[Dullahan's Hollow Armor] was a strong contender for combat. Safe choice. But Jack already had formidable defensive options. It didn't offer a dramatic new improvement. Or a brand new category of power.
[Djinn's Wish Manifestation]... This was the wild card. Potentially the most powerful. But it was also the riskiest. He had no idea how the [Wish Manifestation] would work. It could be a broken overpowered trait, if it was controllable. But if it wasn't...
Anyway, it offered a different methodology for problem-solving. Not through physical force. Nor through precise magical arrays. But through direct manipulation of reality.
The sheer versatility of the choice was irresistible. If he could manifest anything, even with limitations, it was a game-changer.
His decision was quickly made. He felt the connection to the system. A subtle mental push. He made his choice.
[DJINN'S WISH MANIFESTATION] SELECTED.
A faint, almost imperceptible surge of energy coursed through Jack. It wasn't physical. But it was an internal shift. Like a new channel opening within his spectral being.
He felt a newfound, unsettling sense of latent power. A strange certainty that if someone truly desired something, and was willing to pay the price... he could make it happened.
The world might just bend to his will. With or without a mischievous twist. As long as the price was enough. And the price was... karma? He quickly checked the system description.
[Djinn's Wish Manifestation. A potent, yet possibly treacherous, art of granting desires. By channeling the essence of a djinn, the host can pluck a wish from a target's words and bring it into tangible reality. The price of the manifestation, however, lies in the karmic balance of the recipient. If the target's accumulated positive karma is sufficient, the wish will be rendered flawlessly. But should their karma prove insufficient, the power will twist the wish into a grotesque, uncontrollable outcome.]
Jack was excited. This power was actually... nice. Just exactly what he needed. Utilizing the karma he could only observe previously through his [Eyes of Judgement].
The world snapped back into focus. The sun was low in the western sky. But the terrifying threat of Twilight Death no longer threatened the Songstress Village. Their task here was already completed.
...
Two days later... As the sun started climbed in the eastern sky, Jack and Reina stood at the small train station. Preparing to depart from Songstress Village.
Yesterday, the sealed metal box imprisoning the Deep Silence had already set off toward Lonestone. Covered protectively with a sacred canvas. Escorted by Father Lynx and the two other acolytes.
The academy group had camped in the cavern where the dragon skeleton was. Excitedly researching the skeletal remains. Jack had guided them there yesterday. And they had their own mystical method to navigate in and out of the maze-like North Caves.
...
They made the journey back to Lonestone Capital City in good time. The familiar rumble of steam carriages and the bustling energy of the city was a stark contrast to the quiet, formerly cursed village.
Their house, a solid two-story residence in a quiet Garden District, felt like a haven. After the intensity of the past few days, the mundane comfort of home was a welcome convenience.
Later that afternoon, Jack and Reina walked over to Mr. Wedge Keener's house. Mr. Keener's front door was ajar. The sounds of hammering and chiseling reached them even from the outside.
The sculptor was in his workshop. A large, well-lit space behind his house. Dust motes were dancing in the sunlight filtering through the windows.
He looked up from a half-finished marble bust. His brow was furrowed with concern. The moment he saw Jack and Reina, his eyes widened with hopeful anticipation.
"Mr. Night! Mrs. Night! Any news? Alenna? The village?" His voice was raspy with anxiety.
His loud voice attracted the two children from the Songstress Village. His nephew and niece. Locke and Rose. The two appeared from their bedroom. And looked at the couple with similar anticipation.
Jack offered a reassuring smile. "It's done, Mr. Keener. Kids. The curse is lifted. Your sister's spirit, and all the others, are at peace now. The source of 'Twilight Death', Deep Silence, has been successfully re-sealed. Permanently, we believe."
Mr. Keener swayed slightly. Grabbing a workbench for support. A wave of profound relief washed over his tough face. Tears were welling in his eyes.
"Thank the heavens..." He said. Relieved. "Thank you, Mr. Night, Mrs. Night. For everything."
"As for Alenna..." Reina interjected gently. "She's perfectly safe. She and her professors, along with her classmates, are still in the village. Not because of the curse, but because of the complete dragon skeleton Jack discovered in the Northern Caves. They've begun an extensive research project there."
Mr. Keener blinked. Processing the news. "A dragon skeleton? My Alenna, studying a dragon?" A small, proud smile twitched at his lips. Even through his emotional turmoil. "She always was bright... so she's quite alright then?"
"Absolutely." Jack confirmed. "She's in her element. Probably more excited than she's ever been."
They talked further for a little while afterward. Mr. Keener insisted on offering a small bag of coins. But Jack waved it off. He considered it a neighborly aid after all. Besides, he had gained much. Other than the satisfaction of justice served and lives saved.
After a few more words of comfort and confirmation, Jack and Reina left the still-overwhelmed sculptor. Heading back to their own house.
...
Later that night... The soft glow of Lonestone Capital City street lights were filtered through the windows of their Garden District home.
Reina was deep in sleep. Her breathing was even and quiet. Jack slipped down from bed, stood up, and got dressed. He didn't need much sleep. And he had other things to do.
What especially gnawed at his thoughts at the moment was his new trait, [Djinn's Wish Manifestation]. He moved to the full body mirror on the room. And phased into his private Mirror Space.
Rune, his mechanical fairy companion, followed him. Her body glowed in a soft, inquisitive green. She hovered patiently beside him.
The Mirror Space... This isolated pocket of reality was where Jack conducted his most sensitive affairs. He accessed his system panel. Navigating to the entry for his [Karma].
As expected, it was positive. And it was even brighter now. A vibrant, shimmering aura surrounding his karmic energy. The recent cleansing of Twilight Death in Songstress Village had added a significant bulk to his reserves.
He should have enough. More than enough, he suspected. For testing the new trait. For fulfilling even a wish of considerable magnitude.
His gaze drifted to the profiles of his various incarnations...
Judge Jack, the hulking Black Buto, had gained immense physical prowess and defensive capabilities. And he had skills, knowledge, instinct, and inherent experience to use them. A true juggernaut. Thanks to his Primordial Warrior class.
Jack Night, the human mercenary, was a master of steamrune engineering. A Steamrune Engineer. One equipped with advanced steamrune weapons. And he had just acquired a new transcendent class. Treasure Hunter.
Jack Mystery, his spectral form, was the versatile scout and mage. His mysterious specter abilities and Mystic Art were top notch. The Mystic Scholar advancement for this incarnation was obvious. He had learned how to upgrade and evolve spells in his grimoire. It would take some time. But the improvement's path was clear.
But then there was Racer Jack. The kamaitachi speedster. A creature of raw, untamed velocity and precision. It was fast. Incredibly so. Capable of outrunning any enemy with its speed.
But it was also, fundamentally, a Mythical Creature Monster. Its growth was inherent. Tied to its monstrous nature. Slightly improvable through fame.
But it didn't possess, and technically couldn't possess, a Transcendent Power Class. That was the core limitation. It was a ceiling he wanted to shatter.
Jack wanted to test it. Could [Djinn's Wish Manifestation] bypass fundamental realities? Or at least the system's inherent classifications? Could it grant a class to a creature that should be ineligible to get one?
The trait description was clear about the karmic balance. 'If the target's accumulated positive karma is sufficient, the wish will be rendered flawlessly.'
He was the target. His karma was sufficient. The wording of the wish was crucial. He couldn't wish for something truly impossible. Not without the terrifying possibility of a grotesque twist.
His kamaitachi incarnation now needed a suitable transcendent class. One that aligned with Racer Jack's essence. Yet pushed beyond its inherent limitations. Could [Djinn's Wish Manifestation] do it?
He felt the trait humming within him. A subtle thrumming against his heart. It was capable. It could work. But the cost would not be low. A significant portion of his current positive karma would vanish. A trade for breaking the fundamental rule.
He weighed the cost against the potential gain. A class for Racer Jack would unlock an entirely new dimension of power. Allowing for structured progression, skill acquisition, and perhaps even entirely new abilities. Ones that transcended mere physical speed.
Besides, karma could be acquired. Generally, the more good deeds he made, the more karma he gathered. The risk was worth it.
He made his decision. With a surge of will, his human form transformed and compressed. Reforming into the small, lithe, and unnervingly fast shape of Racer Jack.
The weasel-like kamaitachi stood on its hind legs. Its razor-sharp scythe-like blades were twitching. Its long, blade-tipped tail was swishing.
He took a deep breath and activated the trait. A vibrant, ethereal energy enveloped him. Feeling less like a foreign power. And more like an extension of his own will. The air around him shimmered with latent power.
Rune, floating nearby, pulsed with a brighter, more urgent green. As if sensing the momentous shift about to occur. Her silent anticipation mirrored Jack's own.
"I wish this Racer Jack incarnation acquire a suitable Transcendent Power Class." Jack vocalized. His squeaky voice was high pitched and annoying. Yet, it was imbued with absolute clarity within the Mirror Space.
The words resonated. Not just in the air. But within the very fabric of his being. A command to reality itself.
His energy surged. A blinding, blazing white illusory fire erupted from Racer Jack's small body. Consuming him in its pure, intense light.
It wasn't hot. But it was overwhelming. A sensation of being simultaneously unmade and remade. Of fundamental parameters being rewritten. The light pulsed, contracted, and then, vanished. As quickly as it had appeared.
Racer Jack stood there. Unchanged in outward appearance. Yet, it was profoundly different beneath the surface. An invisible shift had occurred.
Then, the system notifications appeared...
[PRIMARY CLASS ACQUIRED!]
[SETTING TRANSCENDENT CLASS… COMPLETED!]
[CLASS: PHANTASMAL ROGUE]
Jack's eyes went wide. It was another transcendent class he had never heard of. Phantasmal Rogue...