Chapter 108: [Day 66] – “Advancement Path” (1/2)
∼ Day 66 ∼
Sitting in the covers of numerous animal furs, with a very naked drow girl snoring softly away to my side, I smiled. It had turned morning by now, and the hustle and bustle outside told me that most of the tribe had already started preparing for the migration.
Ever since the fight with the human general, I didn't get much time to go over my gains and all the notifications I had gotten as a lot of things had to be done before I could take care of such things. First was the meeting with the glade guardian, then escorting the tribe back and informing them about our plans, and just when I thought I was done and had time to rest, I was assaulted by an obsidian-skinned beauty.
Pulling up the notifications I had been putting off, I quickly scanned through them.
[Skill - Appraisal has reached LVL: 11]
[Skill - Blood, Shadow Magic has reached LVL: 9]
[Skill - Blood Shaping has reached LVL: 8]
[Skill - Mana Mending has reached LVL: 5]
[Skill - Onyx Body has reached LVL: 3]
[Skill - Obscurement has reached LVL: 9]
[Skill - Greater Paralyze has reached LVL: 4]
[Skill - Silent Flying has reached LVL: 7]
[Skill - Swift Flight has reached LVL: 9]
[Skill - Infusing Slash has reached levels 4-5]
[Skill - Spell Formation has reached LVL: 9]
[Skill - Blood-Born has reached levels 4-5]
[Skill - Lesser Eldritch Vitality has reached LVL: 4]
[Skill - Shadow Manifestation has reached levels 5-6]
[Advancement Path]
[ALERT - You have reached the threshold of two attributes and can now choose an Advancement Path!]
[Advancement Paths available - Vitality, Magic Power, Vitality/Magic Power]
[WARNING - You can choose a combination advancement path with a maximum of two attributes, and choosing only one attribute will permanently lock you into the chosen advancement path. Choices are permanent.]
[Do you want to choose an Advancement Path?]
[Yes/No]
As I had expected, the recent fight was enough to push me over the attribute threshold for magic power.
-Status!-
[Status]
Name: ”Xavier Tal'chor”
Race: Strigoi (Blood Fiend)
Sex: Male
Rank: D
Level: 8/50
Health: 872/872
Stamina: 280/280
Mana: 311/311
[Attributes]
STR - 26 ⇒ 28
VIT - 115 ⇒ 122
AGI - 90 ⇒ 94
DEX - 32 ⇒ 33
INT - 32 ⇒ 33
CHR - 34 ⇒ 35
WILL - 38
MAG - 96 ⇒ 102
[Trait, Titles, and Skills].
Skills - 25
Traits - 8
Titles - 4
Skillpoints - 9 ⇒ 13
[Resistances]
Phy. Resistance - 23 ⇒ 24
Mag. Resistance - 26
Men. Resistance - 20
I didn't know what to expect from choosing an advancement path as no other information was forthcoming. I had even broached the subject with Lily on our trip home, however, to my surprise, she simply said she couldn't tell me. But it wasn't just because she didn't want to tell me, I knew that from her tone alone.
Instead, it appeared that while she knew of it, she didn't know anything in particular about it. Her own parents and academy teachers had apparently already gone through this Advancement Path ordeal themselves, but it was a wide-known fact that those who have gone through one, physically couldn't speak about it. It was rather ominous that some unknown power or entity kept the lid closed on the information, but one thing was for certain from Lily's words; They all came out more powerful.
Looking at the three choices before me, I already knew which one I wanted to pick. I had already made myself firm on my stance about this, the first time I was introduced to these so-called Advancement Paths, and just because choosing a combination path with two attributes instead of the easier single attribute path would mean more hardships down the road, that wasn't going to make me back down.
Taking a deep breath, I chose.
-Advancement Path, Vitality/Magic Power!-
[Choice confirmed]
[Sending consciousness to the spirit realm]
”Sending consciousness to the spirit rea-? OH FU-!” - Me
Reading the prompt out loud with confusion in my voice, I was suddenly buffeted by a boundless pressure that consumed me. While it was worlds beyond that of what my own aura could ever dream to produce, it didn't utterly shatter mine, but instead just gently enveloped it.
The pressure's grasp was warm and relaxing, however, it had an unshakeable grip around my aura, not allowing for even the slightest budge. Those were the only thoughts that managed to run through my head before everything went dark.
***
Opening my eyes, I was met with a sight wholly alien to anything I've seen before. For an endless stretch in each direction, nothing was to be seen. No horizon, no hills or uneven ground, just a slightly opaque and reflective surface the only thing that separated the ground from the cloudless azure-blue sky.
The surface I was standing on was like that of an undisturbed surface of a lake, and my steps only caused slight ripples that quickly died out before they spread out far.
”Spirit realm, huh?” - Me