HLCRiseofthefirstnecromancer

Chapter 45

Added 2023-03-01 06:38:58 +0000 UTC

Chapter 45

Evolution Initializing
Evolution Initialization Complete...

Drew didn't know where he was, but it definitely wasn't his property, nor anywhere near Sindra. He had accepted the System prompt to begin his evolution, and now he was standing...wherever here was. In a way, it reminded him of the white room back when he'd been teleported to the introduction tutorial for progenitors and their token holders. It felt artificial, but he wasn't in that same white room. No, it was dark, and stars created pinpricks in the blackened sky. There wasn't a floor, nor were there any walls. Really, nothing was around him at all, other than blackness and starlight. He wanted to say that he was stuck in outer space somehow, but he was still breathing, and he wasn't floating in a zero G environment.

The whole situation was strange. It wasn't an out of body experience either. He'd looked down to see his arms and legs, and everything else. The only two things that came to mind, were The System either brought him to a waiting room of some kind, or he was trapped within some aspect of his own mind while the evolution was currently happening to his physical body back at home. The second option seemed more likely, but when it came to The System, it was difficult to find logic in the way it did things sometimes.

Dhampir (Grade - F) -> Dhampir (Grade - E)

Dhampir (Grade - E)
E Grade brings many changes to the newly integrated, as almost all beings within the multiverse begin their lives at E Grade or higher. The need for sustenance and rest are greatly diminished, and you'll find that you have a greater degree of control over your body. As a Dhampir, you'll be extremely resistant to any of mind suppression skills and mental trauma. Your natural regeneration will reach new heights, and with time you may be able to regrow lost limbs. Your Darkvision is now at it's maximum potential, and you'll see as clearly in dark environments, as you do in ones with ample light. Your resistance to poison and corruptive effect have increased, and your stamina regeneration is slightly higher now. Your body will not age past its prime, and you're effectively immortal.
Per Level Bonus Attributes: +3 STR, +4 VIT, +4 END, +4 TGH, +3 AGI, +2 PCT, +3 WILL

Good, it looked like he had finished waiting around. Did the description seem more... personalized compared to F Grade? Maybe it was just his imagination. Wait... all beings start at E Grade or higher? So, the folks not in The System when they are born start off weaker, but they have an entire grade more than normal people in which to grow... it probably evens out most of the time, but if you had access to strong professions, or titles only available during F Grade, you could come out slightly stronger than the average E Grade in the rest of the cosmos. That was interesting. Useless information at the moment, but it was still interesting.

According to the description, he would regenerate from wounds faster, could regrow lost limbs over time, and his body's resistance to poison and other corruptive crap was increased. Those were all good things for sure. He hadn't encountered poison yet thankfully, and he hoped he'd never lose an arm or leg... but it was nice to have the option to regrow it. Miranda could do the same thing with her specialized healing, but if he was stuck somewhere without her, at least he'd have a chance to survive on his own. The stamina regen was nice, but not really needed. He didn't use that much to begin with, besides the hellish training with Sindra, and none of his skills used stamina as a resource like they did with mana.

The stat points though... that was a huge increase from F Grade. Easily double or more than double in some attributes. The increase in overall stat values was huge between F and E Grade, he'd need to keep that in mind if he ran into other people or monsters and beasts above level twenty-five. The increase in risk and danger between the grades was serious business.

Class Evolution

Select from one of three available options

[Mage (Common)]
Strongly focused on direct damage, and utility based skills, the mage can perform many roles in combat. Mages aren't locked into a specific affinity, and may dabble between many types should they so choose. Many mages prefer to specialize in one or two affinities to increase in potency and unlock additional options during future evolutions. Enemies never know what to expect when it comes to a mage. One might fling fireballs or blast beings with lightning, while others are gifted in telekinesis or minor time manipulation. Others might have a wider array of skills that will keep enemies on their toes.
Per Level Bonus Attributes: +3 PCT, +5 INT, +2 WIS, +1 WIL, +3 Free points

Hmmm, not bad. The stat increase was pretty decent, and he did enjoy the idea of not being locked into one affinity... but it seemed a bit too much of a 'Jack of all Trades' sort of thing. Not to mention, his current stats, and his profession was causing him to lean more heavily into melee combat, even if his personally preferred spellcasting, so his stats were already a bit 'Jack of all Trades', and doubling down on that mindset didn't sit right with him. If he was going to continue as a spell caster, it'd be a better idea to specialize, especially given that so many of his current skills revolved around his minions.

[Warlock (Rare)]
Specialized in curses, debuffs, and summons, warlocks gain additional skills and power via contracts with powerful beings not of the mortal plane. Warlocks have a poor reputation amongst some civilized societies due to their tendency to acquire power at any cost. Contracts may be created with demonic beings, fey spirits, gods, and beings who desire entrance into the mortal plane. Caution is advised when working with such beings. Common affinities for warlocks include fire, nature, shadow, light, and void. Direct damage spells are limited for this class, but available options are powerful. Choosing to become a warlock may bring unwanted attention to yourself and those your surround yourself with.
Per Level Bonus Attributes: +2 VIT, +2 END, +2 TGH, +1 PCT, +5 INT, +3 WIS, +2 WIL, +4 Free point

That certainly sounded ominous. It was a more specialized class, which is what he was looking for and hoping to find, but it seemed to carry several major downsides. Wasn't his mom a warlock? Should he be concerned for her safety? Nah, all she cared about was her TV, as long as she had that she wouldn't want anything else. That additional power and skills sounded awesome, but contracts typically consisted of desires from two parties, and when one of those parties was almost always going to either be stronger than he was, or have friends stronger than he was... it made the idea of the class highly uncomfortable to him.

The reputation part didn't bother him, he was already messing with the dead, so it really couldn't get much worse than it already was... but still... the whole contracts thing, the caution the description suggested... no. Nope. Nah, hard pass. He'd read too many books about what lies beyond, and when the affinities stated void as a possibility, he decided he wasn't going to chance it. He'd rather take mage over that. The last thing he needed was to start hearing whispers and being drawn to a sunken city. That sounded like a terrible time. Next!

[Necromancer (Rare)]
Woe unto mortals who play in The Baleful Lady's court. Necromancers are spellcasters that are heavily specialized in the affinities of death, life, and shadow. Their skills are varied, as is their combat styles, but commonalities do exist. Necromancers typically rely upon undead minions to fulfill specific roles, sometimes it's hard labor, sometimes it's craftsmanship, and for others it's as a horde of unliving nightmares. They are able to raise the dead as either constructed minds, or retain the souls of the living and newly dead to create soulflame minions. A wide array of skills are available to this spellcaster, from direct damage, curses, debuffs, buffs, minion empowerment, to even personal empowerment using souls as fuel. Extreme caution is advised, worshippers of many gods will not sit idly by with a necromancer nearby, and without The Baleful Lady's blessing, many don't live long.
Per Level Bonus Attributes: +2 VIT, +2 END, +2 TGH, +2 PCT, +6 INT, +5 WIS, +4 WIL

Well, that hit the nail on the head. The question was, did he have The Baleful Lady's blessing? The class itself was pretty much what he'd been doing since The Descent, although he wasn't sure he'd call his minions nightmares... that seemed a bit cruel and unnecessary. The wide selection of skills and spells was a huge plus, because it would give him a lot of versatility when selecting new abilities, and given that he didn't know what he'd be facing in the future, it was nice to have options available. But... it sounded like he'd be pissing off the other gods by stealing the souls of their worshippers... or at least the souls that they would want anyways. He better check with the goddess first...

"Hey Raynalyr, are you busy at the moment?"

"I'm always busy. What can I do for you?"

"Uh, right. I'm doing the class evolution thing and I was given an option whose description advised extreme caution..."

"A necromancer. Yes, that makes sense given your abilities and the Records you've likely accumulated since integration."

"Yeah, it's a class option I'm looking at, but it's telling me that I'd be pissing off other gods, and possibly you. Soooooo..."

"I have no issue with you choosing that class. Other gods won't like it, but your my Champion. Unless they wish to start a suicidal war with me and my Cadre, they won't bother you directly."

"Oh, good. Cool. The class seems to fit me better than the other options, but I didn't want to piss you off."

"I assure you, it's a fine option given your skills and aptitude. It doesn't bother me if you choose to embrace it. Just don't go enslaving a bunch of worlds or anything."

"Nah, that seems like way, way too much work. I already have enough crap to do here. Anyways, thanks for the help!"

"Happy to help."

Problem solved! It was so nice to have a goddess on speed dial for times like these. Out of the three choices he'd been given, necromancer was superior. It had higher bonus stats per level, he already had several skills and spells that flowed well with it, and he had a ton of minions that were all undead. Plus, the undead helped fill in the community's largest weakness. Lack of numbers. There were too few people, and too many things to be done. Security was something that had to be taken seriously, and he'd recently boosted his minions several times now in toughness, so they should survive much longer.

Also, that safety period that The System mentioned upon The Descent would be finishing soon, they only had about twenty-two or twenty-three days left before it ended. If the waves and hordes were bad before, and that was with just F Grades, he'd hate to see what a horde of E Grades would be like... or worse, a C Grade or two.

He settled on the necromancer class and locked it in. Now... what about professions?

Profession Evolution
Profession Detected

Profession: [Baleful Warden (Unique)]

No Additional Profession Choices
Upgrade Existing Profession to Grade - E?
Yes/No

Oh. Well, that made sense. It wasn't like he was out helping Jonathan with smithing, or any of the herb people picking flowers. Not that he didn't like his profession, it came with a lot of perks. Free super armor and weapons, the goddess just one thought away, and cool people like Jonathan and Sindra... but he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't a little disappointed that he wasn't offered other options. Would he really have chosen something different though? No, probably not. He liked his job, he liked helping the lost souls move on to an afterlife, he liked his co-workers, and his boss was about as laid back as possible, considering she was the Primordial of Death and everything.

Sure, he wasn't exactly making a salary, and he was pretty sure he didn't get dental. But it could be worse. Much worse. He could be stuck cleaning outhouses like Dickbag, swimming around in primitive plumbing systems, and never smelling clean. Why was he even complaining? Oh... because Sindra had made evolutions sound super cool, and he'd worked himself up thinking he was going to get godlike powers or something. Oops. That was totally his fault. He should be happy! His profession was badass!

Okay, yes. He wanted to upgrade it.

[Baleful Warden (Unique)] -> [Baleful Warden (Unique Grade - E)]

[Baleful Warden (Unique Grade - E)]
You are the lighthouse in the darkness for lost and damned souls. Acting as The Baleful Lady's Champion on the mortal planes, you collect the lost and damned using your Baleful Lantern, and then guide them to The Halls of Reflection. This is a combat oriented profession that focuses on skills that utilize the aspect of Death, with affinities of death, life, and shadow. You are a leader amongst The Baleful Lady's Cadre, other wardens look to you for guidance and support. Lead your people forward.
Per Level Bonus Attributes: +5 STR, +5 VIT, +4 END, +5 TGH, +3 AGI, +2 PCT, +2 INT, +2 WIS, and +2 Will

Evolution Complete

Title Earned: [Perfect Evolution (Grade - E)]

[Perfect Evolution (Grade - E)]
Grants a one time 10% increase to all attribute points

Ten percent!? That was fucking insane! That's the most stat points he'd ever gotten at one tim...

***************************************************

"Welcome back to the world of the waking." Sindra said.

Drew blinked his eyes, as he tried to bring the world into focus. Why did The System always require him to pass the hell out? That really couldn't be good for his brain, and he had so few brain cells as it was, he didn't want to lose the rest of them.

"Hmmm. Yeah. Still kinda blind here. Give me a sec."

The world slowly focused as he continued blinking. He was laying flat on the ground, or dais rather, with his winged friend hovering above him.

"What did you think? Pretty exciting, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, the class part was cool. The profession didn't give me any options and just upgraded my existing one."

He got up off his ass, and dusted himself off. The sun was starting to set, how long had he been knocked out?

"I wouldn't worry about that, you have one of the most powerful and respected professions available. How did you like the perfect evolution title?"

"The title is badass! Ten percent! That's massive, I feel like it's cheating."

She nodded her head while grinning.

"Agreed. It's a rush. You were out for several hours while The System made changes to your body."

"Is there a reason why it does that?" Drew asked.

"Hmmm. Have you ever felt an intense itching, or slight pain when you first started to level up?"

"Actually... yeah. I thought I was imagining it since it hasn't happened recently."

"That's your body trying to process drastic changes to your attribute points quickly. Evolution is much more powerful. Many changes are being made while you're locked in your own mind. You do not want to be awake for that. A couple of centuries ago, there was a Valkyrie that experienced a System error and remained awake during an evolution. She's now incapable of talking. Even the best healers can't fix her up. They think it's some form of mental trauma, because physically she's fine, yet she remains mute."

"Holy fuck. Are...System errors common?"

"No, not at all. She's the only one I've known to have it happen to her. But, it does happen. You being asleep is a blessing. I promise."

Drew nodded his head.

"Your friends and wife stopped by to check on you briefly before they went out to level up. But, it's time for me to leave."

"I'll be sad to see you go. You've helped the people here more than you know, and everyone is very grateful for it."

She waved him off.

"Think nothing of it."

"You're always welcome here Sindra, so come back next time you have some time off."

"Thank you, I'd like that. Keep your guard up, The System likes to challenge newly integrated worlds. You should expect future hardships around the corner."

"Any idea what those challenges might be?" He asked cautiously.

"No. They differ wildly, but the loss of life is always high. Be prepared. Now, I must go. I dislike goodbyes, especially amongst friends."

She unfurled her wings, while giving them several flaps, kicking up the dust nearby that Oklahoma was known for. Before he knew it she was airborne, and beginning to accelerate into the sky.

"GOODBYE SINDRA, HAVE A GOOD DAY AT WORK!!!!" Drew yelled at the top of his lungs.

Only from his enhanced vision granted by his perception did he see his winged friend frown, before flipping him the bird.

He was going to miss her.

Status

Name: Drew Wright

Race: Dhampir (Grade - E) - lvl 25

Class: [Necromancer] – lvl 25

Profession: [Baleful Warden (Unique Grade - E)] – lvl 25

Health Points (HP): 3310/3310

Mana Points (MP): 3370/3370

Stamina: 3000/3000

Stats (Attributes)