More bonuses would be better, although with a Level cap of a 100 this particular bonus per Level up would only end up being 104 Stats in total. Which was only a small amount for someone like Randidly. For most people, that was probably a significant amount. But part of Randidly’s unique strength was his ability to generate a ridiculous amount of Stat growth.

Still, every little bit helped.

But it was with an extremely bitter expression that Randidly looked at the Search for Akashic III Path and saw that it would require 1750 PP to finish. Randidly couldn’t help glancing at his remaining PP: 6862.

So finishing this Path would take him to a little more than half of his total tithe remaining. Of course, the IV Path would be even higher. And beyond that, it seemed entirely likely that the Search for the Akashic would have a V component, which would be the one with an actual reward worth having: the Skill.

Still, it wasn’t like any of this was a sure thing. Perhaps even this third leg of the Path would end up being the final one. Randidly just sincerely doubted it. And in situations like this, Randidly generally found that his instincts were spot on.

Either way, he poured the PP into the Path.

Congratulations! You have completed the Search for the Akashic III Path! The ground is becoming rocky and bare. Sometimes the Path wanders to the point that you don’t even know for sure whether you are heading in the right direction. In the broken mountains of truth, there are too many false signs that could be leading you astray. But even if you are fooled by some of these, you have been able to retrace your steps and continue forward.

Determination is your compass. Even if it does not end up being your original goal, continuing to walk forward will inevitably lead you to a destination.

Branching Path! Two different opportunities lay in front of you.

Randidly scratched his chin. It had been quite some time since Randidly had encountered a Path that gave him choices. Some of the Earth System Paths provided options, but since then each Path had seemed to lead to only one place. Perhaps part of that was how much Randidly had focused on learning specific things since his earlier days, but perhaps he had just been lucky early with Paths the provided choices.

Although these two options, Randidly’s mouth twisted as he read the notification that popped up after. Almost habitually, Randidly began to wring Acri’s shaft in his trembling fingers.

Marching along a ridge that rises just above the mist, you come to a crossroads. With the mountain looming above you, will you stubbornly continue to wind your way upward or follow a gentler Path down into the mist?

Isn’t there basically no real information provided for the choice? Randidly thought sourly. Just the modifiers in the sentences. Which left Randidly between choosing between ‘stubbornly’ or ‘gentle’.

And between them, it didn’t take a scientist to discover which would likely lead to an easier result. Yet Randidly also knew that between stubborn and gentle, there was only one choice for himself. Only one choice for the man that might be spiting his world’s chances by refusing to allow the System’s influence into his body.

You march stubbornly forward, even as the path completely disappears. Jagged stones beckon you, waiting for you to fall off the precipitous edge next to your razor-thin Path. Calculating…

Calculating? Randidly frowned.

Congratulations! Due to your high Stats, you have avoided falling down onto the rocks below!

Randidly’s hands flexed. Acri cooed in pleasure. You mean to fucking tell me… that there was a PERCENTAGE chance that no matter what choice I made, I would have ended up falling on the rocks? And what the fuck sort of reward would be waiting for me at the bottom…?

But if Randidly thought he was mad from that notification, the next one did an admirable job of setting Randidly’s chest aflame with a whole new height of rage.

Warning! Branching Path! You may either choose to rest here after the close call at the edge, or you may continue on forward as the sky grows dark above you and the light of the moon remains dim. Please note that continuing on will require you to provide 250 more PP to the Path.

“HOW THE HELL WAS THAT A CLOSE CALL!” Randidly roared at the rather stoic notification that floated in front of his face. “And now you fucking want me to pay you more PP before I can continue? You-”

As his chest heaved, Randidly’s eyes were drawn to the tent flap as his Grim Intuition informed him that Salazar had noticed his outburst and was now trotting steadily over to check what was going on within the tent.

Gritting his teeth, Randidly tried to keep at least half of his anger out of his voice as he pitched it to carry. “Now’s not the time, Salazar. Please continue with your training.”

Suddenly, Randidly discovered some of the downsides of being too perceptive as his subordinates thought they were unobserved outside of the tent. Randidly felt Salazar look questioningly over at Zauna. Zauna shrugged, and her intent with the gesture was easily divined by Randidly’s high Stat: ‘That is just the sort of weird captain we have. Don’t take it too personally.’

And Salazar, that snake-tongued fucker, nodded to Zauna with a commiserating expression on his face, like at least the two of them had each other in this storm of uncertainty swirling around them.

It took Randidly several minutes to calm down the throbbing vein in his temple. Under his forced concentration, his heart rate steadily slowed back to normal. Because ultimately, his anger wasn’t at his cheeky subordinates; it was focused entirely on the extremely strange series of events for this Path. Once Randidly was a bit calmer, he took several seconds to toy with the option that this was a deliberate punishment sent by the overlay System after Randidly had supplanted it within his Alpha Cosmos.

But that didn’t seem like a reasonable option. Although the overlay System seemed to have been designed with every aspect of the System in mind, it wasn’t a substantive thing; it just converted the Aether information into understandable notifications. Nothing that Randidly had seen so far had shown that it could make such a unilateral decision like that.

Plus, Randidly had earned this Path before the Soulskill changes had occurred. So this was just what the Path was like. I suppose I deserve this. The term stubbornly had been used for this Path. It’s just a little fucked that they are extorting me for another 250 PP…

Randidly chose to pay the toll, but couldn’t help but grit his teeth when he earned no bonus Stats for the PP that he poured into this portion. It was a double whammy of punishment.

Congratulations! You have completed the special bonus for the Search for the Akashic III Path! It is a thankless and difficult Path you walk. But perhaps you are one uniquely situated to force your way to the summit. As you continue on through the darkening gloom, danger lurks on every side. Yet none dare approach you. Such is your aura and momentum that the terrible things in the dark can do naught but part helplessly before you.

Congratulations! +20 to all Stats! +2 Stat per Level! You have unlocked a new Path forward!

Despite himself, Randidly chuckled darkly as he received the final reward for this portion. Then he looked at the Search for the Akashic IV Path and felt a brutal flash of anger to see that it would cost 3000 PP in order to finish. Spending all that PP on this Path would leave him with 1800 or so remaining. Which was certainly enough to finish some smaller Paths, but it would be doubly frustrating if Randidly received a similar amount of rewards and had another Path waiting for him…

“Yet can I really stop now…?” Randidly wondered. The word ‘stubbornly’ hung in his mind like a curse. Although the benefits he earned might not be the most impressive, and honestly seemed designed to piss him off, very rarely had he actually been ripped off by Paths. It was much more likely that the main rewards were simply delayed. Gratification would come eventually, it was a matter of perseverance.

And although a fire burned in Randidly’s belly, he was patient enough to wait for the things that would give him an advantage. When he poured PP into the monstrously large 3000 PP Path, he earned 4 Free Stats every 100, for a total of 120. These were dumped rather casually into Reaction, which started to seem like a limiting factor in the total picture of his Stats.

Congratulations! You have finished the Search for the Akashic IV Path! As one who does not stray from your stated goal, your persistence has slowly earned you an increasingly wide perspective. The light filtering down from the mountain peaks above you leads you on a dappled trail of possibilities. Following that guidance further, you travel far, but you also stop and examine your surroundings.

Truth is present in all things. Never hesitate to listen to the air around you. It will speak to you its true name in exchange for the decency to pay attention to it.

Congratulations! +10 Free Stats per Level. You have gained the Skill The Book of Names (A) Lvl 1!

The Book of Names (A): Based on your experience and knowledge of a person or object, you will be able to view their true name.