Path of Stars, Ch 40: Titan's Heart (Patreon)

“What do you want out of your subclass?” Asenya asked as the energy around Sam continued to build. “It’s a much more open choice than your primary class. The Path can construct almost any secondary option for you as long as your body supports it.”

Sam considered the question, thinking over the options. Until now, the Astral Guardian had always given him a subclass that had worked, but he had spent some time while on the Path thinking about what he would do if the choice was up to him.

“I want to keep the basic focus of the subclass,” he said, speaking into the flow of rainbow energy as Asenya’s form became more transparent. “I’ll need the combat abilities and the rest in the future. I also need a way to repair the seal, if it’s an option, or to find your real body. Are there any better Astral Titan subclasses that will work?”

He’d gone to the effort of modifying his subclass already so that it aligned with his inner nature. Going forward, he expected that he would need to keep to the same pattern. He was really just looking for an upgrade.

“Astral Titans tended to use their subclass for hobbies,” Asenya said with a laugh that echoed through the flow of power, “rather like you in fact. Whenever they wanted something interesting, they’d do a subclass for it. Their racial abilities meant they weren’t reliant on a subclass for power, and if something didn’t work out, they were often able to create a new ability to fix it. As a result, there is an enormous hodgepodge of their subclasses and abilities recorded in the World Core. I’m not certain any of them will fit your needs exactly, but they mostly use astral energy and there are some for dimensional magic.

“Let’s see.” Her words faded into a thoughtful hum. She spoke again a few moments later. “Here’s one that might work. You want to keep all of the current abilities and just add one new one for it? I’ll redesign the rest of the subclass for you so that it blends well with your new class. It’s a little rough at the moment from where you altered it.”

“Yes,” Sam agreed. “My current abilities are critical. I don’t want to lose the teleportation or any of the rest. I just want to upgrade it to help with the seal. A dimensional ability would work for that, if it’s useful.”

He didn’t comment on the current state of his subclass. He was well aware that he’d brute-forced it into a pattern that worked for him. If Asenya could smooth that out, it would be for the best. As for what dimensional ability would be best for the World Seal, he didn’t know enough about it to choose, so he’d leave it up to Asenya. As the designer, she should know the seal better than anyone.

He doubted there was a “World Seal Repair” ability in the records of the Path, but he had some aura abilities that should work for it in the future, including Aura Regeneration. He’d just need to massively increase the amount of power he had if he wanted to affect the seal in any reasonable way. For this subclass, he was hoping for a more unique ability that would support his efforts. No matter what it was, at the end of the day, it would be more than he had currently.

“Then this one should work,” Asenya said with a sparkling hum. “It was created by a Titan named Nerefi when she was experimenting with astral energy and dimensional barriers in the early years of the Path, before the teleportation network was active. She was trying to reinforce a teleportation portal through the Chaos Wild. The ability relies on astral energy to stabilize dimensional fluctuations. Some of her work was later included in the Path, but it wasn’t needed for that. All the same, the ability was still held in high esteem.”

“Does it have a name?” Sam asked, his interest piqued. “That sounds like it could help.”

“Nerefi called it the Hopeful Dream of Starlight, but you can use a different name,” Asenya said. “She had a habit of naming things based on her mood at the time. It has several unique features, from stabilizing dimensional barriers to enhancing teleportation. The Path will include an introduction to the methods she dreamed up for it and some examples of how to use it best. You might be able to develop some of your own based on them.”

“That’s the best one available?” Sam asked to confirm. He was interested in the ability, but he wanted to make sure of his options before he chose it. The name sounded elegant, but he wasn’t sure what it meant.

“It is the most flexible one,” Asenya agreed. “There are some other abilities from later ages that are more refined, but they are more narrowly focused and complex. I think this one will fit you and the World Seal the best. Your understanding of astral energy will increase as you use it. Some of the others require you to have a more advanced ability. You can also experiment with different ways to apply it. Perhaps it will help you with sealing the dimensional flaws you mentioned.”

“Then I’ll take it,” Sam said with a nod. “If you have an idea, feel free to name it something that I’ll remember more easily.”

“How about Astral Binding?” Asenya suggested. “One of the main qualities of the ability is infusing astral energy into and around things. It has some combat applications as well, if you want to seal an enemy.”

“That works.” Sam nodded. The name fit with the rest of his abilities. At the same time, the flow of energy around him was increasing and he could feel his bones shuddering on the verge of change, which told him he didn’t have much time left here. “Is that the last thing to decide for the subclass?”

“I’ll take care of the other parts,” Asenya said, sounding amused. Her tone became more formal and all-encompassing as the last outlines of the landscape began to disappear, turning into flows of energy that poured through the void. “Whenever one of my descendants comes here to Evolve, I share one piece of advice with them, as well as my best wishes for their future. Now, I extend the same to you. My advice is this: study your abilities well, from both your class and race, but never forget that without you they are only an empty frame. You are the one who gives them meaning.

“And may my blessing go with you like the dark cloak of the night, ever present when other things fail. May you live long and love well, flourish in life and in deeds, and leave a lasting legacy behind when you finally step into the stars and pass beyond the mortal bounds.”

With those words, Asenya’s voice faded away and the flow of the elements through the tree took over. They roared like the rolling thunder of the Storm Plains as they transformed into a thousand leaping silver flames, sweeping him away.

*****

The world was a wash of silver stars. Currents of fire and ice, energy both light and dark, wrapped around Sam like endless rivers spinning through the Void. Energy from a thousand sources poured through his bones, destroyed and recreated his muscles, strengthened his tendons, and expanded his meridians.

Every part of him was torn apart and reborn stronger, infused with essence and astral energy. The injuries from his recent battle were healed and then wiped away, the underlying structures replaced with stronger and more essence dense bone that wouldn’t shatter so easily, and then wrapped in muscles and skin that was more durable than armor.

For the first time, he was also fully in the hands of the Path for a class Evolution and he could feel himself being analyzed from a thousand angles, his body reconstructed according to the laws of the Void. Every fragment of his being was studied for potential issues, lingering damage, and trouble that might arise in the future. Those issues were then corrected as he was put back together again.

His meridians that had once felt strained from combusting too many auras were completely reshaped and attuned to the laws of the stars, so they could no longer be damaged by such a simple thing.

His old Fire affinity was enhanced, merged with starfire, and reborn, granting him immunity to most forms of astral fire. Before, he had been wary of coming too close to a sun, but now that became a possibility.

His Aura of Astral Flame was pulled out like a tapestry, studied, and then enhanced as those leaping streams of silver flame poured into it, creating the light of a thousand stars like a banner waving in the dark.

His Astral Fire and Astral Ice abilities were purified as they merged with the same starlight, their properties advancing as new potential was added to them, their energies becoming denser and more complex.

His subclass was next as the Aura of Astral Flame was pulled apart, stretched into the distance off the Void, and then reshaped. The same flames of a thousand silver stars poured into it, aligning it to a more profound aspect of starlight that filled it with power.

At the same time, those strands of starlight wove through all of his abilities, filling his mind with silver stars. He could tell that when he teleported in the future, it would no longer be just a wash of silver flame. Starlight would be there somewhere. His Form of Astral Flame would probably have silver stars floating through it as well.

Eventually, all of the changes were complete and he could feel himself pulling back together again, every part flowing in perfect harmony. The balanced energies of the Void were an echo reflecting each of the changes, giving him a way to assess the concepts that were now flowing through him.

Each of the new abilities fell into place and information on them rushed into his mind, nearly overwhelming him with a tidal wave of meaning. Fortunately, it only took him a few moments to sort it all out and the new capabilities sprang into his awareness.

At that moment, his body finished coalescing and he found himself standing in the Void with stars shining above him. Below him, he could distantly sense a thread of connection to Asenya’s Wild Tree, as well as a slightly altered dimensional signature that told him some key details.

He was in a neighboring dimension, one that was side by side with his main one. Here, there was no world below him. It was all just open Void and starlight.

He could still feel the presence of the Wild Tree, however. Its form was a faint outline far below, its essence rooted in this dimension as much as the neighboring ones.

It looked like he’d been transported here to complete his Evolution in peace. Perhaps that was what the World Core did too, back on Aster Fall. He looked down at himself and let out a thoughtful hum, studying the result. It made him realize that it was the first breath he’d drawn in a while.

All around him, there was also the pressure of essence and experience that his Evolution hadn’t dealt with. It had to be the remnants of the battle with the commander, with enough left over that it had followed him through the process, but he’d deal with it in a moment.

First, there was a wave of notifications waiting for him from the class changes. They came with a resounding clarion call of a thousand silver trumpets echoing through the Void, like heralds announcing the arrival of their lord who had finally returned home.

Hail, Lord of Silver Stars!

Congratulations on a successful Third Evolution.

You gain the Class Ability: Blessing of Silver Stars (Legendary).

[Allies within your aura will receive 10% of your Charisma to all attributes, an upgrade of one tier to all skills with a maximum of Epic, and improved attack and defense.

Followers sworn directly to you will receive 20% to all attributes, an upgrade of one tier to all skills with a maximum of Epic, and a unique ability to attack and defend as a group.

Artifacts crafted by your hand will be innately imbued with your astral aura, granting them an astral blessing that suits their nature and improving their characteristics by a single tier or 20%, as long as your power is great enough to allow it.

Innate Blessing: As the Lord of Silver Stars, you are the example to all who follow you. You receive a passive benefit from this blessing, granting you 50% of your Charisma to all other attributes.]

It was the first time he’d seen the full description of the ability and he had to pause in shock as he took it in. He’d been expecting most of it, but the details were more powerful than he had thought. Now, he knew why the class required such high Charisma.

It was using the force of that attribute to elevate everyone around him.

It was the Innate Blessing that came with it that surprised him the most, since he hadn’t been expecting it. Something about it rang a bell however, and he recalled what that Uncle Snake had told him many years before on Aster Fall in a passing comment about the Third Evolution

“Some people call it the Unity Realm. It’s a little different for each class and race. For me, my Agility is worth more than my other attributes. Every point I add to it adds a bit to other areas, even to my Intelligence and Wisdom. Things aren’t as separate any longer.”

He’d also said that attributes overlaid each other and spell and physical abilities were no longer as distinct, their power becoming more similar to one another. Those words sprang to life now, framing the way Sam looked at the blessing.

It sounded like this was a feature of the Third Evolution.

At the same time, he doubted that Uncle Snake was getting 50% from his version. He chuckled at the thought and then he did some calculations for a moment. The result made him nod.

The advantage was powerful, but Charisma was his second weakest attribute. At Level 290, it had been just under 1,400. A 50% boost from that was worth 700 to all other attributes. If most people got the boost on their main attribute, it would balance out.

For example, if Uncle Snake had 5,000 Agility and a 10% boost, then he’d have 500 to all other attributes, which would go a long way to evening out his mana regeneration, mana pool, basic ability with spells, and so on. He imagined that if he asked the nagas or Alora about their abilities at the Third Evolution, they would report something similar.

“The Unity Realm indeed,” he said thoughtfully as he looked at his Charisma attribute again. It had been a key attribute ever since he’d started to struggle with balancing his essence, and he’d sometimes regretted not putting the points into Intelligence or Aura.

Now, Charisma had finally come into its own.

With 20 Charisma per level, it meant he would get an additional 10 points to everything else, for a free sixty points. The thought made him look down at his hands and flex them, watching the roll of the muscle and bone. Every bit of strength meant a better chance of repairing the seal.

He also noticed that the Blessing of Silver Stars was marked as “Legendary” for its tier. He was fairly sure that meant it wouldn’t change in the future. With a nod, he moved on to the next notification.

A new Subclass has been assigned.

Its name was chosen by Asenya, first of her line.

He felt a trace of puzzlement at the mention of a new name. He hadn’t thought about that part of it when they were discussing the upgrade. It looked like Asenya had chosen one for him. He glanced at his status sheet to see what it was. As soon as he saw it, his eyes widened.

Subclass: Guardian of Aster Fall.

She’d named him after his homeworld, as if she were appointing him its protector. It was what he’d already been doing, but seeing it as his subclass left him wordless. The new ability was recorded right next to it as well, like a confirmation of what they’d discussed.

Subclass Ability: Astral Binding (Basic).

And that wasn’t the only thing she’d left him. He could see one more addition that hadn’t been there before. There was a new title resting beside his old ones.

High Artificer of Aster Fall.

[As High Artificer, most locks and secure areas of the world are open to you. You have been granted Full Access to the World Core, dependent only on your ability to manage it. Title and access were recorded by Asenya, the World Forger and Keeper of the Core.]

As he read the description of the title, Asenya’s voice rang in his mind, like a memory that was included with it. Her tone was good natured, but serious.

“This title should help you with a few things and it’s the last thing I can do for you right now. Bear in mind that the World Core has its own agenda and is a sentient artifact. With this, it should no longer charge you for information and it will aid you freely in small ways, but you do not have the authority to interfere with its primary purpose. For that, you’ll have to find my real self.

Also, bear in mind what that commander said about Ascension. There may be something beyond the Sixth Evolution, and if that is true, it is a grave threat to the peace of our galaxy. Try to find the other Titans. I hope they have not been idle all these years.”

With that, her voice faded away, leaving only the new changes in his mind. Her words held deep concern and they left him with a grave outlook on the future. His advancements were promising, but there was still a long way to go.

With that in mind, he looked at the remaining experience and essence from the battle that was gathered around him. He was going to need it. The essence was already balanced, probably due to the Wild Tree. He let them both flood toward him.

The experience came first, the energy roaring through his body as it filled him with sizzling life. Notifications leapt into his mind as the attributes he’d received from 290 to 300 suddenly caught up, along with the Path’s announcements.

Congratulations on reaching Level 300!

You gain 50 Strength, 50 Constitution, 50 Wisdom, 100 Intelligence, 100 Aura, and have 120 free attribute points to assign.

The notification wrapped up the last remaining attributes from the Second Evolution, and he gave the free attribute points a nod. That was the largest amount he would see for a while now. A moment later, the rest of the experience was added on top of it, pushing him through some more levels in the Third Evolution. Killing the Level 471 commander had given him quite a bit.

Congratulations, Lord of Silver Stars. You are now Level 310!

You gain 100 Strength, 100 Constitution, 50 Agility, 50 Wisdom, 500 Intelligence, 500 Aura, 200 Charisma, and 20 free attribute points.

You now have 140 free attribute points to assign.

After that, the essence arrived, bringing with it a wave of even more attributes. All told, it was over 1.3 million essence from the commander. The attributes from it dwarfed everything related to his classes as over a million new stars flowed into his essence constellation.

Essence Constellation (Second Star): 2,526,177 / 5,000,000

You gain 1918 Strength, 2238 Constitution, 560 Agility, 3356 Intelligence, and 3356 Aura.

Stars grew like wildfire, springing to life with brilliant points of energy as a cloud-like nebula stretched outward in every direction. It was filled with brilliant streaks of colors, translucent clouds of essence in shimmering hues, and brilliant interlocking patterns that flashed in his mind and spiraled away, awakening memories and whispers of the past.

The voices of the Titans in the stars became clearer, their words leaping out at him as their conversation pulled him in. Where before they had been just on the edge of his understanding, now each word was full of meaning, speaking directly to him. Runes and patterns flooded along the lines of the constellation and filled his mind.

In the Void all around him, streaks of multi-hued starlight began to appear, curling around his arms and shoulders in leaping flames. Each of them was an echo, a memory of an event so profound that the Void manifested the images as he heard them, millions of years after they had first taken place. Some of them were about crafting, others were battles, and others were promises made between the Titans and others, oaths forged and kept, loved ones held in a Titan’s embrace so fiercely that the event was recorded in the weave of time, and also grief as some of those loved ones were lost to passing time.

It was a thousand memories of the Titans' hearts.

That was what the voices had been trying to share with him. It wasn’t just the whispers of techniques and conversations they’d held in the early days of the Void, but the memories of all the things they had loved the most. They had loved their arts, but they had also loved one another and the younger races they had met, and the rise of each new star above the horizon.

The power of those events swept through him and were imprinted into his spirit, each a memory for him to access whenever he wanted. When they finally faded away, he looked down at himself again. The flames had all turned silver now and were leaping around him, wrapping him in a thousand arcs of brilliant light.

The Void trembled as starlight began to spiral around in response, descending toward him in welcome. He looked up at it with a peaceful gaze, his eyes filled with memories of his home and a thousand others. It was pulling him toward it and if he took a single step, he knew the Dream of the Void would begin.

Everything else for the Path of Stars had just fallen into place. Only that was left.

“Soon,” he said to the Void. He knew what he had to do, but there was still one thing to take care of. The starlight shimmered in response, its descent slowing down to a fraction of what it had been, but he didn’t have long.

With an effort of will, he connected with the dimension around him and the anchor that was the Wild Tree. Then he stepped through, back to the world where Alora and his people were waiting.