Getting back to the village was both a happy and a sad occasion. On one hand, people were celebrating the fact that we had defeated the Nest. The Eaters that threated their very existence were no more. Not just that, but their chieftain came back alive, and so did his son and daughter. Yet, there were many who were now grieving.
Thankfully, everybody agreed that it wasn't time for an actual celebration. Not only would it be cruel to those who were mourning the loss of their loved ones, but the army was also exhausted due to the fight. For now, the villagers accepted that there would be a solemn meal sometime after the warriors felt well enough rested. This also gave us some time to organize our new levels. After all, we were not the only ones to level up. Apparently, with the exception of Ash, everybody had gained at least one level during the fight.
During a brief talk with my companions, we confirmed that everybody gained the same amount of levels. Since the System was supposed to give us at the very least one skill every three levels, we would all gain some new toys to play with. I also imagined that there was more than just a single skill for us to pick.
We were fighting indirectly inside the Nest, so even if we had not eaten any of it, it made sense that due to our proximity to the particles, we would be able to get at least something. For starters, I had eight attribute points to distribute. In addition, my Body also grew naturally as a benefit from my class, and the best part was the one extra Memory slot.
The amount of bonus points that we all got was the same, since every single one of our classes gave two points per level. The difference came in the natural growth, as I wasn't the only one who benefited from a boost in my attributes.
Before going over the skills being acquired due to our levels, everybody came over to check if they got anything from the Eaters. As a matter of fact, we did. Between the five of us, we acquired three skills that belonged to the Eaters. The first one that I got was called {Corrosive Bile}. Even though I had not eaten the strange black ichor that was spewing out from the Nest, it seemed that having it burn through my skin was enough for the System to analyze the effects and replicate the skill.
Unfortunately, the entire idea behind the skill didn't sit well with me. It suggested I would need to basically spit on my enemies. Even if I was instead using it with {Clash Of Nature}, as I had already proven it was possible to combine this skill with that, it would basically be something that harmed everybody, including me, indiscriminately. Sure, maybe in the long run I would figure out a way to be immune to that effect, but I wasn't very interested in such a long-winded plan.
The second skill came from Michael and it was simply called {Breakdown}. It allowed anyone with the skill to deconstruct something, turning it into its most basic elements, or at least to a certain degree. It wouldn't, for instance, turn a plant into particles of carbon, but it could split ore and minerals.
According to him, it was a skill that he gained from the Cleaners, which in a way really made sense. He also made it clear that unlike what happened with those creatures, anyone who had that skill could use it to deconstruct things. There was no need for them to eat whatever they were trying to break down. While I wasn't that interested in that skill, it had its uses.
Rex was the one who got the last skill. It was called {Iron Shell}. It allowed someone to extract the iron from the ground and create a defensive, well, shell. The problem was that it became very heavy, even in smaller sizes. This meant that to use that skill as anything aside from a static barrier, you needed to be either extremely strong or have a way of using another skill to move the shield. Rex had that skill, but not even Astrid was able to carry that shell using her own muscles.
In the end, Michael and Riley decided to take {Breakdown}, while Rex kept {Iron Shell}. We were somewhat unlucky with our spoils from the fight, at least in the realm of skills, that wasn't true of the skills we gained with our levels. I myself gained three skills.
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Geologic Anchor - Aspirant
Active cost: 2 Energy
You root your stance into the ley lines of the world, becoming as immovable as a mountain. For the duration, you cannot be knocked back or tripped by physical force. Furthermore, a portion of the kinetic energy from blocked attacks is absorbed, allowing you to redirect the energy into an attack.
Duration: 3 minutes.
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While I still wasn't able to use my {Mind Of Possibility} again, according to the System, thanks to the excess Energy that I absorbed by drinking Eater blood, the skill had started the recharging process. Thanks to that, I could have Proxy show me what the skills were going to do. In the case of {Geologic Anchor}, it was for the most part a defensive buff. Once the skill was activated, I had to keep both my feet on the ground and block any incoming attacks. Then, after blocking or being hit, I could deliver a powerful strike using the absorbed power.
There wasn't much that Proxy could show with this skill since the hologram couldn't really recreate another person to attack it. So instead, it just gave me signals in the form of red markings when Proxy was being hit and then showed the end result. From what I could gather, the damage that the resulting strike would create would be roughly 20% stronger than the combined damage taken. While that could be a problem for big attacks, if there were various small ones, it could result in a very devastating blow.
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Primal Siphon - Aspirant
Active Cost: 1 Energy
You briefly turn your body into a vacuum for ambient natural energy. You absorb particles in your immediate surroundings to instantly restore up to 3 Energy.
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Again, it was a skill that benefited very little from having Proxy show off its abilities. But in essence, it would be a way to recover my Energy in a pinch. While I did have to spend one point of Energy, it was possible to acquire up to 3, giving a net positive of two points. This was only considering the current state of the skill. If I was able to improve it somehow, maybe the amount of Energy I would gain would increase. Or maybe it even would become a passive effect that allowed me to constantly be absorbing Energy in the environment.
However, the System made it clear that this skill was specifically about recovering Energy. It wouldn't function to speed up my leveling process in any way. All particles absorbed through this skill would be converted into Energy without exception.
The System was very clear on the fact that this would never become something that allowed me to gain more progression to the next level by simply using it. Apparently, skills that functioned in such a way that converted particles into Energy could never be a replacement for progression. It was a fundamental law that could never be changed.
I found it somewhat odd since we had seen a photosynthesis skill. However, the System explained that photosynthesis is a naturally occurring process. It is, in essence, how plants eat. In other words, it was possible to have a skill that increased your progression to the next level or a skill that made you gain more Energy quicker.
It was impossible to have a skill that did both at the same time. As a matter of fact, the System was even unsure if it was possible for both skills to coexist in a single user. It likely required the user to choose one of the skills to be active or even in their Memory.
{Primal Siphon} felt like both a hit and a miss at the same time. While it was an interesting skill that could really help in a pinch, I couldn't really see myself using it when I had access to Eater blood. Drinking this stuff was just so much easier than wasting a slot for a skill that could potentially recover a bit more Energy. Not to mention that another restriction explained by the System was that once you use the skill in a specific area, you wouldn't be able to recover more Energy from the same location. All the particles in the surroundings would be consumed to become Energy.
Lastly, was the skill that sounded the most interesting.
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Verdant Lash - Aspirant
Active Cost: 1 Energy
You call upon local flora to restrain your targets. Thorny vines or hardened roots erupt from the ground to bind an enemy's feet. If no plants are present, you manifest a whip of pure energy that mimics a vine. If used while {Elemental Imbuement} is active, the lash carries that element's properties.
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This time, Proxy was able to display the skill in all its glory. Without any input from me, the hologram was able to show a large number of uses for this skill. The most basic one was to simply make some vines sprout from the ground or the walls and attempt to grapple a target, which in this case was Proxy herself, and hold her in place. The effect could vary from lasting a few seconds to almost a minute, depending on how much vegetation was in the area on which the skill had been activated.
Alternatively, Proxy could create a whip made of Energy in her hand and attack people with it. The strike seemed to be relatively powerful, although it wouldn't be as strong as the attacks with my now destroyed staff. They would only last for one strike. This was clearly not really the intention of the skill, but it could be used like that if needed. The one benefit of using it as a whip was that it was possible to aim at something that wasn't on the ground and let go of the whip once it struck the target. The Energy lash would wrap around the target and potentially make it fall if it was a bird or something.
But this wasn't the best part. After showing all those variations, Proxy started the routine from scratch. This time, she imbued the vines with {Firestarter}. Burning thorns erupted from the ground and the walls, not only holding Proxy in place, but also burning her in the process.
The whip also gained the properties of fire, leaving a trail behind it as Proxy snapped it back and forth. She continued to show a version of water that was much more resistant and would last a very long time in comparison with the basic version. Another version used Earth, coming from the {Geologic Anchor} skill, that made the vines become almost rock formations. While somewhat brittle, they seemed to dig deeper into Proxy's skin when it captured her.
The last option was a black ichor version, as I still had yet to completely dismiss the {Corrosive Bile} skill. However, this particular version was extremely underwhelming. The corrosion seemed to affect the skill itself, making it almost vanish just as it was being used. This only solidified my decision not to get the ichor skill. In the end, thanks to the extra point in Memory that I acquired, my decision was not that difficult.
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Cassandra Ydorf - Level 7
Titles: Enduring Heart
Tier 2 - Disciple of Nature
Mind 22- Body - 26
Memory - 13 Energy - 9/15 (6 Reserved)
Skills - 13/13
Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy
Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy
As I Flow so does the Current - Passive - 1 Energy
Room to Grow - Passive - 3 Energy
Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes
Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 8 uses
Firestarter - Active - 1 Energy
Elemental Imbuement - Active - 2 Energy/ 10 minutes
Clash of Nature - Active - 3 Energy
Verdant Lash - Active - 1 Energy
Geologic Anchor Active - 2 Energy/ 3 minutes
Formless Series - Passive
Formless Change - Passive
Mind of Possibility - Unavailable
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