Chapter 5-153: Nine out of Ten (1/2)

The videos were going to set off a shitstorm across the world, and societies which had settled into a form of uneasy security with the world were going to find fires lighting in their younger people: the ones who could easily become Forsaken, and take advantage of knowing how they had to Level!

Some people with great willpower and drive would be trying to reach Seven and become Forsaken, too. Vivus and the undead gave them the potential Karma to do so.

I wondered how long it would be before some idiots started treating the Shroudzones as resources rather than threats, and regulating who could kill the undead, maybe even having to pay for the privilege of doing so and gaining Karma.

Well, I was fairly sure that anyone giving those orders would be staked out deep in the Shroudzone for the undead to discover that night, and become part of the Karmic rewards...

Dusk Renewal slid past as I murmured the Salute to Aethra up on the roof of the studio, staying alone at this moment.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Rassum frassum...

I eyed my Assay, and things began to pop up on it.

Archsorceror/3. Fine, doubling my Valence III’s. Logical choice.

Purchased Feat, Halvyr Racial Feat, Enterprising. I focused on that.

Your ability to balance multiple paths has reached perfection. You gain Favored Class bonuses for all Classes you take.

I blinked, and then blinked again.

Well, holy shittinski, Batman.

EVERY Class? Subject to the rules that two Benefits could not be the same? Still... wow.

Okay, this meant I now had to delve into the possible Favored Class bonuses for three Races for all those Classes... which was going to be a pleasant thing to do.

It left my Mastery. I turned over Shardcaster/4: take -Mastery Level in damage from any Shard effects, and reflect Shards back on their Caster.

Nobody was going to use my spell against me...

It had also taken my Elven Racial Level for me... perhaps the melancholy and resignation I was feeling was extending from it. Still, +1 Wizard Level.

I was now a Wizard/3 (9). Valence V Slots opened up politely, gasped in disbelief that I had two bonus Slots there even as I just arrived, and Domain Slots and everything else relevant piled in, cheering that I finally had my V’s.

I eyed the bonus Elven Racial Feat it had grabbed... Attuned to the Wild, which doubled natural healing in the selected Terrain.

The Terrain was... Shroudzones...

I looked up at the hazy clouds cutting off the stars, back at it.

This whole planet, and any planet hit by the Shroud, was technically a Shroudzone, even if it was only Haze.

Just what was it planning to... I focused on the tree of Feats linked to it, and naturally Mage of the Wildcaught my eye.

Another Elven Racial Feat. The magic of your favored lands fills you with power. You gain +2 to Caster Level, Concentration and Meditation Checks, and Spellcraft checks in your attuned lands.

I blinked again. That was definitely my top choice for the Purchased Feat for tomorrow. Holy crap, elves and halvyr were definitely overpowered. A flat +2 bonus for all that in an Attuned land? The qualifying Feat was only useful for Melees with Vigor... which elves tended to be. Combine with this, and wow, you didn’t want to face elves in their homelands...

Wow, tonight was a lot more meaningful than I had anticipated. I was just expecting a faux Wizard Level, and instead got a powerful Feat and a doorway to another.

Most impressive, indeed, and now I had to figure out a lot of magic. Because gaining Favored Class benefits in Minstrel, Binder, and Inquisitor meant I was getting Extra Spells Known in them, without a doubt...

Well, I had some interesting Slotting and Writing to do! Speaking of which...

The Healing Domain spell swapped in Raise the Dead, and I Wrote it to Einz. I had an Aruan gunner who’d missed out on a lot of Karma, and wanted to come back to life.

Then I Slotted a Raised Stone Shape at V, and blew my Duskstopped on it, extending the duration out to 24 hours. Then I used the last Slot for an Energize V, needed to make the Life Diamond.

The amount of stone that I could work in 24 hours was, mmm, impressive.

I Exemplar Surged for Extra Spell,Fabricate.

This was a craftsman’s spell, and why Casters could be awesome craftsmen. As long as you had access to appropriate tools and supplies, it allowed you to get an entire day of work done in one Casting, i.e. six seconds. Eight hours of work done, poof! Didn’t have to fire up the forge or nothing... it was just DONE.