3.44. A New Path Forward (Patreon)

When Inleio had talked about becoming dawn, he said it was the first time he’d ever truly felt the will of the World Spirit. There’d been a gladness to the experience and an innate acknowledgement that he was firmly on the Path to Perfection.

In the quiet moments hanging out with Moon, he’d said something similar, except the World Spirit had honored him for his sacrifice, which implied he too was on a path. In both cases, they were rewarded for their efforts, and that was the sense I got from the notification:

The World Spirit rejoices. Another has become dawn.

Walker, know that every step transforms the path and the world. For reaching this milestone, you receive:

• A bonus attribute point and guaranteed talent at level up.
• Bonuses to your capacities for body power, qi, and mana.
• Increasing the maximum of human attributes to 25.
• A gift appropriate to your soul marks, talents, and path.

Your path evolves! Please select from one of the following options before commencing with the level up:

• Forester
• Veil Walker
• Elementalist
• Fallen Druid
• Storm Caller

The notification put me in a weird spot. The solemnity of just a few minutes earlier clashed with a rising elation. In addition, my joy—the bonuses and the path evolutions sounded so incredibly cool—was compounded by a similar feeling pouring into me, as if I were a canteen being filled with euphoria.

I’d been told what to expect by Inleio and the others, but the experience was more intense than I’d anticipated. I started to sweat and my mouth filled with saliva.

“It’s started,” Tegen said. “He’s showing the signs.”

“Can you talk?” Mumu asked. “What do you sense for your path?”

My breath came fast, but I got out: “The Forester, but there are others—”

“Easy now,” Tegen said. “The transformation to dawn won’t hurt you. It may seem like you must rush, but that’s not the case. You can take your time and think about any decisions required.”

Mumu said, “The Forester is the most natural evolution of your path, but the World Spirit almost always offers other options. Feel along the edges for connections.”

That part was easy; I didn’t have to feel for anything. The phone in my head displayed them all for me. The problem was the dawn energy—it urged me to hurry and pick what I most desired, but I forced myself to be disciplined and start from the top.

Forester: Your heart is one with the land, and you are its caretaker, protecting its denizens and spirits. A small amount of authority is invested in you to act on its behalf, and your skills focus on a blend of survival, martial, and nature magic.

The description was mostly the same as for Young Forester, but there was something new too. I took a deep breath, and that created enough space for me to get out: “What does ‘authority’ mean? When it's related to a path?”

Smiles spread all around, but it was Mumu who answered. “That’s good if you can sense authority. It means you’ll have the World Spirit’s blessing to act in ways appropriate to the path.”

Tegen was quick to add, “Although you should still follow the law.”

“That’s true,” Mumu said. “The world speakers get involved when authorities clash, and none of us want another trial.”

To which, everyone vehemently agreed. Anyway, the pressure inside me continued to mount; better to move quickly through the rest.

Veil Walker: You occupy the liminal boundary between light and dark, life and death. As the land’s last resort, you are invested with the authority to end threats that others cannot, utilizing a mix of stealth and martial skills, as well as nature and spirit magics. This is an assassin’s path.

Teila observed, “Eight, your face is very strange.”

The words slipped out: “There’s a path for assassins.”

I heard a chorus of “Ohs" in response, then after a brief hesitation, Tegen said, “There are many Paths to Perfection. None of us will judge you for following your family’s traditions.”

And so despite everything I’d said to the contrary, people still believed the story about my mysterious past as the only survivor from a family of assassins.

“You might get in trouble with the law,” Mumu added. “Some cities have ways to identify problematic paths.”

None of them had to worry about that, though, because the point was moot; there was no way I’d pick Veil Walker. Sure, it sounded amazing as hell, but I’d just helped hunt down Borba. I didn’t want experiences like it to occupy the rest of my life.

Instead, I focused on the next three options:

Elementalist: The world is made of magic. While this path accesses a variety of elements, the focus is on simplicity over complexity. Spells derive their potency from being quick, effective, and practical. You won’t build any grand magics, but you’ll win in a shootout. Skill growth is entirely magical.

Fallen Druid: You’ve been touched by both a fallen god and the spirits of the land. This is an extremely rare path and comes with significant authority over the territory in which you preside. The path comes with a strong focus on nature and spirit magics, as well as enough survival and martial skills to make the wilderness your home.

Storm Caller: Your heart is one with the storm, and the storm answers your call as a lover might. This path embodies nature’s most primal forces with an emphasis on air, water, and lightning affinities. It also provides moderate authority over the weather, bonuses to the growth of select survival and martial skills, and a predisposition for affinity-based talents.

My mind raced, and my heart along with it. Sure, there was the energy boiling inside me pushing for an outlet, but also... these options were incredible. Or that’s how it seemed to me, with each one fulfilling a long-held fantasy of mine.

Even the most straightforward evolution—the one to Forester—was a fine choice. Its younger version had served me well and done everything I’d hoped it would. In many ways, it was the safe choice.

Fallen Druid, on the other hand, was the safer choice. Its description included the first time I’d ever seen the System call anything significant, and it came with skills and magics that almost guaranteed I’d be okay living in the woods with Ikfael. My only concern was how it sounded like my strength would be tied to her territory, which was okay given how much I loved my home, but I also still had a long life ahead of me. At some point, I’d want to travel and explore the world.

And then there was Storm Caller. Its description included another first: the System mentioning a path affecting a person’s talents. The path practically screamed that it’d be the fastest way to acquire the Lightning-Touched talent, and that got me itching to select it. I didn’t, though, and was sensible, sharing the information with Yuki and the rest of my team first, so that we could discuss my options like reasonable, rational people.

First, Yuki somersaulted in joy. They knew my choices were exciting from sensing my reactions to them, but once they heard the details, their happiness overflowed, filling up my heart dantian to the brim. Between them and the high from the Level 5 milestone, I thought I might pop.

My team was delighted too, although there was confusion too since they didn’t have the benefit of the tooltip text. The phone in my head was still a secret, after all.

They had expected the Path of the Forester, but even though Mumu had done research on assassination path evolutions in case one popped up for me, she’d never heard of anything like Veil Walker. Elementalists weren’t common, but those at least were known, as were Druids, although not the fallen kind.

Tegen hypothesized that the Path of the Fallen Druid came from my ability to interact with the spirits of the dead, which wasn’t true. I felt bad for not being honest with my team, but Diriktot’s role in my life was another secret.

Weather-related paths tended to appear more in the Farmer’s Lodge, but Storm Caller felt like a different beast entirely than what they normally saw. Supposedly, there’d been hermits with similar paths whose powers had been either highly regarded or highly feared, depending on the stories told about them.

The team went around in circles discussing the benefits of Forester versus Fallen Druid versus Storm Caller. By consensus they’d eliminated Veil Walker for being problematic and Elementalist for not providing enough benefits.

I tried not to be too swayed by them talking about the power of any path that increased elemental affinities or that affected talent generation. I was no fool—my naked desire for Storm Caller was clear to me—but the choice would affect both me and my loved ones for the rest of my life.

I don’t want to make the wrong decision.

But you’re doing fine, Yuki said. Even as Young Forester, you’re able to keep up with the lodge’s best.

I could do better. We’re surrounded by monsters—

We’re surrounded by friends too, Yuki said. And it’s not like either of us will stop growing. You’re just picking a direction for that growth.

There are real benefits to Fallen Druid, you know. We could make the Glen safe.

My grappling with the decision must’ve shown on my face, because Mumu said, “Eight, a good decision arises when head, heart, and desire are in alignment, but when the three disagree, then choose the heart. The head can be wrong, and desires change with time, but it is the heart that will let you persevere when the path is at its darkest.”

Yuki hummed in agreement. The heart wants what it wants. And besides, will Fallen Druid make the Glen safer than being able to rain down lightning bolts on our enemies?

I grinned like a fool. That would be so badass.

The baddest.

“So we’re okay,” I asked aloud, “with me choosing Storm Caller?”

We are, Yuki said with another somersault.

Mumu, her eyes bright, said, “You will delight our farmers and bring terror to our enemies. Voorhei will be the envy of every village within a hundred eisqilm.”

The others agreed, and that was all I needed for my resistance to drop.

The energy within me vibrated more strongly; it filled me like magic did just before casting a spell—the potential spilling over into action, rushing through me, changing me. I grew lightheaded and saw stars. Random muscles across my body locked, but my team had already moved to support me. They helped me lie down, as a series of contractions and expansions moved through me, almost like the different parts of me were being tested by a hammer to check how they sounded-reacted-responded.

Then, my mind fuzzed—the feeling uncomfortably nostalgic and reminiscent of Meliune’s Blessing. Distantly, I recognized the pain arising in my bones, organs, nervous system, blood vessels. In my everything, the electricity of change danced—ten thousand pillars of skyfire blazing.

My team cradled me throughout. They placed a piece of leather between my teeth for me to bite, and sang softly as they wiped away sweat. Time passed in a haze, and my consciousness dimmed and brightened, supported by Yuki internally in the same way my team did externally.

Dimly, I became aware of the sound of a drum beating. I thought at first it was my heart—it felt like it—but the sound also came from outside too. I followed it back to everyday reality, and I opened my eyes to see Mumu above me, stroking my hair, while Tegen and Haol danced, and Teila beat on a small drum.

Mumu gently kissed my forehead. “Welcome back, our dawn. We see you, Eight Storm Caller.”

###

The room had been darkened while I leveled up, but even so, my eyes felt sensitive—almost prickly as I looked up at Mumu. I felt shaky, hungry, and thirsty too. She helped me upright, and Teila brought a jug of water in one hand and a bowl of lukewarm porridge in the other.

She held the jug for me as I gulped the water down, and then fed me the first couple of spoonsful of porridge until I was steady enough to feed myself. I was halfway through the bowl when I realized I’d known the temperature before tasting it.

The room itself was cool, it being underground and almost winter, while my team was... my team. Okay, so I didn’t suddenly possess a magical temperature sensor, but there was something in the air I couldn’t pin down—an invisible and pervasive presence. It reminded me of the times in my previous life when I’d visited places known to be haunted. My spirit eyes didn’t reveal anything, though, so the feeling just nagged at me from the back of my mind.

Mumu whispered, “Consult Baraskas’s Gift, so that you may know yourself. We will wait.”

Right, okay, focus. I turned my attention to the phone in my head, and saw:

Congratulations. You hve collected enough silverlight to grow in power.

You’re now Level 5 and dawn. You receive two free attribute points. Checking for new talents. *Ding* Your hard work has successfully triggered a nascent talent.

Attribute and skill gains have been finalized. Thank you for striving toward perfection.

• Strength has increased from 9 to 10.
• Spirit has increased from 16 to 17.
• Luck has increased from 13 to 14.
• Wisdom will grow from 15 to (16).
• Aeromancy has increased from 6 to 7.
• Hydromancy has increased from 6 to 7.
• Nature Magic has increased from 5 to 6.
• Physics has increased from 4 to 5.
• Taoism has increased from 8 to 9.
• Survival, Ocean has increased from 3 to 5.

The base benefits for a Level 5 Storm Caller are active.

Attribute foci:

• Wisdom, primary
• Spirit, secondary
• Agility, tertiary

Skill foci:

• Aeromancy
• Hydromancy
• Nature Magic
• Survival, all
• Spear Arts
• (An additional martial discipline)

Your capacity for silverlight has grown. Secondary attributes increase by another 40%. The total bonus is now 100%.

• Body power has increased from 15 to 20.
• Qi has increased from 52 to 68.
• Mana has increased from 25 to 32.

I couldn’t help myself and rushed to check my new talent:

Talents

• Jack of All Trades
• Talent Scout
• Qi Sensitive
• Uncanny Tracker
• Multilingual
• Enduring
• Spirit Hunter
• Lightning Affinity
• Heart of the Storm

Heart of the Storm

Sometimes there are talents one is born to. This is not one, no matter what you may have believed. Still, lightning and thunder have called to you since you were a child, and you’ve steadfastly answered with curiosity, passion, and love.

Now when you speak, the spirits of the air and water will listen. This talent also eases the way for the changes required for weather-influencing paths, unlocking access to body power; provides bonuses to aeromancy, hydromancy, and nature magics; and increases affinity for thunder and lightning. The effects of Heart of the Storm scale with Wisdom and Spirit.

I sat stunned, my team waiting patiently for me, but it took time to wrap my head around what I’d just read. Like seriously, there was a lot to unpack—from the dig at me for believing mi abuela’s story about me being born under a thunderbird to how I should have access body power now. What?

I didn’t feel any different, but Yuki said, There are silver filaments running up and down your spine, from the base all the way up into the brain. They tapped one, and I suddenly felt a shiver run along my back.

“Eight?” Mumu asked, concerned.

Tegen leaned in. “The physical transformation to dawn can sometimes force a person to relearn how to move their body.”

“That’s not it,” I said, then toggled between the English and Diaksh versions of all the relevant tooltips to make sure I understood the vocabulary. “My new talent is supposed to give me access to body power, among other things—”

“What other things?” Haol asked, interrupting.

Then Teila chimed in, "Do you have feeling for what your new talent should be called?”

“Heart of the Storm,” I said.

Mumu’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know it, but any talent named with ‘heart’ is usually considered strong. Like being ‘Scout Born’ or ‘Spear Friend.’ ”

“This is a powerful talent—I have no doubt about it—I just can’t figure out the body power piece. It’s going to take some experimentation.”

“Which you’ll do later,” Mumu said. “For now, please update us on the Level 5 changes.”

Right. They need to know where things stand before we head back to Voorhei tomorrow.

I went back to look at my Status more closely. The attribute gains were no surprise; they’d all been in the process of growing to their new ranks. What was unexpected, however, were the new ranks in Physics and Taoism. The only explanation I could think of was that my new path somehow affected them.

My attribute foci were the same three stats, just with different priorities. I’d lost Archery and Stealth, but could apparently pick a new martial discipline. When I poked the slot with my mind, I felt it waiting for me to fill it, which I did with Archery. The bow was part of me now, and I couldn’t imagine putting it down for another weapon.

And holy hells, my secondary attributes were nuts. Hitting Level 5 had increased the bonus by an additional forty percent instead of the usual twenty, and I now had enough qi to cast seventeen spells and enough mana for eight spells.

For a moment, I admired my new attributes:

Primary Attributes

• Strength  10/10
• Constitution  10/10
• Agility   10/10
• Intelligence  15/15
• Wisdom  15/16
• Spirit   17/17
• Charm   11/11
• Luck   14/14
• Free Attributes 2

Secondary Attributes

• Body Power  20
• Qi   68
• Mana   32

I had the physical strength and stamina of an adult, which was wild considering my still-eight-year-old body. I mean, I was incredibly fit given my training regimen but there were other factors surely at work too.

And I could grow my attributes even more with two free points to spend. The only milestone in reach, though, was Luck. I could put one there and cross my fingers for a second new talent, but I hesitated because it was such a nebulous stat.

Luck 14

A measure of how much and how often the fabric of the universe bends in your favor. Be careful to not count on Luck to save you. It may make for some strange synchronicities and coincidences though.

I’d been narrating the updates, and when I reached this part and my thinking about it, everyone on my team was adamant in advising some variation of: “Always go for the milestone.”

Talents were just too valuable in this world, and the conventional wisdom was that any opportunity to trigger one was almost always worth it. Plus, the milestone benefits were pretty good too.

We talked as a team, and they eventually convinced me to put a point in Luck, after which a notification popped up:

Congratulations. You have reached a Luck milestone. Checking for new talents. Sorry, no new talents were triggered. The base benefits of 15 Luck are now active: oddities, accidents, and coincidences tend to favor you at increased rates.

Oh, well, I’d given it a shot. And who knew, maybe the extra Luck helped in ways I didn’t see. That was a more comforting thought than the alternative: that I’d wasted the point.

The other I put in Spirit, with the goal of eventually reaching rank 20. The first attribute to hit that milestone was supposed to guarantee another talent.

There are patterns in the filaments, Yuki said. They repeat and reinforce each other.

Do they look like runes?

A bit, but they’re differently complicated. We don’t know how to describe it, so the two of us merged, separated again, and—

Yes, they’re beautiful but tonally different from qi and mana magic. “Let’s see what happens when I cast Spark.”

The others were game to wait a little longer, so Mumu helped me stand and then went to join the others in a corner. I brought the rune to mind, my mana flowed, and I unexpectedly felt lightheaded—just a touch, though, and not enough to cause me to stumble or drop the spell.

The livewire in my hands came to life in a way it never had before. Stronger, brighter, fiercer—the sheer elemental brilliance of the Spark was intoxicating.

The filaments are shining!

I didn’t have to force the electricity to ignore the spell’s constraints. Once Spark was cast, it now listened to my will, bending and turning and even circling around me like a snake. At the same time, I felt my mana drain, which was usual, but also qi and something more... physical. The sensation was like working a long day at construction but compartmentalized so that the feeling built over time.

It was a weird, weird feeling, and didn’t impact my actual stamina at all. From what Sheedi had told me, the element-touched didn’t spend any of their energies when controlling their respective elements. It was a function of will, and now I could replicate it.

Except for me it did cost; I felt all three energies—mana, qi, and body power—draining as the electricity danced around me. After the initial cast, my tanks steadily diminished, and the longer I kept the power flowing, the better I was able to estimate it: an even blend of two points’ worth of mana, qi, and body power.

I wasn’t Lightning-Touched, but it sure felt like the next best thing. Wait, was that the gift the System promised or is it something else?