Sunset painted Blackmoss Forest a soft red hue. The leaves swayed in a gentle breeze and glistened in the light. Among the trees, Royal Moths proceeded with an incessant buzz, and in the thick bushes, rodents and moles were scurrying for their lives. For these tiny monsters, it was another chapter in a predestined fight for survival, but for humans, standing on the high ground of civilization and gazing down in boredom, it was a calm and peaceful Cromish evening. Fate gave each a distinct place in life. And somewhere on the great chart of things, in a bubble of his own, there was Vance Wolfe.

He gasped and opened his eyes. For a whole minute, he continued to pant and cough, like a diver who had stayed underwater for too long, or a marathoner who had just crossed the finish line. When his breathing stabilized, he raised himself off the ground and felt for his head. It was there. It was connected to the rest of his body, and the blood was flowing to his brain again. He sighed in unimaginable relief. Then, with a quick look around him, he realized that he was alone at the forest shrine. Shannon and her undead were gone; the fickle Honeydew Flies had become invisible again; Revival and Decay could no longer torment him with promises or threats. Normalcy. Normalcy at last.

Ascension Alert You have arrived at the Lesser Realms.

I’m back, Cromsville. Vance sighed again in relief.

Class Effect Deactivated: Headbound

Your highest two stats are no longer doubled.

Intelligence 524 → 262 Duplicity 402 → 201 Bane Added: Curse of Thurvik Details unknown. Class Effect Activated: Condemned You cannot lose the Curse of Thurvik (Bane).

So … One Class Effect replaces the other.

Ascension Alert

Your journey through Middlerift has strengthened your body and soul.

Pay your respects and claim your reward.

Vance sat down on the ground to pay his respects to the shrine of Thurvik. After he crossed his legs, he placed the Staff of Galvani next to him and cleared his mind. I fulfilled all the conditions, so it’s finally time. He lowered his head a little in respect and remained frozen in that solemn position. I want to claim my Class Ascension rewards. He watched the enshrined Teneb Rose with eagerness. Cromsville bustled far away. The rodents scrambled fast nearby. The sun died. The wind mourned. Then, at a moment of happiness after strife, of triumph after hardship, of harvest after drought, the forest clearing transformed, with the expected overflow of Mana, and he finally heard the long-awaited response.

“You are back,” a female voice said. “How was the hunt, Adventurer Slayer?”

Vance said nothing, and even his thoughts provided no answer.

“Many are silent upon their return,” the voice continued. “But even if words have failed you, your new powers will speak on your behalf.”

Vance felt something strange flowing through his body. Was it magic? Was it Mana? Or was it something more elementary? His muscles felt stronger. His mind felt clearer. His Middleriftian journey translated into lessons learned, and his mistakes into guideposts to his future. Never become overdependent. Never trust a punitive justice. Never let your ambition build thunder-castles in the sky. The physical and mental exhaustion were washed away as if by torrential rain. Then he finally received the messages detailing his rewards. One by one, they echoed through his consciousness. And the pauses between them gave him a chance to analyze and understand their contents.

Ascension Alert: Skill Evolution

Because you:

Refused to retreat against crowds of slimes and chimeras. Outsmarted higher-level enemies using Modus Cimmerian. Executed Galvani the Lord of Lightning.

Your Skill, Spectral Execution, has evolved:

Name Spectral Execution Evolution Phase 4 Cost 800 MP Description

You spend mana to hone your spectral weapon.

Your next normal attack deals 1.5 times the normal magical damage.

Your next sneak attack deals 2.0 times the normal magical damage.

You can now teleport using the following modes:

Modus Cimmerian If an execution lands but fails to kill the target, you are teleported to safety. This teleportation is not optional. Modus Impetuous If a sneak execution lands and succeeds in killing the target, you are teleported to the next weakest enemy in the area, and the cost of your next Spectral Execution is halved. The halving effect stacks as long as your kill combo is not broken. This teleportation is optional.

So … a Skill evolution to deal with pesky crowds. Vance smiled a little. This new teleportation mode, Modus Impetuous, gave him a chance to jump from one enemy to the next and deliver a series of Spectral Executions in no time. The only problem is that I don’t have enough MP to use it effectively. He reexamined the details of his evolved Skill. Let’s say I’m fighting a group of adventurers. My first execution will cost 800 MP. The next will cost 400. The next 200. And so on until the chain is broken. He laughed. This is crazy … 1400 MP to take down three mediocre enemies. It was an extravagant cost, unpayable at his current level, especially since his max MP was only 860.

I’ll need to level up a lot more before I can implement this combat style. He nodded as if in agreement with his thoughts. But there’s good potential overall. He started to do the math. Since the Skill cost is halved every time, my nth Spectral Execution requires 800/2(n-1) MP. In other words, the cost is decreasing exponentially. Such an exponential decrease meant that the price for the 11th execution was less than 1 MP. I won’t be able to maintain the kill combo against powerful enemies, so I won’t even dream of reaching the 11th execution in a critical situation. He dismissed the fantasy right away. But against weak targets, like beginners or slimes, I will eventually be able to deliver as many executions as I want.

(To be exact, given that the kill combo remains unbroken, the total cost of infinite executions converges to 1600 MP. Infinite executions … Another asinine assassin fantasy. Better focus on the next reward.)

Ascension Alert: New Skill

Because you:

Toyed with your human victims, such as Benedict, Robinia, and Kaz.

Proved your mental focus and fortitude after the Redspine High.

Avenged the Honeydew Flies and stopped the desecration of fly corpses.

You have unlocked a new Skill:

Name Dipteran Terror Evolution Phase 1 Cost 800 MP Duration 1 minute Cooldown 5 minutes Description You kidnap an enemy to the Shores of Ephialtes. In this world of nightmares, you can transform into the creature they fear the most and attack them at your own leisure. The damage you deal inside the nightmare translates to magical damage in the real world. The nightmare ends if your enemy dies or if the Skill duration expires.

Dipteran Terror? Vance repeated the name of the Skill. In other words, Fear of the Honeydew Flies. Since he had been haunted by the flies for such a long time, it seemed that some of their powers had rubbed off on him. I got tortured by nightmares first-hand. Now I get to torture others. Lovely. He began to think about the proper uses for this Skill. I can isolate an enemy and lure them to a setting where I’ll have the advantage. I will transform into “the creature they fear the most,” so I might be able to break their spirit. He remembered the masked brute from Shannon’s nightmare. And this transformation might actually help me conceal my real Skill set … It can trick people into thinking that I have a different Class. He chuckled. At the very least, some might jump to the conclusion that I’m just a Trickster. There was a lot of fun to be had with this new Skill, but there was also a lot of work and experimentation to be done. All in due time.

Ascension Alert: Perk Progress

Because you:

Saved Timathor from Severus. Showed interest in goblin language and culture. Trained Timathor and fought battles as a tribe leader.

Your Perk, Unappetizing, has progressed into:

Goblin Chief You are one of the many self-proclaimed leaders of the fragmented goblin world. Your claim is weak, but your ambition is strong. You can recruit goblins to join your tribe and fight your battles. If you wish, you can also challenge other Goblin Chiefs for control of their tribes. Because of your unique status as a human Goblin Chief, monsters are no longer hostile toward you. They will not attack you unless they are provoked by incendiary actions or by the territorial expansion of your tribe. A few rare exceptions exist.

I get to keep the effects of Unappetizing, and I also unlock these new mechanics relating to goblins. Vance felt the weight of his reward. I can recruit goblins to fight for me. The description doesn’t say how, but I’ll surely find a way. He paused. The real question is: do I want to go down this path? Do I want to involve myself more in the goblin world? Taking care of Timathor was one thing, but having a claim to power and challenging other Goblin Chiefs was another. I know very little about goblins. Most of my knowledge … if I can call it “knowledge” … comes from adventurer manuals and human stereotypes. And of course, the rest came from the desperate pleadings of a mummified solar elf.

Without enough info, I might make new enemies among the Goblin Chiefs and Shamans. And I don’t want to be persecuted outside cities too. It would be terrible for him to lose the safety of Blackmoss Forest—the safety of his home. Plus, if I build a large tribe of goblins right now, how will I find the resources to feed them? How will I control them? How will I prevent them from raiding human settlements and leading the Church of Amirani back to me? He decided not to rush things. It’s good to have this Perk in my arsenal, but it’s too early to explore its full potential. An “opportunity” that presents itself too soon is no opportunity at all. I’ll focus on training Timathor and learning the goblin language for now.

Ascension Alert: New Ability

Because you:

Handled artificial slime cores with your bare hand.

Cleared the Tombs of Solario.

Defeated Wasserstein the Area Boss.

You have unlocked a new Class Ability:

Slime Factory Production Limit 10 Blueprints Acidic Water Slime Alkaline Water Slime Subcommand Description Manufacture Slime You reactivate an inactive slime core and produce a slime according to one of the acquired blueprints. You can choose which blueprint to use. Reactivation can only occur while you hold an inactive slime core in your left hand. Slimes created this way cannot receive combat commands, but they will follow you around and attack your enemies upon sight. You cannot have more slime followers than your production limit.

10 slimes at my disposal? Vance chuckled, feeling some irony at play. I don’t think they could do much in real combat, but they can serve as a good distraction. He remembered how tenacious Wasserstein had been and wished the reward had included it as a blueprint; but some wishes just go unanswered. Oh well, Wasserstein was a one-time deal. He sighed. Normal slimes are fine, I guess … I can always pretend that they’re running after me to show others how helpless I am. He chuckled again. How many adventurers are gonna rush to save this damned-sel in distress? The thought alone made him feel like an old-school villain. Maybe I should work on an evil laugh or something.

Ascension Alert: New Ability

Because you:

Achieved Manotic Mastery.

Relied on the parasites in your fights against Aldini and Sabrina.

Defeated the Galvanic slugs using Magmatic Overdrive.

You have unlocked a new Class Ability:

Manotic Compass Manotic Mastery 84% Subcommand Description Measure Mastery You sense for the flow of Mana between your body and the parasites, and you gauge your current Manotic Mastery levels. Mastery decays over time. Factors, such as hunger, injury, and mental health, can influence the rate of decay. High mastery comes with its rewards. Low mastery leads to penalties or even death. Meditate You spend 30 MP per second and increase your mastery by 0.01% per second. View Parasite Stats Because of your high Manotic Mastery (>75%), you can view the stats of the parasites. These stats determine effectiveness in combat. They are independent of yours, and you cannot influence their growth. [Skill Lease] Because of your high Manotic Mastery (>75%), you can use the Skills that the parasites have learned. During peaceful times, use this subcommand to view a complete list of the current parasite Skills. During combat, replace the name of this subcommand with the name of the parasite Skill that you would like to use.

This formalizes my relationship with the parasites. Vance paid close attention to his current Manotic Mastery level. 84% … Thanks to Pamela. All those hours of quiet meditation were building this number up. And I must’ve gotten an extra boost when I defeated the Spirit of Rebellion. Although his time in Stonethorn Cave had been far from pleasant, he reflected on it as the memory of an achievement. As long as I keep the mastery level high, I get to see the parasite stats, and I can even use their Skills. He remembered how he defeated the Galvanic slugs—the way his claws elongated, the magmatic heat that erupted from them, the grime that overflowed. I was using a parasite Skill without knowing … Magmatic Overdrive.

Ascension Alert: New Ability

Because you:

Traveled across the Weeping Cage.

Freed the previous Golden Swarm from limbo.

Imprisoned Galvani the Lord of Lightning.

You have unlocked a new Class Ability:

Anima Elettrica Golden Jar Capacity 0 / 2 Cooldown Cannot revive the same soul twice within 21 days Subcommand Description Fill Jar Every time a creature dies near you, you get the option to store its ashes and soul in your Golden Jar. Once this entrapment is over, the creature becomes available for revival using the Anima Elettrica. The capacity of the Golden Jar increases with battle victories and decreases with defeats. Purge Jar You expel the soul and ashes of a creature and free a slot in your Golden Jar. If the expelled soul bears a grudge against you, it will join the rebellious Golden Swarm. The swarm knows little besides hatred and revenge. As it grows in size, your own destruction draws near. Resuscitate With an art that is both Necromancy and Electromancy, you raise the dead and bind their lost souls to their bodies. Some of the creatures you raise may have their level progress reset. All retain their free will and autonomy, but their lives become contingent on yours. Killing them awards you no EXP. When you die, they lose their place in the world of the living.

So … These are the laws that governed Galvani’s fate. Vance remembered the events that had taken place in Rocca Galeazzi, and he started to relate them to his own future as the Heir to the Galvanic Throne. As long as I win battles, the Golden Jar will increase in size, and I will be able to revive more creatures to serve me. Once I start losing, however, the Golden Swarm will keep growing. The golden butterflies … They’ll start appearing. They’ll look for a new savior … a savior who can kill me and claim the Anima Elettrica anew. Vance laughed. It’s a vicious cycle. Now that he had this dark power, there was no escape from these double-edged mechanics. I have to be extra careful … And I have to monitor how much the Golden Jar will shrink and grow. The rates might not be constant.

But the Golden Swarm wasn’t the only thorn in his side. There’s also the fact that the raised creatures retain their free will. How would he keep them under control? How would he tempt them to join his side? Galvani had his big narrative about Revival and Decay and the third choice … But none of this is relevant here in the mortal world. He felt a little frustrated. Should I limit my use of the Anima Elettrica? Should I use it only to revive my allies? Perhaps it was the most prudent choice—but it was also the most boring one. No … There is a lot of potential in this power, and I shouldn’t limit myself like this. He took a deep breath. I’ll find a way. It won’t be easy, but I’ll spin as many narratives as I need … And I’ll use the Anima Elettrica to its fullest potential.

Ascension Alert You have no remaining rewards. Post-Ascension Summary

Skills

Equip Spectre Spectral Execution (Evolved Skill!) Dipteran Terror (New Skill!)

Perks

Goblin Chief (Perk Progress!) Eye of the Assassin Empty Slot

Class Abilities

Slime Factory (New Ability!) Manotic Compass (New Ability!) Anima Elettrica (New Ability!)

Class Effects

Condemned Guiltless Murderous Two-Faced

“May your strength be a curse upon humanity.”

***

The walk home was calm and relaxing. After he summoned the poised Didier and deposited his Middleriftian items, Vance strolled through the forest toward the ruins of the Seventh Moon Temple. Dry leaves broke under his feet. Was he thinking about what had happened to Shannon? Was he planning for his future and analyzing his new powers? No, like the nightly forest path, his mind was calm; his thoughts were silent; and he had a strange warm feeling, perhaps close to nostalgia or homesickness. He wanted to draw water from his well, to cook over his firepit, and to have another nonsense talk with Timathor.

Passing through thick shrubs, he finally saw the ancient ruins of the Moon Temple—home sweet home. It was exactly the same as he had left it, or at least its outer appearance hadn’t changed. He passed by his firepit—full of soot and ash—before he arrived at the door to the worship hall. As soon as he pushed it open, he heard a loud noise from inside: “Vance! Ow-shahshah-Vance!” In a matter of seconds, he found Timathor jumping around him with a wide smile on its little face. The happiness of the little goblin was unmatched. It continued to dance and shout words that Vance couldn’t understand yet. Then it pulled him by the hand and led him to his underground room.

All of a sudden, Vance was going down the stairs. He had no idea what was up, yet he couldn’t help but smile as he followed his little companion. He hadn’t received such a warm welcome in a very long time, and there was no doubt that it was authentic happiness on Timathor’s face. “Where are you taking me, little buddy?” Vance laughed. But Timathor continued to pull him in excitement. A few moments later, they arrived at a corner of the underground room. Vance had left this corner empty, but now there were lots of bones—rodent, mole, and even human ribs. It was a morbid pile. No one would have appreciated such a sight, but because Vance had learned a little about goblins, he knew that this gory stack was actually an expression of Timathor’s respect and admiration.

“Thank you, little buddy,” he smiled, petting the little goblin. “I guess you’ve been going on your own adventures while I was away. You even preyed on a few humans. Good job.”

“Gujaa?” Timathor said.

“How do I express this?” Vance paused to think before he said, “Hinjaoor.”

Timathor’s eyes brightened, and it shouted, “Hinjaoor! Hinjaoor! Hinjaoor!”

Vance laughed and fetched a spare monstroscope from his storage. He sat on the bed and took a look at Timathor. Level 24. So … a growth of 3 levels. It wasn’t bad progress, since Timathor had been alone all this time. In fact, Vance felt a little proud that the goblin was able to win battles on its own. He managed to sneak past the Royal Moths, defeat enemies, and drag their bones back here. Maybe his small body helped him find hiding places along the way, but that doesn’t discredit his achievement. Vance lowered the monstroscope and smiled with warmth. Just like me, Timathor survived this hard time … and it’s only one more level until his own Class Ascension, if goblins have one.

The prospect was quite exciting, but when the two words, “Class Ascension,” slipped back into Vance’s thoughts, he couldn’t help but remember Middlerift again. He held his head as if he had the worst headache. He felt some difficulty breathing. He almost shivered and recoiled. For the first time, tears began to well in his eyes. Why was he having this reaction this late? He had been fine earlier at the shrine of Thurvik: he had examined his new powers with nothing but pragmatic calmness. And yet here he was again—struggling and failing to hold back meaningless tears. They were indeed about to slide down his cheeks, but then Timathor pulled at his arm and climbed on his back.

“Vance! Kvu-ghakra-hee?” the little goblin said.

The words were meaningless to Vance, but he started to laugh when he felt the goblin sitting on his shoulders. He remembered the night they walked back home together like this. And this memory released him from the clasp of the others. He wiped his eyes and began to calm down. Because he didn’t move, Timathor eventually jumped off his shoulders and ran around him thrice. Then the little goblin stopped and stared—at Vance’s feet, then at his face, then at the rest of his body. Was it surprised by the parasites, or was it simply expressing normal curiosity? It was a mystery what went on inside the goblin brain, but the goblin lips soon gave a valuable hint.

“Vance … Egre-akra-ohrajimz?” Timathor said, a bit reluctantly.

Ohrajimz? I know this word. Vance stood up with hints of recovery, fetched his Timathese dictionary, and searched for a meaning. “ ‘Clothes’?” he said and paused for a moment. Then he realized what the little rascal was on about. He raced to the mirror and took the first look at himself in a very long time. Oh no. There he stood, covered in dirt, encrusted by dry mud, reeking with an awful stench. And his clothes had been transformed into worn-out rags. They were torn, decayed, destroyed. I guess this is the true damage Middlerift has done. He took them off and decided to start taking care of himself. The ascension had rid him of his sleepiness and exhaustion, but there was still much more to do.

As Ezran clocks ticked through the hours of the night, he showered with cold but refreshing water; cleaned his poor room from the aftermath of Typhoon Timathor; checked his storage to make sure no valuables were lost; and finally cooked a feast for the goblin, the parasites, and himself. It was a rather humble celebration of his return—humble but not lonely, because Timathor was there to share the joy. Salt-preserved meat was on the menu, and mouths began to water. Owing to the skill of the chef, the final dish was a grilled delicacy from fine Engelian cuisine. Two plates were served, and the late-night meal began, with smoke rising from the firepit into the starry sky.

“A lot has happened since we last met, Timathor,” Vance said, between bites.

“Vance-mush-jihqaam!” Timathor said, with a full mouth.

“It’s nice to be back here … back to normal life.”

“Vance-fijha-nijgkanya!”

“We’re not having the same conversation, are we?” Vance laughed. Then he pulled Timathor close and ruffled its few silver hairs. As the goblin laughed and tried to escape, he continued, “I don’t know how to say this … But I hope you understand it somehow … I’m happy you’re here with me, Timathor.” Without understanding the meaning of these words, the goblin slipped out of Vance’s clasp and returned to its delicious meal. It felt like a rejection, but Vance only laughed and said, “Eat well, little buddy. Eat and rest and play. We’re taking a couple of weeks off. Then we’ll have a lot to do … Lots of money to make … Lots of adventurers to kill … Cromsville has been far too peaceful in my absence, don’t you think?”

Timathor grinned. Then there was the first light of day.