Astral Threads, Ch 40: Second Evolution (Patreon)

The world disappeared behind a silver barrier as Sam was swept away into the void. Stars floated in the distance, both near and far, like shining promises of what could be. It was familiar and not. It was almost the same as his First Evolution, but there was something deeper in it, as if it were a layer or more closer to the truth of reality. The stars shone brighter here, their fires more pure.

Not only that, but he noticed instantly that here, his mind was clear. His essence was balanced, no longer pulling him in every direction. Somehow, attributes had no meaning here where time was also suspended. With the help of the World Core, even a madman could Evolve.

Despite that, he still felt on edge. His emotions were riled up, hotter and more unstable than they’d been in ages. With his Charisma being so high, he’d forgotten what that was like. It seemed that its balancing effect didn’t apply here either.

It didn’t take him long to realize the problems with what he’d done in haste. He’d gathered all of the essence at once, not thinking about how much there would be. He should have only gathered it a bit at a time and stopped when it threatened to overflow his control, but in desperation he’d leapt straight into the problem that he now had to find a way to deal with.

Hopefully, Asenya and the World Core could help.

As for the two abilities he’d chosen to upgrade, he hadn’t put much thought into it, but it wasn’t that bad. Combust Aura was the last of his Initial Class abilities and it had been stuck at Advanced for a long time. It had risen to Epic now thanks to the upgrade. Aura Regeneration was a First Evolution ability and it had only risen by one tier, bringing it to Advanced. If he wanted more than that, he’d have to work on it or gain more upgrades.

As he turned around to look for the World Forger, he heard a light laugh behind him, in the direction he’d been looking when he arrived. When he turned back, there she was, standing next to the towering and ancient gate.

Her silver-blue metallic hair poured down her back in a waterfall and gathered around her feet. It was longer than it had been the last time he’d seen her and it made it look as if she’d just stepped from a pool of quicksilver. Her eyes were the same vertical-pupil emerald as before, but this time she was smiling a little.

“I remember you,” she said between her laughs. “You were just here. That was very quick! Did you miss me?”

Sam was still at his new height, almost as tall as the massive door, and she looked like a tiny sprite in comparison to him. She barely came up to his knee. Despite that, the power of her presence made it seem like she was taller than the door.

He focused on his Battle Aura Manipulation skill, trying to use it to shrink his height down so it would be easier to speak with her, but he fumbled it and only sent a twinge of cramped muscles across his back. His skill with it was worse than ever. He might not feel the effect of his low Charisma here, but it was still interfering with his self control.

“That’s alright,” Asenya said with another laugh, and then she was suddenly as tall as he was, standing beside him as she studied him. “So, you’ve come back to evolve again, my Astral Titan? I truly didn’t expect you so soon. You must have found some difficulty in your travels to press ahead so quickly.”

After a few moments, she turned to look out at the Void ahead of them. It wasn’t the true Void, but it was still a pleasant sight. The stars glowed in a thousand different shades and sizes. Just looking at it helped to calm Sam’s mind.

“Normally, your race wanders the stars until they grow up,” Asenya said as she studied the view with him, “which gives you the focus to handle the essence that is your birthright. Sometimes it takes a thousand years and sometimes ten thousand or more, but by the end, an Astral Titan is in tune with the Void, their essence and heart balanced, and they have seen wonders that inspire them for crafting for the rest of their endless existence. But you’ve forced the issue, I see. That is a problem. Is that why you’ve come now?”

“You know more about it than I do, it seems,” Sam said easily as he stood beside her and looked out at the stars. Something about this place made him relax, as if he had all the time in the world. He knew that outside, only an hour would pass while he was evolving, but here it would be whatever it needed to be. “What do you recommend?”

Asenya’s words implied that there was a natural Charisma gain with age for Titans, which was probably how they dealt with the problem—through the slow progression of time for a race whose lifespans were equal to the stars, but he didn’t have that luxury.

“I can’t answer that directly,” Asenya replied as she pointed upward. “You know the rules. It will cost you a Mark for every answer, and your question needs to be a little more focused. You have 26 Marks to spend.”

“Will it be ten Marks to forge a new class? Like before?” he asked.

“Ten for the class and five for the path to pave the way to your next Evolution,” Asenya agreed easily. “That information you already know, so I can confirm it. If you reserve those Marks, it would leave you with eleven. Do you want to see what your options are first?”

“Is there anything that will help me to balance my Charisma, and that has the best attributes I can gain for the Second Evolution?” Sam glanced outward at the stars as he felt some impatience, even here.

“You are blessed with my inheritance,” Asenya said with a grin, “and your own efforts are more than admirable. The Heroic abilities you’ve achieved help a great deal and you have an option of several powerful classes that will offer you good attributes. However, it will be difficult to find one that will immediately provide the Charisma you need and also fit your path so far. See for yourself.” She reached out and plucked a handful of stars from the sky, pulling them in front of them.

“These are the classes that have the highest attributes and grades that are available to you without forging your own path. There are several other variants, but it is enough to give you an idea. If you choose one of these classes and continue to gain experience, it might give you enough Charisma sometime soon. You should also remember that you have some attribute gains from your recent levels, which you should deal with before we continue.” She flicked her hand at him as she spoke and his status sheet sprang into his mind. “It will help a little.”

The 108 free attribute points from his recent levels were still there and as soon as he saw that, he threw them all into Charisma. It rose to 464, but that was only 70% of what he needed. Those levels had also raised his Intelligence and Aura to 2,622.

It was an absurd amount compared to what he’d had before his Racial Evolution. Apparently, growing up as an Astral Titan was no joke. If it was really supposed to take a thousand years or more of wandering the stars before they became a young adult, it added a layer of timelessness to the race that he’d never considered.

The feeling of the Void flowing into his bones as he changed left him without any doubt that they were somehow natural to it, beings born from the stars themselves. The essence constellation was something engraved into their nature, either a natural pattern of growth or one that had been imbued into the race not long after its genesis.

As interesting as that was, he didn’t have the kind of time it took to balance his essence the normal way. There was no way he was going to leave his family alone for that long. He’d miss seeing his sister grow up and he would be thinking about them every day. They would also be thinking about him and his absence would torture them. They wouldn’t even know where he’d gone. Krana would tell them he’d left to fight the bellisagi and perhaps his mother might be able to scry something of what had happened, but for the most part he would have just disappeared from the face of the world.

That was no way to leave them. It would crush their hearts if he went missing.

On top of that, there were the relic and the World Seal to deal with. Aster Fall didn’t have a thousand years to wait for him to come back. The World Seal would crumble long before then. At the best estimate, they only had a handful of years. If it lasted longer than ten, he’d be shocked.

He needed something to accelerate his Charisma gain. If he took one of these classes and tried to anchor himself to Aster Fall long enough to gain experience the usual way, he doubted it would work. He needed almost 200 Charisma right now and his Intelligence and Aura would rise along with his levels, demanding even more. He doubted he could ahead of it like that, especially if he fought more Outsiders.

He could ask the World Core for an answer, but there was a chance it would cost him a Mark or more only to find out what Asenya had just told him. The price for any information related to Astral Titans was ridiculous, so she had probably saved him a lot of Marks with that bit of history, if he could have even afforded it.

The World Core might have another way to solve the problem, but he would look into that once he’d considered the classes that were available. He reached out to touch each star and information filled his mind. A short summary was available for each class, although once again it didn’t show the key Abilities that came with it.

Titanic Smith (Ultra Rare)

[Provides 10 Strength, 10 Constitution, 5 Wisdom, 5 Intelligence, 5 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. You have demonstrated your racial strength while smithing. This class takes that strength as your main focus, hardening your bones, skin, and muscles so that you can forge any material that is weaker than you are. Your hands are harder than any hammer.]

He only glanced at that class before he dismissed it. It had 40 attribute points, but it wasn’t anything special besides that. He’d take it if there were nothing better.

Chaos Mage (Legendary)

[Provides 5 Strength, 5 Constitution, 5 Wisdom, 15 Intelligence, 15 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. You have demonstrated your ability to wield elemental forces and to create spells without a guide. This class accelerates that ability, allowing you to forge spells from primal energy without attachment to the elements. However, you will not be able to wield individual elements in the future.]

It was a good example of a Legendary class, but he dismissed it even faster than the last one. It had 50 attributes per level, but it would destroy his path as a crafter and its limitations were terrible. He no longer wished to be just a wizard, even if it was using some primal energy.

Grand Artifex (Heroic)

[Provides 10 Strength, 10 Constitution, 5 Wisdom, 10 Intelligence, 10 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. You have repeatedly demonstrated your ability to craft unique items from essence, mana, and aura. This class is a recognition of your skill, allowing you the freedom to continue on that path without restraint. It offers no ability other than the attributes listed.]

That one was interesting, but the lack of an ability was clearly detailed, like a warning to be cautious. There should be another two abilities for a real Second Evolution class, which meant it was offering good attributes and nothing else. Still, he saved it for deeper consideration.

Aura Hunter (Legendary)

[Provides 5 Strength, 5 Constitution, 10 Wisdom, 10 Intelligence, 10 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. You have demonstrated your ability to gather natural auras. This class takes that ability a step further, making it even easier and faster to find and reclaim them. You will also be able to restore the natural auras of the world more quickly, allowing you unprecedented access to resources.]

That one too was saved for later, although it didn’t interest him too much. It had 45 attributes, but he didn’t need a way to collect auras faster and he already had Aura Regeneration. It was also a gathering type of class, rather than a crafting one. Only the promise of repairing the natural world was important, since it might help the seal.

Forger of Magma (Ultra Rare)

[Provides 10 Strength, 10 Constitution, 5 Intelligence, 5 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. You have shown a unique ability to craft with magma, and this class recognizes that trait. You will gain resistance to heat and find it easy to manipulate magma to your will. Any volcano will be your forge.]

He dismissed that one without paying it any more attention. It was another class that would limit his options and he didn’t need more heat resistance.

Astral Smith (Heroic)

[Provides 10 Strength, 10 Constitution, 10 Wisdom, 10 Intelligence, 10 Aura per level, and 5 free attribute points per level. Your race still forges in the heavens. There is no need to change the path. This class allows you to craft with stellar essence in accordance with your heritage.]

There was no other information for the class, but it instantly went to the top of his list. It had the most attributes so far at 55 and it didn’t seem to have any downsides. It was clearly an upgraded version of the Astral Smith class he’d been offered at the First Evolution and it might work well with the relic or the World Seal. The only potential downside was the reference to stellar essence. That was probably the same as astral energy, but he wasn’t sure. It might be even harder to find and he couldn’t go to explore the Void right now.

Spell Forger (Legendary)

[Provides 10 Constitution, 10 Wisdom, 10 Intelligence, 10 Aura per level, and 10 free attribute points per level. Your ability to create spells from runes and the elements is the beginning of your own unique path. This class will allow you to follow it to the end, making it easier than ever to manipulate runes and the elements to shape spells. In return, you will lose the ability to direct unshaped elemental energy.]

He scowled at that one, since it was very tempting, but like all the Legendary classes, the downside was too annoying to consider it for long. The free attributes were better than any of the other classes, but that was all.

When he finished reviewing what was available, he narrowed the options down to either Grand Artifex or Astral Smith. After a moment, he dismissed Grand Artifex as well and was left with only Astral Smith.

He let out a short sigh as he studied it. It was tempting, but something about it spoke of following too common a path, even as a Heroic class. He couldn’t help but feel like a class with a more unique focus would be better for him.

“Now, here is one that has a Charisma boost, but it doesn’t fit your path.” Asenya pulled down another star from the sky. This one flickered with a bright blue color that seemed wise and soothing.

Stellar Sage (Legendary)

[Provides 5 Constitution, 20 Wisdom, 10 Charisma, and 5 free attribute points per level. Your heart is aligned with the stars, your wisdom with the ages. Your purpose is teaching and your hands weave dreams for others to follow. This class offers you a path to walk free from burdens as you meditate upon the mysteries of the heavens.]

Sam frowned as he studied the description. With ten Charisma per level and another five that he could add, it might make it easier for him to catch up with his essence, but Asenya was right. The class was clearly aligned with Wisdom and he had no background in those abilities, nor with teaching.

There was no hint of crafting or combat here, or even of using spells. It looked like it might derive its experience from teaching alone, making it a pure non-combat class, and that just wasn’t something he could do. Even with the library of the Moonlight Relic as material to teach others, spending an entire Evolution on this would probably break the path he was creating for himself.

If he made it to the Third Evolution, who knew if there would be any type of crafting class available to him at that point? Still, it was a possibility. If he had to sacrifice an Evolution and a hundred levels, and learn two probably useless abilities in order to stay with his family, it was something he had to consider. The only problem was that it wouldn’t immediately solve his Charisma issue and then he might jump into an astral thread less prepared than ever to face what was on the other side.

Even worse would be if the class made it impossible for him to actually fix the World Seal.

Asenya was here to advise him, but this memory fragment was from before she’d made it, so he wasn’t sure she’d know.

It looked like forging a class was still his best option, at least if he wanted to improve on Astral Smith. He had 26 Marks to spend. That meant he could ask one question, save 15 for forging a class and its path, and then have ten left over for anything else that came up. It was probably still possible to trade Marks for an Ability or a Trait. The only question was what would work.

“Before I choose,” he said with a frown, “can you tell me...what is Ascension?”

“That is...” Asenya fell silent for a moment as she looked up to see if the World Core was going to stop her, but when nothing happened, she continued. “ It appears the World Core has already given you that information as a warning during your Evolution, so it will not cost anything. Ascension is the name for the Sixth Evolution, what is sometimes called the Divine Realm. It was the highest known realm when I saved this memory, but perhaps something has changed since then.”

“There were people on Aster Fall who became gods?” Sam frowned as he considered the idea. “The World Core says the world was called the Nexus of the Gods and it was their garden.”

“That was...” Asenya hesitated this time, and then she shook her head as a rumble came from the sky. “That information will cost you five Marks. All I can say for now is that you should already know much of the history of Aster Fall, since you have found the Moonlight Relic and my inheritance. The key events must be apparent to you.”

“Speaking of your inheritance,” Sam asked, “is there a class you’ve designed for the Second Evolution as part of it?”

“There was,” Asenya agreed as she gave him a wry look, “but unfortunately you left that path. It would have given you more access to my crafting heritage, as well as access to any locations I left behind. There were many places I used for my own practice. Some may still exist. With your choice at your last Evolution, you have the inheritance in name, but I cannot offer those things again.

“Rest assured that the attributes were similar to what is available to you. Twenty to forty attributes per level is the usual range for the Second Evolution, but you have exceeded that with several of the options here. There are no Common or Uncommon Second Evolution classes, only Rare at the lowest, but difference in attributes between Rare and Legendary Classes can be quite large. The power difference for individuals varies even more widely at higher Evolutions.

“That is why a good path is so important. Without it, you will eventually find yourself gaining less and less per Evolution, with fewer classes to choose from, until one day you are unable to take another step forward. A good path sets your foundation, your meridians, your abilities, and more all in alignment for better future growth, opening the horizon to new possibilities rather than limiting them.”

“Alright, I think it’s time for questions to the World Core and then maybe forging a class,” Sam said. Even with time flowing differently, he still felt pressed to get back to things. He hadn’t found what he was looking for yet, but maybe it would still work out.

This time, he didn’t need Asenya to tell him how to speak to the World Core. He just looked up at the starry sky and addressed himself to it directly.

“Is there an Ability, Trait, or something else, that will enable me to balance my essence and Charisma?” he asked. “If so, what is it and what will it cost?”

There was a rumble like thunder as the stars shook, each of them chiming like a bell, and the World Core answered. One Mark disappeared, leaving him with 25.

The heritage of the Astral Titans limits your options. Your Path is protected by the stars and cannot be modified easily. Only one Trait exists that modifies Charisma and is suitable for your race.

Trait: Narcissistic Smith.

[You are a true artist and your work shines with your own beauty. Each unique item that you craft grants you +1 to your Charisma for as long as it exists, at the cost of some of its power. If the item is destroyed or its appearance neglected, the added Charisma will be lost. The items must be kept in view in order for the bonus to function. Cost: 15 Marks.]

Sam had been hopeful for a moment, but his expression became bitter as he looked at the trait. Not only was it barely functional, but it would require him to create nearly two hundred unique items to balance his Charisma. It would really be more than that because of the experience he’d earned from them. It could work, but he doubted he’d be able to focus that long with his mind as scattered as it was. He’d also have to carry all of them around and show them off constantly. It was unwieldy at best.

More importantly, it cost 15 Marks, which would prevent him from forging a new class and its path. That was the real dilemma. There was a sour taste in his mouth at the loss of a Mark now. That Trait wasn’t going to help.

“The Traits that the World Core records like this are ones people have already gained,” Asenya explained sympathetically. “The better way to get a Trait is to achieve something unique of your own, which will create that Trait and record it in the World Core. Those are always suitable for you. It is possible to earn a Trait that modifies Charisma, but there are no records of an Astral Titan with one that would fit.”

“So there was a narcissistic Astral Titan once?” Sam grumbled as he waved the Trait away and turned his attention back to the classes in front of him. His options had just become more limited, so it looked like he’d have to try forging a class. He focused his thoughts as he turned his attention back to the sky and began to speak.

“I want to forge a class that fits my path, one that allows me to craft and to fight and that helps me to repair the World Seal, while also boosting my Charisma as much as possible, or at least with enough free points that it’s possible to balance!”

He couldn’t help shouting the last part as crackling anger rushed through him. He wanted to blame the World Core or the bellisagi for putting him in this position, but what made him the angriest was that he could have prevented it if he’d been thinking ahead. He’d let the desire to win get ahead of him. He’d reached for power and gotten it, but it had come at a price.

Now, he was asking the World Core to fix his problem and it felt inappropriate, like he was asking for a special handout. The echo of his words hung in the sky like it had frozen in place and there was a rumble of response. It took a lot longer than he remembered from the last time he’d forged a Class, and the World Core’s voice was flat when it responded.

Your request is recorded. Available options will be compiled. Do you wish to forge a new Class?

“Yes,” he said as he forced himself to relax. He wasn’t out of options yet.

The stars of the classes in front of him began to spin, orbiting around one another as motes of light floated away from them and into a hazy sphere that began to gather together. Streaks of light from the stars above descended as well, joining the combination.

The last time he’d forged a class, it had been a white chaos of pure energy, and now that light appeared from his chest, coalescing into a star that flew forward to join the others. It provided a background that fed energy into the sphere and gave it a foundation. Everything began to spin together faster as more streaks of light joined it.

The sphere turned red and then blue, fluctuating through the colors that had merged into it, and then it spun faster. Now, astral energy poured from the stars down into the mix, fueling it as it began to churn. It rumbled as it became more concentrated and the energy became an intense, burning point. Then it suddenly exploded in a fury as a wave of brilliant white and silver light that was filled with particles of other colors lashed outward.

Shards of energy flew in every direction, some of them colorful and others jagged, like a broken halo. They didn’t injure him, but some of them struck his body and passed through to the other side, making him very aware that something had gone astoundingly wrong.

All that was left of the sphere of energy was a tiny, pure white star. It floated there at the center of the chaos, alone. It was beautiful, but it was barely half the size of the stars that had gone into it.

Class forging failed. The World Core’s voice was still flat. No possible Class fits the request, since your Path cannot be altered to such a degree. The ten Marks spent will not be refunded. The closest Class has been presented.

The words made Sam’s expression fall, even as he looked at what was available in front of him.

“What is the white star?”

Next to him, even Asenya looked puzzled as she reached out and pulled it toward him.

Free Artificer (Ultra Rare)

[Provides 30 free attribute points per level. A rare crafting class amongst smiths and enchanters. It combines the skills of a previous path with unique elements brought in from elsewhere for the purpose of creation. It can be taken as a stepping stone before creating a full class of your own. Its primary advantage is in the flexibility of attributes and its future potential.]

Sam frowned as studied it, tapping his fingers against his thigh. The forging hadn’t failed completely, but the result wasn’t as powerful as the other classes he’d been offered. With 30 free attribute points, if he dropped them all into Charisma, then in perhaps seven levels he could fix his essence balance, if he avoided killing Outsiders.

It would leave him in the same dilemma of needing to level up, but it was possible that the bellisagi would be in the crater when he returned. He might be able to focus long enough to fight them. The other problem was that taking it would probably handicap him for the entire Second Evolution. He would be giving up something like 40% of his potential attributes and there was no guarantee that leveling would be that easy. It was extremely tempting, but with the enemies he faced, he wasn’t sure it was the best choice.

The stars that represented the other classes flickered back into existence in front of him, reforming from nothing as they offered themselves again. He looked between them and then at the 15 Marks he had remaining as an idea occured to him.

“Can I forge again?” he asked as he turned to look at Asenya, a trace of hope in his voice.

“Yes,” she said simply. There was sympathy in her voice, but she could only help so much.

With a sense of a gamble and a last hope, Sam turned his attention back to the sky above. This time, his voice was serious and dedicated.

“I need your help and you need mine. Help me to forge a class that will work for my current path and that will help you to repair the seal and stabilize Aster Fall. I’d like to remain a crafter and to keep my current subclass. Let the class be as powerful as you can make it, and please do what you can to help me return home as soon as possible when my essence is balanced.”

Do you wish to forge this Class? The sky rumbled and the World Core’s voice rang out again. It wasn’t clear if it would help, but it sounded a little warmer than before.

Sam’s agreement came with a nod and a moment later the stars in front of him began to spin again as motes of light headed toward the tiny white sphere that was still floating there. The same sphere of white light came from his chest to join it and the colors spun together. It took longer than before, but the light looked more stable.

The sphere continued to spin until it suddenly expanded outward into a shimmering silver ring that was tinged with white light at the edges. It spun around like a coin in the air, end turning over end, and then it suddenly warped as it flared again, reshaping itself as it collapsed inward. It settled into a brilliant silver-white star that was as large as any of the ones that had gone into it.

Forging successful, the World Core declared. Do you wish to forge a Path for this Class? It will require Five Marks.

Before answering, Sam reached out and touched the star, studying the result.

Astral Artificer (Unique Inheritance Class)

[Provides 5 Strength, 5 Constitution, 5 Wisdom, 10 Intelligence, 10 Aura, and 10 free attribute points per level. A unique class created to combine the skills of the Astral line with crafting abilities taken from elsewhere, in this case from the Inheritance of Asenya, the World Forger. It has been designed as a progression of the Chaos Smith class, allowing the bearer to harness primal energies for creation.

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.]

Sam studied the class as a sense of relief passed through him that he wouldn’t have to waste the evolution. It wasn’t quite as powerful in pure attributes as some of the other classes, but it didn’t have their limitations either. It also had more free attribute points and it held the same reassurances of keeping to Asenya’s inheritance and to his path that his current class did.

With the two free attributes per general level, it would leave him with twelve to put into Charisma. He would be gaining 10 Intelligence and Aura per level, but even with that, he should be able to balance his essence within 19 or 20 levels.

Hopefully.

Unfortunately, it didn’t offer any expedited way of balancing his essence, so it seemed the World Core hadn’t been able to incorporate that request, but it was a good balance of the available options. He’d just have to hope that his Dimensional Anchor worked. With a nod, he accepted the World Core’s assistance in creating a path for the class.

Forging a Path for Class: Astral Artificer.

Flickering lights surrounded the glowing star, connecting it out into the distant night. This time, it felt distinctly like the sky was deeper than it had ever been before. In the darkness, a flicker of true stars appeared. There was a pause, and then the World Core spoke.

Additional requirements for Astral Class detected. The Class and its Path must be aligned to the Astral Heritage. Now incorporating the Astral Heritage....

The Path is Established.

As Sam watched, a new line of information joined the others in the description of the class.

[An Astral Class requires the bearer to walk the Path of Stars. The walk may take many forms, but it teaches the history of the race and allows the bearer to attune themselves to their heritage. Your walk will begin as soon as you finish your Evolution. You will be transferred to a location where this is possible.]

Sam’s eyes widened as he read the information, particularly the part about being sent away.

“No!” His shout was an instant protest. “I thought you were going to help me! I don’t have time to leave and wander the stars! I’m not spending a thousand years on it! Don’t you want to fix the seal?!”

The World Core’s silence was the only answer. There were only the stars in front of him as Sam stared at the class that had taken the last of his Marks. If he’d known it was going to add that requirement, he never would have spent them on it.

Now, he was stuck.

He could take one of the earlier classes, which were floating in front of him again, but Astral Artificer was the best of the available options.

“The World Core also knows how long the seal has, I imagine,” Asenya said quietly as she studied the result with him. It sounded like she was trying to reassure him. “Perhaps it has taken that into account. It does say that the walk can take many forms. In the end, this may be a good thing. Didn’t you want to learn more about the Astral Titans? You will just have to try to finish the walk faster than anyone ever has before.”

Sam clenched and relaxed his fists as he considered what he should do. If he took the class, he’d be teleported away somewhere. The same problem no doubt applied to Astral Smith, which meant that option wasn’t one any longer. If he didn’t take the class, he’d be stuck with all the current problems and probably teleport himself away anyway as soon as he saw an astral thread.

It came down to whether or not he trusted the World Core. He’d asked it to help itself just as much as to help him. Asenya might be right about it having a plan for this, but the question was...was it wise enough to know how to do that?

Or was it just a broken artifact that didn’t know how to fix itself?

Flickers of the past went through his mind as he looked back on every decision the World Core had made about him. Some of them were helpful and some weren’t. His expression was grim as he looked at Asenya and asked the only question that really mattered.

“Do you trust the World Core?”

She was its caretaker, the one who had overseen its growth from some distant past, so she should know it better than anyone.

“I am only a memory fragment.” She smiled as she lifted her hands slightly in a helpless gesture. There was sympathy in every line of her posture. “From your own words, much has changed since I was in charge of the World Core. I do not know if it is the same as I remember. In my time, it was young and needed guidance. It also liked to follow the rules that defined its existence. That much, at least, seems to still be true.”

Sam’s grimace deepened. Her answer meant it was truly a blind leap into the unknown. He’d never seen the World Core as a god and he had no faith that it had his best interests at heart, but hopefully it at least had its own there.

“Will I be able to see my family from the Path of Stars?”

“I trust that you will find a way,” she said quietly. “And perhaps you will find more than you expected on the path. The Astral Titans are powerful and their heritage is deep. Following the path may be the best thing that could happen to you...and to the World Core as well.”

With an even deeper grimace, Sam nodded. Then he took a deep breath and let his expression turn flat. He was struggling for equanimity, but he was pretty sure he looked like a man going to his execution.

“Thank you again for your help and your inheritance,” he said as he bowed to Asenya. “I will keep looking for you. Perhaps you will also be waiting on the path.”

Asenya’s eyes were a brilliant green as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Her skin tingled where her lips touched and there was a faint scent of jasmine and something otherworldly.

“For good luck,” she said as she pulled back with a mysterious smile. “I hope one day to see you in person. Walk well, my Titan.”

Then she gestured and the silver-white star flew toward the ancient gate behind her. As it struck the surface, it fused into it and the entire structure began to glow with a silver-white flame. Slowly, the doors creaked open, releasing a brilliant blast of light.

Without a need to say anything else, Sam turned and walked toward the gate. A moment later, he stepped into the brilliant gateway. As soon as he did, the World Core’s voice echoed in his mind, filled with a bright energy that he’d never heard before. It almost sounded excited.

Congratulations, Astral Artificer, on reaching your Second Evolution.

The world exploded in a wash of silver-white light.