a Paladin or a Runecrafter. Let’s see the next ones then.” She reached out and drew a new, much smaller field of stars toward him.

“These are the remaining 28 classes you have available. Most of these are Ultra Rare or Heroic. Some are based on the Heroic professional abilities that you earned. Others are Ultra Rare ones that come from your race, which is exciting. I never knew those were recorded in the World Core. Apparently, the Astral Titans left them behind when....” Whatever she was about to say was cut off a moment later as she looked up at the sky and shook her head. “Anyway, let’s see what they are.”

23 stars flew toward him and floated there.

“First, you have Astral Warrior, Astral Hunter, Astral Mage, and a few others. Those are all Ultra Rare.”

As he looked through each class, his eyes widened. Every single one of them came with 8 attribute points per level. The Astral Warrior class came with bonuses to Strength, Constitution, and Agility. The Hunter class boosted his Strength, Agility, and Wisdom, as well as his senses, and the Mage class boosted his Wisdom, Intelligence, and Aura. All of them boosted his Battle Aura in different ways, whether it was with increased size and durability or the ability to refine its shape and use it to support spells.

Unfortunately, none of them was a crafting class and if he took them, it would mean departing from his foundation.

“They’re strong, but despite their tier, none of them are suitable for you.” Asenya agreed, dismissing most of the stars with a wave as she drew his attention to the one at the end. “This is the most interesting one. Astral Smith. 10 attribute points per level, which is astonishing for the First Evolution. 3 Strength, 3 Constitution, 2 Intelligence, and 2 Aura. Unlike the others, it’s also at the Heroic Tier. You did something special to get that.”

The class instantly drew his attention, tempting him. He could already tell that it was a lot of what he wanted. He could feel the flow of essence and astral energy in it and he knew that if he took it, crafting with both of those energies would become a lot easier. He must have unlocked it by working on the relic.

“The Astral Titans are incredibly powerful, but they are best known as builders,” Asenya said as she looked at him. “The mightiest artifacts in the world come from their hands. That is common knowledge, and you should know it, of course, but if you want to know more about their history in Aster Fall, apparently it will cost 300 Marks.” A trace of sadness passed across her face, as if she’d like to say more, but couldn’t. “In some ways, you are lucky, since you meet the requirements to even have that option. Not everyone does.”

Sam was startled at the cost, since he only had 26 Marks left. He’d thought that would be enough to get something, but apparently his concept of value wasn’t the same as the World Core’s. Either that, or the information on Astral Titans was so important that the World Core wasn’t going to give it out lightly.

He spent a few minutes looking through the various options, before he finally nodded. Except for Astral Smith, all of the Astral classes were similar. They had excellent attributes, but it didn’t seem much better to become an Astral Warrior than a Heavy Warrior. The most interesting thing was that he could tell all of them would boost his Battle Aura.

“What’s left?” he asked when he finished.

“If you get rid of those, only five are left.” Asenya grinned again as she waved the last five stars closer. The scent of cherry blossoms on the wind was blowing again, along with spring grasses. “Take a look at these four and I’ll save the one I designed for last.”

Four stars flickered as information flooded Sam’s mind. The information on each of them was brief, but it was enough to make his eyes widen, as were the tiers for them.

Aura Forger. Legendary Class.

[+8 Attributes per Level. +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, +2 Aura. You have spent your adult life crafting with auras. This class will significantly bolster your abilities with aura crafting, smithing, and enchanting.]

Hunter of the Moons. Legendary Class.

[+8 Attributes per Level. +2 Strength, +2 Agility, +2 Intelligence, +2 Aura. Your Title and accomplishments are recognized by the World Core. This class will significantly enhance your Battle Aura, senses, and rune formations involving moonlight. Within your domain and while the moons are visible, your strength and other attributes will rise.]

Moonlight Savant. Legendary Class.

[+8 Attributes per Level. +4 Intelligence, +4 Aura. Your abilities with moonlight will become second nature. You will find it much easier to learn runes related to moonlight and to maintain formations that involve them, but it will become harder to do the same with other concepts. While under the light of the moons, you will have enhanced mana regeneration and your spells will be more effective.]

Skyrune Mage. Legendary Class.

[+8 Attributes per Level. +4 Intelligence, +4 Aura. You have repeatedly used rune formations to summon and manipulate storms. This class takes that a step further, giving you an innate ability to do the same. You will find it easier to use runic formations involving the weather and related natural elements like wind and lightning, but it will be more difficult to use them for other things.]

He studied the classes, letting the information and the deeper meaning of each sink into his mind. Although they were all a higher tier, their attributes were only on par with the Astral Titan classes. There was clearly a racial advantage there. He slowly examined every one again before he turned toward Asenya.

“All of those look good in their own way. They each take something that I can already do and intensify it.”

“That’s how Legendary classes tend to work.” Asenya nodded at him. “The World Core emphasizes something unique about your path and then develops it with a trade-off, which gives it power and balance. You have to be careful with them, however, since they don’t always develop well. I can’t tell you too much, but I’m sure you can see some of the difficulties.”

“Except for Aura Forger, the classes all make it harder to use other powers.” Sam agreed as he looked at them again. “That one seems to have come from my Aura Forging ability. If I had to choose now, I might take that, since it’s the only one that sticks to crafting. But why can’t I see any of the abilities that come with them?”

“That would cost you a Mark, since the World Core hasn’t actually generated the ability yet, at least not for these higher tier classes. I can tell you that the ability will match the information you already have, and that every First Evolution class gets one ability when you receive it and a second one at Level 50. You can find out what they are if you pay the price.”

“No, let’s see the last one first.” Sam shook his head. Now that he knew what a Mark was worth, he didn’t want to spend them so easily.

“Alright, let me show you mine.” Asenya smiled as she flicked the final star toward him. This one shone with the same green light as her eyes. “Take a look.”

Inheritor of Asenya. World Forger Inheritance Class. Unique.

[+10 Attributes per Level. +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, +2 Aura. 2 free attribute points. The World Forger created your path. With this class, you follow in her footsteps. You will receive notable bonuses to crafting and enchantments, regardless of whether you use aura, mana, or essence. Your ability to sense the nature of things grows deeper, resonating from the memories stored in the World Core, and many designs will spring to mind in an instant.]

“The only downside to this class is that you’ll find it easier to make things I’ve already stored as memories in the World Core, and a bit harder to ignore that pull and make something of your own,” Asenya said. Her expression was forthright and honest. “I didn’t want that to be in there, but the World Core insisted. Given all of the things I’ve made, I don’t think it’s a huge loss...but there’s probably things I don’t know how to do, or your life may need things that are very different from what I made.”

Sam reached out to touch the star, but his hand passed through it as it was momentarily limned with the same bright green light. It was tempting.

Very tempting.

To have someone show him what was possible when the world was young, more than 120,000 years ago. It looked like it was an even better class than Aura Forger and it had attributes like Astral Smith. The only problem was that it didn’t deal with astral energy and...he didn’t really like the idea of copying someone else all of the time. If this was a class that was going to distract him and make it harder for him to create new things, no matter how tempting it was, he felt a certain resistance.

“It’s alright.” Asenya just smiled at him, though it was slightly sad now. “I created it hoping that my work wouldn’t be lost, but even if you don’t take it, those memories will always be in the World Core. If I’d been offered something like it, I don’t know if I would have taken it either. Every true crafter needs the freedom to create.”

Sam looked between the stars again, getting a feel for all of the options in front of him, and when he was done, he let out a slow breath. There were plenty of upgrades, attributes, and crafting options that most people would have died for, but...none of them were exactly what he wanted. Asenya was right.

He wanted the freedom to create.

“I can sense that you have some Marks, so if you’re still trying to decide, why don’t you see what you can do with them,” Asenya offered, turning slightly as she waved her hand at the darkness that was above the starry sky. “The World Core is listening. And don’t forget, you still have to Evolve your subclass next.”

Sam followed her gesture into the sky, looking up into the vast dark of possibility. As he thought about what he wanted, he got the distinct impression that it was listening. In that case, he’d tell it how he’d like to build a class. One by one, he began to list things as they came to him.

He wanted the freedom to create, to use all the types of energy that he knew, and to continue making his own designs. He wanted a class that would work with his race, and something that would help him to support and defend his family. The closest things so far were Astral Smith and Aura Forger, and if he could combine those two...or even pull in the inheritance class from Asenya, that might work, although perhaps that was asking too much.

The moonlight classes were tempting, but he already had abilities with moonlight and he could advance that on his own. He didn’t want to be limited to only those abilities or to be limited to working at night or inside his domain, however that would be determined. More than anything, he wanted to create his own future, to have a class that was still an enchanter and a smith, where he could continue to explore all of the options in the world that he hadn’t had time to see yet.

If the class had bonuses for something, that would be nice, but he didn’t want to give up other things to get it. He liked the flexibility of using what was needed, when it was needed.

As tempting as they were, he didn’t need the detailed plans from Asenya on everything, but he liked the link to her. It was reassuring to know that he was working with someone else. And, since she was the one to create the World Seal, then taking her class might be what he needed to do to repair it. That was a major point.

Whatever class he took had to have that capability. If not now, then at least in the future, since he wasn’t expecting to fix the Seal at the First Evolution. Although Asenya’s construct here might not know all of what had happened, or how damaged the World Seal was, he was sure that the World Core did, so hopefully it had some ideas.

As his thoughts echoed up into the void, he felt like he was floating up into the stars, ascending higher and higher into the darkness. After a while, there was a familiar sense of power gathering in the heavens. As it built up enough resistance, it pushed him back to the ground. When the presence spoke, its voice was a deep and echoing rumble like the earth speaking.

Guardian of Aster Fall, Your Wish Is Acknowledged.

1 Mark has been spent.

Do you wish to Fuse your Class options?

It will require 10 Marks.

To create a Future Path for the Class, it will require an additional 5 Marks.

The old options will remain, if you choose to take them.

The weight of the World Core’s attention held steady, waiting for his response, and it didn’t take him long to answer. If he hadn’t repaired the relic, he’d never have had the Marks to do this, but since he had...he was going to take advantage of it.

“Yes,” he said decisively as he looked into the void. It was the second time recently that he'd talked to the World Core. The other had been when he asked its advice for Heroic Abilities. “Please fuse them.”

The pressure all around him increased until it felt like the void was folding in. As he watched, the five stars that were still in front of him began to blur, turning into spinning lights that swirled around one another, moving faster and faster until they were a solid sphere. Each of them was a slightly different shade, from green for Asenya, to yellow for Aura Forger, to the triplex color of the three moons, to sapphire blue for Skyrune Mage.

The colors merged together until they were indistinguishable and then the star erupted outward like a sun was born, glowing a brilliant white with hints of the rest at the edges.

Class Forged.

Chaos Smith. Inheritance Class. Unique.

[+10 Attributes Per Level. +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Intelligence, +2 Aura, +2 Free Attributes. Your desire for freedom, to be at the beginning of things, and to do everything has been acknowledged. This class will significantly bolster your abilities with auras, smithing, and enchanting, as well as your ability to channel various types of energy that are suitable to your race. Although it is an inheritance class, you have refused to follow directly in Asenya's footsteps and will not receive the diagrams she left behind. Despite that, the class still bears the approval of the World Forger. If the time comes that you require the authority to work on her projects, you have been granted her favor.

As an Evolution of Battlefield Reclaimer, the class uses aura and essences from the elements, including rare ones like the sunset, aurora, or ocean light, to imbue items with rare and inexplicable properties. ]

Do you wish to assign a future Path for this class?

By the time Sam finished studying it, he already knew that he was going to choose it, and a moment later, he felt the departure of 15 Marks as the cost for the class and its future path was deducted.

Assembling Path...Complete.

Do you wish to accept this Evolution?

Sam gave Asenya a long look, but she just smiled at him, almost in approval and gave him a nod.

“It’s what I would have done,” she agreed. “Good work. Once you accept, you might not ever see me again, but we’ll see. We could meet again for a future Evolution. You’re still on the path I made, even if it’s your own now, and I don’t know what I have planned for that one.” She tilted her head up, as if she were listening for something, and then looked back at him.

“Usually, you would choose your subclass Evolution now, and then you’d have time to ask questions, but it looks like it’s time to walk through the door. The World Core says the rest will happen after. Maybe you’ll see me again there.”

Sam crossed his arm over his chest as he gave her a very heartfelt bow. Something in his spirit had loosened now that he had met her. Despite the rocky start to his class and how much trouble it had caused his family, she hadn't intended it. She was also an incredible figure from history and she’d treated him like a friend.

“All you have to do is walk through.” Asenya gave him a cheerful wave as she pointed toward the door behind her and grinned again. “Make sure to create a lot of things, my Chaos Smith. I’m still going to call you my Inheritor, so make sure to look for me. I have the feeling you’re going to cause all sorts of trouble.”

Sam gave her a quick smile, something that he hadn’t done in a while unless it was for his sister, and then he turned toward the door. There was a pressure pushing him onward, as if it wanted him to hurry up. Without hesitating any longer, he accepted the class, and the World Core’s voice echoed around him.

Congratulations, Chaos Smith. Your Evolution has been determined.

The door swung open, releasing a brilliant wave of light that matched the color of the class star. As he stepped through, the world exploded into a field of blinding white flames. Leaping arcs in every color of existence danced at the edges of his vision. There was the silver of astral energy, the triple strand of the three moons, the sapphire blue of crystal flame, the yellow and red of a forge fire, the bright green of Asenya’s eyes, and more, each of them representing a possible path to explore.

Except for those colors, there was nothing around him except white flame, as if he were standing at the heart of a star.

You have gained the First Evolution Ability: Modify Aura (Basic).

[Your Class abilities until now have all revolved around using the auras that you found. At your First Evolution, you have begun to make those auras your own. Modify Aura will allow you to alter an aura to suit your needs. The degree to which you can change an aura depends on the tier of the ability.]

He could feel things changing as those flames began to burn through his body, pouring in from every edge of the area, but his attention was drawn upward by some force to the center of the sky, where a flicker of rainbow light caught his attention. Slowly, the shape of the Guardian Star faded into existence, its nine silver points flickering.

Good work, Sam Hastern. A voice he hadn’t heard in a very long time spoke from the mark, but it was one that he’d never forget. It carried a vast and unmistakable sense of authority, as well as a timelessness that he’d never encountered anywhere else. Time is always short, but I am glad to see that you have upgraded the Guardian Star. I did not think it would be so far along this soon. Your Evolution is happening in a region of Aster Fall that is somewhat easier for me to access, which is why I can speak with you now, but I have to keep my touch light.

There was a deep note of approval in the voice, as well as a seriousness that reminded him why it had spoken to him in the first place. A thought of prisons and torment flashed through Sam’s mind before he shoved it away.

I originally intended for you to grow stronger before contacting you, the Guardian continued, but the Moonlight Relic has changed my plans. It offers a chance that I did not think would appear again. I was working on a different opportunity for you, but since you are following this path, I encourage you to continue on it.

Look for ways to meet with Caelus and Amaris and earn their approval, so that you can fully unlock the capabilities of the relic. There was a pause and then the voice continued, a bit more quietly, as if the Guardian was speaking from a long way and was struggling to make sure he could reach him.

For now, all I have time to do is assign your subclass. While you could choose a new option, your choice of Evolution has left you with the same crafter’s conundrum as before and few other things will bridge the gap that you need to combine General and Class experience. Your Aura of Crystal Flame Racial Class Ability would also end here, and that would be more useful if you continue to develop it.

I think you will like the ability that comes at the First Evolution. Since it is a subclass, you only receive one. There is no additional one at Level 150. The last thing I can tell you is that you have barely touched on the meaning of crystal flame. Continue to explore it. But with that said... There was a pause as the sapphire blue arcs of crystal flame in the white expanse grew denser and began to spiral toward Sam.

Congratulations, Mage of the Crystal Flame.

[With more than half of your subclass abilities at Epic, you have unlocked the potential of the class and qualify for Evolution. The strength of your subclass remains dependent on the tier of your abilities and your attributes, as well as other enhancements that you may apply.]

You have gained the First Evolution Ability: Crystal Passage (Basic).

[Crystal Passage allows you to create a spatial bridge between two locations, allowing the transfer of yourself and potentially others. The number of people and materials you can transfer is dependent on the tier of the ability.]

And then the Guardian’s voice was gone, leaving behind just the symbol of the star that was fading away and the field of swirling white flames, which began to spiral around Sam. Arcs of flame leapt from every direction, striking his body as the new abilities and classes settled in. He could feel the structure of his meridians and muscles realigning as the density of mana and aura in his skin increased and his body grew slightly more durable.

The process continued for an endless period until he lost track of time. There was nothing else in the world except arcs of leaping white chaos.

It felt as if he had always been in the fires of Evolution.

Eventually, the last flames flowed into his heart, flickering as they disappeared, and they left behind a world that was pure silver. Then the World Core’s voice was suddenly there, bringing with it the flow of time again.

The density of astral energy in your body has increased to the First Evolution. Your meridians and body have been reformed to handle new growth.

Your Experience values have been reset. The First Evolution requires a higher grade of experience to progress. Monsters that you face under the First Evolution will give you little experience in the future.

You are now a Level 0 Chaos Smith. General Level 100.

Subclass: Mage of the Crystal Flame.

Race: Astral Hunter.

Class Experience: 0 / 100,000.

General Experience: 0 / 100,000.

There was a pause as everything on Sam’s status page shifted to the new values, and then the World Law continued.

Do you wish to spend your Marks? You have 10 remaining.

Sam blinked slowly as he looked down at his body. It looked almost the same as before, but in the silver light that was all around him, he could see a faint shine of astral energy under his skin. It had been there before, after his racial Evolution, but it was far more obvious now. The white flame of the Chaos Smith class had fused in with his other energies, all of it flowing together in a way that was just him. The two new abilities burned in his mind with a familiar crystal blue light, right next to his old ones.

He didn’t quite understand everything that had happened with the Evolution, but it was obvious now why it was dangerous to attempt it without the World Core to help.

“No,” he said as he considered the question. He’d received a great deal already and he needed time to adjust. “I’ll save them. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to afford that information on Astral Titans.”

Choice confirmed. Returning you to the present, Chaos Smith.