DensityGodbyToraAKR

MM - Chapter 164 - TO STEP BEYOND

Added 2025-06-27 16:54:21 +0000 UTC

Night deepened in the Ruptured Chaparral, stretching unnaturally long within the shadowy embrace of its impressive vegetation. After plundering his most recent treasure, Raine was ready to take a break and review his spoils. The forest’s near-complete darkness pressed in as he tucked into a barky alcove. He downed yet another potion, and the night fled, replaced by black and white hues.

[Minor Potion of Darkvision: (Common Grey) Pierce the veil of any non-magical darkness (Duration: 30 minutes)]

Currently, his four winged companions circled the tree he hid within, scouring its every meter for additional hidey-holes that may contain the next treasure. With their help, Raine had so far located twenty Lustrous Blue chests. Only four were trapped, and each of those contained another Abenaki Powder worth at least five thousand gold.

Raine was ecstatic, though tried to keep his expectations tempered. It was all too likely that the trapped chests were one-time spawns, and once all of them were found, the Chaparral’s stock of Abenaki Powder would vanish with them. That hypothesis matched his memories. Rumors of incredible treasure brought CronGate here in the past. Yet they found nothing, their efforts only feeding the voracious beasts.

Still, Raine arrived months in advance and was determined to relieve the forest of every last chest before others intruded. While the powder itself might dry up, there was always a chance for a recipe, and that would unlock another avenue for Astra Infernum to rake in a long-term fortune. Considering how much gold his guild was about to chew through, this was an excellent use of his time. Besides, the other loot wasn’t half bad. Once the general player base caught up in levels, they would sell wondrously. Alternatively, he could place them in the guild bank for every member to see and, eventually, purchase with enough guild credits: having gear to strive for was an excellent motivator.

In only a few short hours, Raine had acquired thirty-two pieces of Lustrous Blue and Common Gray loot, along with a wealth of potions and a hundred gold. Only a few of the pieces were direct upgrades; he set those aside.

[Razorwind Spike Dusters: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +131) (Attack Speed +1.5) (PTC +25) (ACU +50) (PHY +30) (Durability 150/150)]

The knuckle dusters were Raine’s favorite. Their loops fit perfectly around his fingers, and the pommel nestled inside the palms like they were made for him. Their weight was exceptional for his current Potency, which likely meant they would be too light for him by the time he was level 35, which was another one point two billion Superiority away.

[Spear of the Lost Legionnaire: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +157) (DEF +35) (PTC +42) (ACU +15) (PHY +23) (Durability 150/150)]

There was nothing exceptional about the copper-colored spear. It was a solid upgrade from the level 15 weapon he was still using and would serve well until finding something better.

[Club of Forgetfulness: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +140) (Attack Speed -.25) (Health +85) (PTC +55) (PHY +55) (Durability 150/150)]

Unfortunately, Raine didn’t find a two-handed replacement for his mace. The one-handed club well outstripped his old weapon in damage, though. As a bonus, it was significantly heavier, making it feel like less of a toy to wield.

[Ucimmon Holly 2-H Sword: (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Attack Power +185) (PTC +25) (FNS +25) (ACU +25) (PHY +25) (Durability 175/175)]

The sword was his best find so far. It was made entirely of shimmering-blue wood, hilt and all. It was gorgeous and no less dangerous than a metal blade. Ucimmon was a prized crafting material before level 50. The weapon’s wide attribute spread reflected why it was so popular.

[Twig of Putrid Azalea (Staff): (Lustrous Blue - LVL 35) (Elemental Power +130) (DEF +45) (CNC +125) (Durability 155/155) (Innate skill - Pestilent Contagion: Physically striking an enemy after channeling any Nature-based skill through the Twig of Putrid Azalea will release a poison that spreads on contact, dealing 150% Elemental damage over 15 seconds]

Raine would miss the Staff of Four Winds. Its blinding skill had proven useful several times and he was unlikely to get any use out of Pestilent Contagion. However, the damage increase and sturdier weight of the new staff was worth more than a nifty skill. Already, Raine was losing every battle of force he entered. Increasing the weight of his gear was a long-overdue necessity.

Too bad I didn’t get more gear I can use from the raid. Even ten levels higher, this stuff isn’t as good.

Along with the loot, Raine killed enough Elite Golathean Mites and Golathean Vomicidas to both reach level 30 and collect the last of the crafting materials he needed for the boomsticks. Almost as important, he finished maxing out the masteries for each weapon type.

[Congratulations!]

[Fists mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with fist basic attacks and skills increased by 10%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance fist mastery to Adept]

[Mace mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with mace basic attacks and skills increased by 10%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance mace mastery to Adept]

[Knives mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with knife basic attacks and skills increased by 10%. Damage dealt by offhand knife basic attacks and skills increased by 20%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance knives mastery to Adept]

[Wand mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with wand basic attacks increased by 10%. Resource cost of wand-based skills decreased by 10%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance wand mastery to Adept]

[Spear mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with spear basic attacks and skills increased by 10%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance spear mastery to Adept]

[Sword mastery Beginner 5000/5000%]

[Damage dealt with sword basic attacks and skills increased by 10%]

[See a trainer in any major city to advance sword mastery to Adept]

Raine breezed through the notifications to get to the good stuff.

[Level up! x3]

[+60 free attributes points]

[Potency: +9]

[Finesse: +9]

[Acuity: +9]

[Physique: +9]

[Connection: +9]

[General Skill Points +2]

[Unique skill choice available!]

[Notice: Only 2 unique skills may be learned. To acquire a third, one must first be forgotten. Choose wisely]

Raine snorted, having forgotten about the asinine warning from the system. It was impossible to remember everything from the past, especially when so much of what he’d experienced lately happened thirty years ago. What the message didn’t mention was that ‘forgetting’ a unique skill required an exorbitantly expensive potion that most players would never even hear about, let alone see or drink.

The system’s callous brand of humor couldn’t douse Raine’s excitement to see what options Armsman had for unique skills. There was a reason only two could be owned at a time. They were exorbitantly powerful, and had the capacity to fundamentally alter the way a class functioned. The witch—Zoarra—had once offered him one as a reward, and he had been quick to refuse. Letting someone else choose your unique skills was absurd. Always, they filled a deadly gap in a class’s capabilities.

Seeing the options, Raine would be able to add the final touches to his build, shoring up the weaknesses of the rare class that he didn’t yet know existed. Unable to hold back another second, he dug in.

[Fluency of the Mind: (Unique - Passive) Additively Boosts all Discipline regeneration by a flat 300%]

Raine nearly chose Fluency of the Mind without looking at the next two options. Weaknesses of his class be damned; if he didn’t see the other options, there would be no regret. Whatever they were, there was no way they could match quadrupling his total Discipline regeneration.

There was no such thing as having too much Discipline. At level 50, when his class tiered up, the law of five would drastically increase the Discipline cost of his skills, along with their power and utility. While Raine wasn’t struggling with Discipline management at the moment, that would soon change. Worse, ZionLine’s next major expansion would revamp the skill system, negating the reduction in Discipline cost that skills were currently receiving at each tier up.

Raine closed his eyes, breathing deeply for patience. Ultimately, his current build utilized every resource pool in one way or another, leaving him not as heavily reliant on Discipline as he was in the past. To take Fluency of the Mind without even looking at the other choices would be just as idiotic as taking Zoarra’s random unique skill. Raine was not his old self. His thirty years of experience only went so far and had to be tempered with his current circumstances, which were wildly different to the past.

Almost regretfully, he moved to the next skill.

[Fluency of the Body: (Unique - Passive) Each Armsman skill use has a 45% chance to trigger a Berserk state for 3 seconds, boosting physical damage and speed by 100% followed by 6 seconds of Weakness, lowering physical damage, defenses, and speed by 25%]

Damnit. Exactly what I didn't want to see.

A berserk skill as an option meant there wouldn’t be any regular Armsman skills to fill the role of damage boosters. Since berserk skills only came from classes, never skill drops like Rupture, this was one of Raine’s two chances to get a berserk ability, and the next unique skill selection at level 110 might not even include one.

In the past, Raine had used berserk skills to great effect. Almost all the advanced brawler classes’ go-to strategy was stacking multiple Berserks to deal outlandish damage after closing to point-blank distance. Already, Raine couldn’t decide which of the two unique skills was better for him. He had been hoping for an easy choice. With lips set in a disturbed twist, he moved on.

[Fluency of the Soul: (Unique - Passive) Each skill use has a 25% chance to reset the cooldown of an Armsman skill]

Are you fucking kidding me?! Each skill… as in any skill, even general skills like Lunge, have that high a chance to reset the cooldown on Uncanny Acceleration, Guillotine Slash, or Great Divide… My God. That is so broken. This would turn me into a Discipline-burning furnace once I get the higher-tiered versions of these skills. Meanwhile, Fluency of the Mind basically screams that I’m going to have Discipline issues later on. Fluency of the Soul feels like a trap. But it's so good! Fuck!

Raine felt trapped by the choices. Each was insanely powerful in its own way and perfectly showcased what holes the Armsman class would have to overcome. Surprisingly, the berserk skill had become the least desirable. With access to Cleric skills, and the right general skills, Raine could buff his damage decently. They would never equal the doubling of speed and power that Fluency of the Body promised.

If used correctly, he could fit several skills and attacks into Fluency of the Body’s 3-second window, unleashing truly devastating damage. And with each Armsman skill having a chance to reset the timer of the berserk effect, he could theoretically drag it on long enough to slaughter entire armies. Yet, it still couldn’t match the potential of the other two.

If he could solve the Discipline issue another way, then Fluency of the Soul was the clear choice. Raine knew a few strategies that could ‘help’ with Discipline management, but there was a reason he almost chose Fluency of the Mind on instinct: Discipline was notoriously challenging to maintain, and without it, a melee fighter died in seconds. Just as had happened to Raine in every attempt against the final raid boss of the demonic invasion: Discipline was life, and ZionLine did not give it out freely.

Unable to decide and unwilling to make a hasty choice, Raine set aside the puzzle for later, focusing on Last Chance’s Gambit, which had also reached level 30. The moment he withdrew the weapon, hairline fractures split across its surface. From within, a brilliant golden light shone. The cracks widened until the outer surface of the dagger fell away; its old skin shed to reveal an ornate, curved blade covered in runic symbols that pulsed with golden energy.

The changes were far from surface-deep. Every facet of the weapon had received a massive upgrade, returning the dagger to its rightful place at the upper echelon of Raine’s equipment.

[Last Chance’s Gambit: (Lustrous Blue > Marvelous Gold - LVL 27 > 30) (SP 0/60M) (AP 95 > 270) (EP 95 > 270) (AS +1.5 > 2.0) (FNS 39 > 90) (CNC 39 > 90) (Durability 135/135 > 200/200)]

[Innate Skill - Final Gambit: Convert 50% > 25% maximum Elemental Power into a single target non-elemental attack. 85 > 180 damage per EP converted. No cooldown)]

[Innate Passive - Explosive Ambuscade: Critical hits ignite the target’s Elemental Power, triggering a violent, internal chain reaction. Deals 180 non-resistible internal damage per Elemental Power ignited]

Wow… what an upgrade. Those attributes are top-notch for Marvelous Gold. Final Gambit only takes a quarter of my EP now, and for what, forty thousand damage? Yikes, that would be terrifying to face. The new passive is basically guaranteed to melt any mage I face. And it's only Marvelous Gold… It will evolve again at level 75. Too bad it’ll reach its limit then, too. Would love to keep it going all the way to 150. Worth every drop of Superiority I’ve pumped into it.

Raine’s fingers wrapped around the newly shaped hilt. He luxuriated in how snugly it fit his fingers and palm. Almost regretfully, he stored it in his inventory and accessed his character sheet. His melancholic frown from the frustrating unique skill choices was already a thing of the past. Upon seeing his attributes, Raine’s lips adopted a full-blown grin. One of his most significant problems was about to be solved once and for all.

Due to wearing heavy armor that usually favored Potency and Physique, Raine’s Acuity had been lagging behind his other physical attributes. At the moment, the disparity was nearly 200 points. Thanks to the Soul Flame of Amanesh boosting all of his baseline attributes, Raine’s Acuity had risen enough that it only needed 6 more to reach 250—the second attribute threshold.

The second threshold was nothing like the first. Instead of a fundamental boost to the effectiveness of attributes, each unlocked additional functionality when injecting Discipline into the corresponding part of the body. For instance, Raine had already been flooding his brain with Discipline to improve his perception; now, that would no longer cause agonizing, health-adverse side effects. He wouldn’t be limited to short bursts, and for all intents and purposes, his Acuity would function at nearly double its current standard so long as he had the resources to fuel the boost.

With no reason to hesitate, Raine bumped his Acuity to 250. There was no noticeable difference as the changes settled into his skull. As with each point of Acuity, his perception of movement and haste of thought were boosted slightly. Yet, upon injecting a mere 10 Discipline per second into his skull, Raine’s brain came to life. His perceptions zinged with clarified alacrity, and the world slowed to crawl. The movement of his hand punching the air was no longer dizzying, appearing almost lazy despite putting in his best effort. Better yet, the flow of Discipline was smooth and pain-free.

Raine sighed, beyond pleased. While distributing the rest of his free attributes, he realized there wouldn’t be enough to get all five through the threshold. He skimped on Finesse, as Grace of Nirvana already gave him enough of a boost to raw speed.

With a thought, Raine fell back on old muscle memory that had taken years to master. He started by altering the flow of Discipline into highly specific areas of his body, boosting Potency. Satisfying weight settled onto his bones as they grew durable enough to withstand heavier and stronger musculature. Even lacking a heavy weapon, the beasts of the Ruptured Chaparral would be hard pressed to match the force he could unleash with each swing.

The flow shifted again, sliding effortlessly through his skin, which solidified, taking on an almost metallic sheen that wasn’t only for looks. The air pressure around him was noticeably more defined, as though he could taste each molecule that brushed against him. Raine knew that with enough Discipline and practice, it was possible to detect airborne poisons, stealth fields, and even illusion arrays with the Finesse-boosting technique.

Lastly, the flow spread evenly through his skin, muscles, and bones, ramping his Physique to new heights. Raine’s health didn’t rapidly increase, nor were the changes as noticeable as focusing on the individual parts, but any damage he took while in this state would be reduced to a third.

Unfortunately, there was no way to directly use Discipline to boost Connection. That threshold was a whole nother monster that Raine had utterly failed to master in the past. He put the challenge off for another day. It had been ages since he felt so fulfilled. With arms spread wide and eyes stinging from emotion, Raine lifted his chin, reveling in the glory of the moment. In every way that mattered, he had entered the realm of the superhuman and taken an enormous step toward reaching his past self.

NAME: Alaric

CLASS: Armsman

PROFESSION: Adept Engineer

MASTERY: 46/150

TITLE: Spearhead of Orthrus / Sky Catcher / One Man Army / Big Game Executioner

ASPECT: Greater Aspect of the Werewolf

LEVEL: 27 > 30

SUPERIORITY: 152,400 / 60M

ATTUNEMENT: 54,032%

GENERAL SKILL POINTS: 1 > 3

HEALTH POINTS: 2,290 > 2,500 (7,041)

ATTACK POWER: 412 > 495 (1,200)