Book 13: Chapter 59: Something Unexpected
Path of Dragons
Elijah fell to his knees, exhausted. Despite that overwhelming sense of fatigue, he was filled with excited anticipation. Because for the first time in longer than he cared to remember, he had gotten a genuine and uncorrupted notification from the system.
And it wasn’t alone.
The World Tree has recognized your efforts. The tree “Treebie” will now function as a nascent Branch. Most functions remain unavailable until a true connection is renewed. To facilitate this, the world “Gorveth” must be purged of corruption.
Immediately, Elijah tried to navigate to the messaging function. However, it only created an error message:
Messaging is unavailable at this time.
He gritted his teeth and continued to search, hoping for some way to get home. But it soon became clear that the only available function for the nascent Branch was to offer him his class evolution. As disappointed as he was with his inability to contact or reach Earth, Elijah couldn’t maintain that feeling for very long. Not with the ability to advance to the demi-god stage looming before him.
He finally let himself inspect that message:
Congratulations! You have satisfied the requirements to evolve your class [Primal Lord]. You have 19211 paths available to you.
Elijah’s jaw dropped, and he leaned forward, resting his head against Treebie’s trunk. There were so many options. More than twenty times as many as there’d been when he’d reached ascendency. And from everything he’d seen, that just wasn’t supposed to happen. Based on the guides he’d read before entering the Labyrinth of Dead Gods, that number should have gone down, not up. And certainly not by such a massive multiplier.
There was one similarity between his current situation and his ascendency evolution, though. Most of the available classes were weak and useless. Even when he omitted everything below the Exotic rarity, there were still nearly seven thousand options. So, he once again narrowed his choices by removing anything below Mythic rarity.
That brought it down to a few hundred choices, all of which ranged between Mythic and Primeval. The bulk of the choices were Mythic, which wasn’t terribly surprising, considering that was the rarity of his current class. Even then, there were almost two hundred Arcane and nearly a hundred Celestial options. There were only five choices above that.
Elijah chose to focus on that final category.
Evolution Pathways for [Primal Lord]
Class Name
Rarity
Herald of Life
Primeval
The Divine Beast
Primeval
Emerald Archon
Primeval
Primal Sovereign
Primeval
Caretaker
Eldritch
Unfortunately, there was only one Eldritch option like the Blighted Sovereign class offered by the corrupted Branch. And the moment he’d touched Treebie, that notification had disappeared, meaning that he couldn’t have taken it even if he wanted to.
Of course, he probably could have returned to Ithalon to once again access the Branch there, but he didn’t think that was the best idea in the world. They would probably kill him on sight. And besides, he’d already decided against taking that tainted class, regardless of the obvious power it offered.
With that in mind, he focused on the options he had before him.
Class: Herald of Life (P)
The Herald of Life is an indomitable pillar of vitality that can stand against all forms of corruption. In his domain, even death holds no sway. This is a major deviation from the [Primal Lord] class, redirecting the focus toward nurturing life. Shapeshifting remains a focus, though most forms will be altered.
Required Archetype:
Druid
Required Class:
Primal Lord
Required Legacy:
Unique (within the constraints of the Ascendent Realm)
Attributes Gained Per Level
STR
DEX
CON
ETH
REG
5
5
51
71
73
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The attribute bonuses were, in a word, insane. Two-oh-five, total. That put into context just how different the demi-god tier truly was, and it made his current per-level attribute gains look paltry by comparison. With only a few levels, he would be completely remade. And by the time he reached the deity-tier? Elijah shuddered to think of what kind of power he could muster by that point.
Still, as excited as he was about the attributes, the class description left him a little disappointed. Not only was it a little vague, but it also said that his forms would immediately change. And that, in turn, would require him to re-learn his entire fighting style.
It was intriguing, though. And Elijah was as much a sucker for novelty as anyone. He could easily imagine the new forms mirroring the Shape of Spores, turning him into an unkillable bastion of regeneration.
Maybe he’d even get a tree shape.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Treebie?” Elijah muttered. “That’s totally your style.”
The tree did not answer.
Either way, Elijah filed those thoughts into the back of his mind, because he had four other options to inspect. Next up was The Divine Beast:
Class: Divine Beast (P)
The Divine Beast is a powerful fusion of the body and might of a guardian, with the mind of a man. Few creatures in its tier can stand before The Divine Beast. This is a slight deviation from the [Primal Lord] class, eschewing the ability to shapeshift in favor of a single, all-powerful bestial form. Many spells and abilities will be altered by this choice.
Required Archetype:
Druid
Required Class:
Primal Lord
Required Legacy:
Unique (within the constraints of the Ascendent Realm)
Attributes Gained Per Level
STR
DEX
CON
ETH
REG
82
35
69
6
46
The class was an interesting one, especially because of the wording. For one, it didn’t call it a Divine Beast. It was referred to as The Divine Beast, which Elijah took to indicate that it was entirely unique. Also intriguing was the system’s description of the form as all-powerful.
Elijah knew that those descriptions weren’t just for flavor. The wording was intentional, and it was meant to convey the nature of the class. And one thing was clear about The Divine Beast – it was powerful. Very, very powerful.
After all, it featured more than thirty more points of per level attributes. That would add up pretty quickly, and Elijah took it as an indication of the class’s relative potency. If he had to guess, he would have said that it was on the edge of reaching the next rarity, which would put it on the same tier as the tainted Blighted Sovereign class.
Despite its obvious advantages, Elijah was inclined to eliminate The Divine Beast from his potential options. Mostly because he sensed that he would lose quite a bit of versatility, which was one of the main reasons he’d lived as long as he had. Plus, the allocation of the attributes also suggested that he wouldn’t be casting many spells, which just didn’t sit well with him.
So, he chose to eliminate that one.
Next, he moved on to the third option, which had obviously come from his most recently completed feat of ushering Treebie to maturity.
Class: Emerald Archon (P)
The Emerald Archon is an unparalleled defender and envoy of nature, life, and the World Tree. Where you go, the authority of the World Tree follows. This is a direct evolution of the [Primal Lord] class, focusing on the aggressive defense of nature through unrelenting combat.
Required Archetype:
Druid
Required Class:
Primal Lord
Required Legacy:
Unique (within the constraints of the Ascendent Realm)
Attributes Gained Per Level
STR
DEX
CON
ETH
REG
39
38
49
49
44
The Emerald Archon was an interesting choice, and it probably represented the most likely chance of him returning to Earth. After all, Treebie’s connection to the World Tree was the only reason he’d gained the ability to evolve his class. It stood to reason that this option would allow him to strengthen that connection and reactivate some of the features.
Elijah also got the impression that any new abilities would be additive. The Emerald Archon class didn’t want to change him. It was meant to improve what he already did. The wording – that it was a continuation of the Primal Lord class – supported that notion.
The attribute bonuses were respectable as well, and the fact that they were pretty well balanced reassured Elijah.
There was a part of him that wanted to choose it right then and there, but he resolved to at least look at the remaining options before he made a decision. Still, Emerald Archon was definitely in the lead, if only because it represented the hope of getting home.
With that in mind, he checked the next option:
Class: Primal Sovereign (P)
The Primal Sovereign is a god among shapeshifters who can take on the forms and characteristics of various mighty beasts. The world quakes before his mere presence. This is a direct upgrade of [Primal Lord], further establishing the Druid in a versatile combat role.
Required Archetype:
Druid
Required Class:
Primal Lord
Required Legacy:
Unique (within the constraints of the Ascendent Realm)
Attributes Gained Per Level
STR
DEX
CON
ETH
REG
48
47
49
42
48
Elijah let out a low whistle. “That’s certainly impressive,” he remarked to Treebie, getting only a rustle of leaves in response.
Primal Sovereign didn’t represent novelty. Elijah knew exactly what he’d get if he chose that option. And yet, that wasn’t a bad thing. He already felt that the Animist and its evolution, Primal Lord, classes fit him perfectly. The versatility and durability of the class were ideal for his fighting style.
And the number of attributes put it on par with the most powerful classes he’d been offered. It wasn’t even that far behind the Blighted Sovereign, and it didn’t have the detriment of being tainted by the abyss going against it.
Yet, there was significant hesitation on his part. Not only was there a piece of him that craved the excitement of something new, but there was nothing about the description that suggested it might help him reach his goal of returning home. Meanwhile, the Emerald Archon offered just that.
It was a conundrum.
Finally, he looked at the last option, the simply named, Eldritch-rarity Caretaker class:
Class: Caretaker (E)
The Caretaker puts others above himself, regardless of the cost. He tends to his garden, heals his people, and ensures their prosperity. This is a major deviation from the [Primal Lord] class.
Required Archetype:
Druid
Required Class:
Primal Lord
Required Legacy:
Unique (within the constraints of the Ascendent Realm)
Attributes Gained Per Level
STR
DEX
CON
ETH
REG
7
8
7
137
126
“Two-eight-five, Treebie,” Elijah breathed. “That’s absolutely ridiculous, isn’t it?”
If Treebie could have spoken, he definitely would have agreed.
Even looking at the class sent a shiver up Elijah’s spine, and it wasn’t entirely due to the attribute bonuses. Despite the simple description – and even simpler name – the class felt like something that should not have been available. Not to him, at least.
Just considering the option elicited a wave of calm that enveloped his mind, covering it like a warm blanket and soothing all of his anxiety. Even the fear that he would never return to Earth faded into the background.
But even then, Elijah knew he wouldn’t take it.
As dedicated as he was to terraforming Gorveth and helping Treebie reach his potential, Elijah knew himself well enough to recognize how unhappy such a class would make him. Not only would it likely take his shapeshifting abilities away, but it would also force him down a path he’d already rejected.
It was similar to the Bloomwarden class he’d turned down when he reached ascendency. Back then, it was obviously the most powerful option, but it would have required him to sit on his island and tend to his grove.
At the time, he’d told himself that his refusal was based on Earth’s situation. He’d needed to be strong so he could protect the island and meet the challenges facing humanity.
But even then, he knew the truth – he would never be happy sitting in one place. His experiences on Gorveth had just cemented that reality in his mind. He could endure it, as he had while cultivating Druhmor and helping Treebie grow, but doing so was slowly driving him mad with loneliness.
Maybe someone else could be perfectly content with that kind of life. Most people, in fact. Not Elijah, though.
So, as much as he liked the feeling it gave him – and the attribute bonuses – Elijah chose to eliminate the lone Eldritch-rarity option and focus on the other three remaining choices.
Herald of Life, Emerald Archon, and Primal Sovereign.
Three options. Three different paths that would shape his future like nothing else ever had.
He looked up at the tree. “What do you think, Treebie?”
As usual, the tree kept his opinions to himself.
End of Chapter
