Core Formation Successful
Design : 87% unique .
Imperfections : Low (10-100) .
Evaluation : Middle-quality , S-grade Energy Capacity , S-grade Potential , S-grade level of Innovation .
Zac hadn’t expected to get a report card , but he was flush with pride at the evaluation . Besides the Middle-quality , which Zac had already known about , every evaluation was top-notch . Capacity and potential were the most important ones . The former meant he’d be able to draw far more power from his core than normal Hegemons , and the latter undoubtedly meant potential for upgrades .
These two being valued at S-grade meant there were absolutely no problems taking his core all the way to Monarchy . Zac was the least surprised over the S-grade Innovation evaluation . His core was unique and unprecedented . If his core didn’t warrant S-grade , none did . However , that particular evaluation was more for the System than himself .
The line reminded Zac of his time in the Technocrat Research Base , where getting the Pathstrider-title marked him for further training . S-grade Innovation was like being branded an excellent experimental subject , which probably meant the System would throw more trouble your way to nurture you . Then again , that wasn’t anything new , so Zac didn’t mind too much .
The System seemed to be tabulating the results before showing his class options . Each second crawled by , and Zac breathed in relief when the screen finally updated . It was official . He wasn’t one of the unlucky few . Zac hadn’t been worried his Daos or accomplishments would be insufficient , but rather that his odd core would make it difficult for the System to generate suitable classes .
He’d been tormenting himself for nothing . There was not one , but three choices available to him .
Base Attributes Per Level :
Epic : 100 / 150 / 200 .
Arcane : 115 / 170 / 225 .
Option 1]
Name : D-Epic] Arcadia’s Champion .
Fixed Attributes : Strength +300 / 450 / 600 , Vitality : +150 / 225 / 300 .
Free Attributes : +100 / 150 / 200 .
Even Paradise needs a champion , an unrelenting storm of violence .
Name : D-Epic] Desolation’s Warden .
Fixed Attributes : Strength +250 / 375 / 500 , Endurance +150 / 225 / 300 , Wisdom +75 / 100 / 150 .
Free Attributes : +75 / 125 / 150 .
Bind them to your calamity . Pave your path with blood and bones . Emerge stronger .
Option 2]
Name : D-Epic] Primeval Edge .
Fixed Attributes : Strength +250 / 375 / 500 , Dexterity +75 / 100 / 150 , Vitality +200 / 300 / 400 .
Free Attributes : +50 / 75 / 100 .
As Life was born , so was struggle . Become the primeval blade , reborn through battle .
Name : D-Epic] Predestination’s Judge .
Fixed Attributes : Strength +275 / 400 / 550 , Dexterity +50 / 75 / 100 , Endurance +200 / 300 / 400 .
Free Attributes : +50 / 75 / 100 .
As Death was born , so was struggle . Become the judge’s blade , the cessation of all .
Option 3]
Name : D-Arcane] Evolutionary Precursor
Fixed Attributes : Strength +300 / 450 / 600 , Dexterity +100 / 150 / 200 , Vitality +150 / 225 / 300
Free Attributes : +100 / 150 / 200
Progress through struggle , future seized , not given .
Name : D-Arcane] Inexorable Apostle
Fixed Attributes : Strength +325 / 475 / 650 , Dexterity +75 / 125 / 150 , Endurance +150 / 225 / 300 .
Free Attributes : 100 / 150 / 200
Explosive stillness , fate become nourishment to your ascent .
The churning vortices around him were a reminder his time was limited , but Zac still went over his options word by word . Only being presented with three options was a step down from his previous breakthrough when he got the full set of five . Of course , it made sense .
Back in the F-grade , he’d still been finding his way . His power came from a mottled assortment of opportunities that had yet to crystallize into a cohesive system , let alone a path . Today , his understanding of cultivation was leagues ahead . There was no confusion , no hesitation—only faith and determination .
What would be the point of the System offering a bunch of classes that would diverge from his path? In reality , the screen presented Zac with a different choice . Did he want to confirm his path , or did he want to keep his options open?
Confirming his path meant getting the Arcane classes , which came with higher attributes and more advanced forms of nurturing . But it also meant his future would grow narrow . It would be almost impossible for him to change course like he had multiple times in the E-grade . He would instead enter the refinement stage of his cultivation , where he removed imperfections while moving toward the peak of his path .
The Arcane classes , Evolutionary Precursor and Inexorable Apostle , were clearly modeled after his stances , which were the truest expression of his path . The flavor text reflected his understanding of Life and Death , where Life represented possibility and Death represented dominion . One broke the chains of fate , while the other took control over fate .
The Epic classes represented freedom . Who knew what the future held? Perhaps there would be something inside Ultom that completely threw his path on its head , making him strive for something greater . It would mean a smaller boost of attributes , but that wasn’t that big of a deal . He was already getting far more attributes than anyone else by having two classes .
The two sets of Epic options were quite straightforward . The first duo , Arcadia’s Champion and Desolation’s Warden , were straight upgrades of his current classes . They would add more of the same , their attribute distribution almost identical to Edge of Arcadia and Fetters of Desolation . Picking this choice would likely provide the smoothest transition , and he would be able to hit the ground running .
Primeval Edge and Predestination’s Judge moved his classes toward his path without fully stepping onto it . Its attribute distribution better aligned with his Daos and the set of Arcane classes . It was the best of both worlds , adapted to his style without locking him in like an Arcane class .
Three options , all with their own advantages , and none with any direct flaws like many of his options last time . No matter what he picked , he would be well equipped for the upcoming war and the trial inside the Left Imperial Palace . Yet for Zac , it wasn’t a difficult choice—he’d decided the second he saw the classes .
He was going with the Arcane classes .
A surge of energy filled Zac’s body as he provided the Nexus Node with his answer , this one provided by the cosmos itself rather than through the forceful extraction of the surrounding spirituality . Mysterious runes sank into the channels he’d arduously crafted while waves of change rippled through his pathways . Fractals expanded and grew more exquisite , where ten patterns became one hundred to accommodate greater energies and deeper Daos .
The transformation of his core and pathways were soon mirrored on the Duplicity Core , confirming Zac’s suspicion it was waiting for his class choice to finish the transformation . It formed a resonance with the evolving core , and Zac gasped as he finally sensed a weak connection to his Cosmic Core . It was a bottomless ocean of pure power , right there for the taking .
The sky rumbled as Zac’s aura burst forth , like a star was born on the ruins of his manor . Every breath was a death and rebirth as his hard work culminated in a loop of empowerment . His drained cells were filled with life-giving streams of sturdy energy as his Cosmic Core integrated with his body . The growing waves of power coursing through his pathways were a tidal wave pushing him forward . There wasn’t much for Zac to do at this point but let himself be washed over by the truths he’d seized from the Heavens . He let his mind drift while keeping an eye on the process .
He’d been so focused on this unsurmountable roadblock for so long , and he could finally put it behind him and look to the future . The face of his sister appeared in his mind’s eye , and Kenzie was quickly joined by the people waiting for him back on Earth . Hegemony was only a means to an end . It was the key to achieving his goals . Who knew what kind of situation waited for him on the outside?