“I’m ready,” Angar said, his voice steady despite not knowing what was to come. He squared his shoulders, fists clenching at his sides, the d’klar scale armor creaking faintly as he braced himself.
Spirit tilted her head, her platinum hair swaying slightly, and gave a small nod. “Okay. I’m streamlining this to keep it simple,” she said. “You’ve earned a ton of Glorious Achievements, but I’m stripping out the fluff from Theosis’ message. You’ll keep the Glory Points, and we’ll go over the details later when you’re not drowning in new information.”
Angar nodded, his jaw tightening. “Understood.”
“Okay. Stand by,” Spirit said, raising a hand as if signaling something unseen. Her translucent fingers flexed briefly, her piercing blue eyes flicking upward before settling back on him.
Words blazed into Angar’s vision.
Another unprecedented event dawns in the annals of our sacred history – an award bestowed not for the recent past, but for the inevitable triumph your valor heralds.
Your deeds have sown the doom of 1,223 reavers of the infernal abyss, 1 vile Heretic, and – retroactively sanctified – 1 monstrous crustacean. A slaughter to blaze righteous light across the Holy Empire.
Yet your wrath has sown a bitter harvest: the blood of new imperial citizens, sworn to your protection under oath, spills alongside the unworthy – both non-citizens and wild beasts alike – scattered in your reckless wake.
Your duty is to shield the faithful, not slaughter them; this indiscriminate butchery profanes the sacred tenets of Trinitarianism, a stain upon your honor dark as the whispers of Hell.
Though dire need compelled your hand, your ignorant wrath knew not its toll, this blood demands atonement. No witness lives to damn you in the temporal realm, thus your punishment is this: all accrued Voluvicas Credits stand forfeit, and a trial of purification awaits - asceticism and abstemiousness to purge your soul’s dark stains, or leave it ash before the Holy Trinity’s gaze.
Theosis, the coming and arrival, decrees: an experience award of [SYSTEM ERROR: DATA BLOCKS 3-5 CORRUPTED—RETRIEVAL FAILURE] and these Glorious Achievements yield 597 Glory Points.
You have transcended the Ranks of Initiate and Novice, standing now at the pinnacle of the first Tier of power, level 33, on the verge of the second Tier and the Rank of Knight-Adept. All further experience is forfeit until ascending thus.
Now, Crusader, seize your destined glory.
For God and Empire!
As Angar read and reread the section demanding his punishment, guilt gnawed at him once more, but the words asceticism and abstemiousness began to crystallize in his mind.
They simply meant forsaking pleasure such as rich feasts, abundant comforts, lavish indulgences. Things life in Mecia had already denied him. Things he would have claimed in abundance had he died.
His true punishment, the one he’d impose upon himself, was far greater – to live. To endure. To purge the taint in his blood, avenge his fallen people, and save his blighted world.
“Don’t worry about the error in that spiel,” Spirit said, her voice cutting through the silence. “I’ll walk you through everything you need to know.
“The Holy Empire has been fighting Hellspawn for over four thousand years. Theosis manages everything, and he’s grown to be a staunch believer of utility maximization, standardization over personalization, and collectivism over individualism.”
She crossed her arms. “He’d try getting you to pick Sanctifier as your first Class, and Blessed Champion, Sacred Avenger, or Zealous Luminar for your second. Those need firearms, which you don’t have. Most Crusaders fight together in companies, leaning on Abilities that shine in a big group, which, again, you don’t have.”
Angar frowned, shifting his weight uncomfortably in the air. “What Class do I take then?” he asked.
“Considering available equipment, it must be close combat focused,” she replied. “Classes used to be ranked by power and rarity, but Theosis scrapped that ages ago. Each offers three to five Abilities. Generally, the more offered, the better Class. Two-word names mean it’s more powerful. A word like ‘blessed’ or ‘sacred’ bump it up further.”
She made a strange gesture with an open hand. “You’ve probably noticed Theosis always capitalizes Holy and Divine and always refers to himself as either the Holy or Divine System. Consider those two words special. If those are in a Class name, it means its special too, probably unique.
“Luckily for you, Class is going to be an easy choice since you’re being offered a hybrid close combat one named Divine Storm. You’d be foolish not choosing it. It offers your best chance of survival.”
Angar’s brow furrowed as he processed her words, his hand drifting to rest on his hammer’s haft, fingers tapping idly. He was trying to retain everything. He had a good memory, but he lacked understanding of many of these new concepts. Still, if what she said was true, this Class sounded perfect.
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“And my second Class?” he asked.
Spirit stepped closer, her translucent form shimmering faintly, and rested a hand on his shoulder, her touch cool but firm. “Divine Storm has great Abilities and Upgrades. You won’t need a second for Tier 1. We’re going all in on this Class. We’ll spend most of your Glory Points making it stronger too.”
Angar met her gaze, his shoulders tensing under her touch. He had little choice but to trust her. “Understood,” he said, his voice low but resolute. “How do I pick it?”
“Just say or think ‘System.’”
“System,” Angar said. A greenish light flared from his face, projecting a screen of white text less than an arm’s length away. He blinked, startled, and swiped at it with his free hand, fingers passing through without resistance.
He wanted to explore this light more, but Spirit said, “I've adjusted the text display setting to the maximum brevity and clarity option, making it easier for you to understand. Pick the Class.”
There was a congratulatory message and a box saying, ‘Tap to select your first Class.’ He wondered how he’d tap something made of strange light, but when he poked at the box, a new screen appeared.
The names of many Classes showed but not the one he needed.
“Okay. Touch the block on the side,” Spirit said, stepping beside him and pointing with a finger. “Hold it, drag it downward. That’s called scrolling.”
He fumbled at first, his thick fingers clumsy on the light, but he got it, dragging the block until Divine Storm appeared. He poked it firmly.
“Done,” he said, his chest tightening as a strange warmth flooded his body, pulsing through his limbs. He flexed his hands, feeling the shift. “I feel strange.”
Spirit’s lips curved into a small smile, her hands clasping again behind her back. “You’re ascending. When you pick a Class and initiate the Holy System, you gain some free power. Your Attributes are going up by 1, boosting the Stats they govern. You also got your first Adroitness point, making you faster, and points in that are hard to come by.”
“I need these terms explained,” he said. “I know the word attribute, but not as you’re using it.”
Spirit drifted closer, her translucent hand resting lightly on his shoulder again, her touch steadying. “You must trust me. It’ll make sense when you see your Annals,” she said, her voice calm, reassuring.
Angar sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly, but he nodded. “Understood.”
“Do you trust me, Angar?” Spirit asked, tilting her head, her piercing eyes searching his face.
“More than I probably should,” he admitted.
Spirit let out a quiet laugh. “Good, but you’ll need to trust me far more than that. Far more than is sensible. You'll find it worthwhile. Together, we shall give our all to save your world.”
She nodded toward the screen. “Okay. It’s now displaying a list of five Abilities. Choose the one named Ground Current.”
Angar quickly reviewed the five Abilities and their Upgrade options. Listed were Lightning Strike, Ground Current, Lightning Bolt, Tempest, and Lightning Storm. If it were up to him, he’d select Lightning Strike instead of Ground Current, but he did as instructed. “Done,” he said, as another pulse rippled through him.
“Okay” Spirit said, her tone warm but brisk. “Now, you’re Tier 1, Rank 1, level 1. We’re going to level you all the way up to 33. The level scheme repeats every Rank. A full Rank is 16 levels. I’m having Theosis display the leveling scheme.
“This will take a few seconds because I’m imposing brevity and clarity on Theosis’ direct communications, and he hates this passionately. You don’t need to remember or fully understand all this stuff. Just read through to get the gist, then think, ‘Send to notes,’ and it’ll automatically be added to your System notes. Here it comes.”
ASCENSION PROGRESSION AND OPTIONS:
Level 1 (Rank 1, Tier 1, Knight-Initiate): Marks the first step of your ascension. All three Attributes increase by 1 point. The special trait Adroitness also increases by 1 point.
Grants a Class Option to select a Class and choose an Ability from that Class.
Additional Class Options are awarded at levels 17, 34, 50, 67, and 83, allowing for the selection of another Class for which you qualify, OR an additional Ability from a Class already held, OR purchase of the third Sacred Upgrade for an Ability denoted with a (C).
Level 2: Grants a Stat Point to increase one of the nine Stats by 1. Every fourth Stat Point used on the same Stat increases the governing Attribute by 1, thereby increasing each of its three governed Stats by 1.
Level 3: Grants an Attribute Point to increase one of three Attributes by 1, which increases the three governed Stats by 1.
Level 4: Grants an Ability Upgrade to select an available Upgrade of an Ability.
Level 5: Grants a Feat Option to select a Feat you qualify for.
Levels 6-8: Repeat the sequence from Levels 2 to 4.
Level 9: Grants an Ability Option to pick a new Ability from any held Class OR purchase an Ability's first or second Sacred Upgrade denoted by an (A).
Levels 10-16: Repeat the sequence from levels 2 to 8.
Level 17 (Rank 2, Knight-Novice): Grants your second Class Option.
Levels 18-32: Repeat the sequence from levels 2-16.
Level 33: The Capstone of Tier 1 is selected which provides a significant effect.
Level 34 (Start of Tier 2): Includes Ranks Knight-Adept and Knight. Grants 1 Adroitness and 2 to each Attribute. Repeats the progression from Levels 1-33, culminating with the Tier 2 Capstone at Level 66.
Level 67 (Start of Tier 3): Includes Ranks Knight-Master and Knight-Exemplar. Grants 1 Adroitness and 3 to each Attribute. Repeats the progression from Levels 1-33, culminating in a third Capstone at Level 99.
Level 100: A special level marking ascension to Saint. Continue onward, Crusader.
“I’ve sent this to the notes,” said Angar. “I see the note.”
“Think, ‘Save as Ascension Progression.’”
“Done.”
“Good,” replied Spirit. “Have you noticed I’ve been getting more and more translucent?”
“I have.”
“The duration for which I can extend time dilation, and which you'll remember, is nearly at an end. Thank you for trusting me.”
Angar grunted. “Thank you for helping me with all this, Spirit.”
“You are very welcome,” she said, her hands settling firmly on his temples. “I need to finish leveling you up. See you in a few moments.” Her fingers tightened briefly, her eyes locking with his.
“What?” he asked. Spirit’s presence surged into his mind, a cold rush overtaking him. The next thing he knew, he was hurtling toward the ground at a tremendous speed.
