Chapter Forty-Four

Elysia took a step toward the Companion statue before pausing once again. Did she really want to tie her evolution to Ione? She didn’t even know what she was capable of yet. Even if Ione was strong, she would rather have her own personal power and not rely on Ione—as cute as she was.

With great hesitance, she stepped away from the Companion statue and toward the spear and lightning statue. First, she glanced at the spear statue. Again, did she want to rely on a spear? Unless the class gave her knowledge to wield one, it could take her years to progress past basic jabs and swings. The only statue that would give her instant power not reliant on a tool or someone else would be the path of lightning. With her boost from turning into a nascent elemental, she had a ton more charge, and maybe the class would give her more. Overall, it would be a nice compliment instead of trying to branch out. Maybe once she grew stronger, she could dabble in other things. The Channeler class didn’t stop her from using a spear, so maybe this path of lightning wouldn’t either. Though if the lightning path didn’t, neither would the spear or companion path. Still, she thought the lightning path had more upside.

After taking another minute to think things over, she stepped up to the levitating statue with lightning writhing.

The Path of Lightning.

Would you like to embark on the path of lightning?

It didn’t call it a trial this time. Was it because she was an elemental now? Whatever the reason, she wasn’t complaining.

The moment she sent the mental confirmation, the lightning writhing around the statue shot toward her. However, instead of spasming, all she felt was a pleasant warmth as it filled her core with power. Said core gulped down the lightning before sending it through her body like her race evolution. It energized her every cell, sending her mind into euphoria. She collapsed to her knees, a smile plastered on her face.

A minute later, the warmth dissipated, returning coherent thought as a list of notifications filled her vision.

Congratulations! User successfully embarked on the Path of Lightning.

Effects:

All lightning attacks deal 50% more damage

+20% to Charge with +.5% max charge per level.

+10 Attribute Points total per level non-retroactive.

Attribute affects: +1% per point to intelligence, perception, and dexterity.

Skills available: May only choose five.

Lightning Bolt: A directed shot of lightning with high single-target damage but limited multi-target damage.

Chain Lightning: A stream of lightning optimized to jump from target to target.

Electric current: A sustained stream of lightning low-burst damage but has capability to affect multiple targets.

Smite: A high-power targeted shot of lightning on a single target with little chance to jump to another target.

Electrify: Charge a conductible item with electricity.

Stun: A low-power charge meant to stun a target.

Electrify Self: Run an electric current through the body, shocking those who come into contact.

Elysia focused on the skill options, but no other information presented itself. Yet again, she had to go in blind. They could have at least shown the cost. Though some of the skills were familiar so maybe they had the same cost. The most important skills would be Electrify, Lightning Bolt, and Chain Lightning. Electrify Self could come in handy, too. She really hoped she wasn’t limited to just these skills. Hopefully, she could still manually control lightning without a bonus or whatever these skills gave her.

As a test, Elysia sent a mental comment to pick Electrify, knowing she would use it a ton.

Skilled Learned! Electrify Level 1.

Cost: 10 charge per second.

Effect: Charge a conductible item with electrify.

Elysia frowned at the text as it faded. That didn’t seem that good. She at least got a damage and cost bonus from the skill slot. Maybe it improved as she leveled it.

With a sour expression, she picked Lightning bolt, expecting the same result.

Skilled Learned! Lightning Bolt Level 1.

Cost: 100 charge.

Effect: A directed shot of lightning with high single-target damage but limited multi-target damage.

Again, not much of an advantage. Did she choose the wrong path? Though if this was so underwhelming, she doubted she would get much of a boost from the others either.

Next, she picked Chain Lightning, sighing in disappointment at the lackluster result.

Skill Learned! Chain Lightning Level 1.

Cost: 150 initial charge, 10 per second maintain.

Was it worth even slotting another skill? They all seemed so weak. She guessed if nothing else, she had something to level up beyond her class. Would Smite be worth it? It was probably just a stronger Lightning Bolt. But still, the idea of smiting people sounded fun.

New Skill Learned! Smite Level 1.

Cost: 500 Charge.

Effect: A high-power targeted shot of lightning on a single target with little chance to jump to another target.

Elysia let out a whistle at the cost. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t using that one much. If she had 500 Charge left, she had other options to attack. Maybe in the future 500 charge wouldn’t mean much. Spamming Smite would be amazing.

After scanning through the list a few times, she returned to Electrify Self. She may as well pick one defensive skill. If it worked anything like static shock, it could come in handy if something grabbed her.

Skill learned! Electrify Self Level 1.

Cost: 10 charge per second.

Effect: Run an electric current through your body, shocking those who come into contact.

Achievement! Full Arsenal.

“Everyone has to start somewhere.”

Reward: 1 Attribute Point.

The moment after she received the achievement, she found herself back in her bedroom. Ione continued to purr as if no time had passed. She gave Ione a few head scratches as more notifications rolled in.

Achievement! Entering a path.

“Congratulations, you are finally an adult.”

Reward: Full unlock of the system.

Curious, Elysia opened her status.

Status:

Name: Elysia Arashi

Race: Level 1 Nascent Lightning Elemental.

Class: Level 1 Path of Lightning

Charge: 1225/1225.

Attributes:

Available Points: 50

Strength: 32

Dexterity: 32

Endurance: 32

Intelligence: 32

Perception: 32

Proficiencies:

Novice Spear Level 8.

Novice Throwing Knives Level 3.

Affinities:

Tier 2 Level 1 Lightning

Resistances:

Death Resistance Level 1

Water Resistance Level 1.

Poison Resistance Level 2.

Bonus

+70% Damage with Lightning.

+10% Damage to undead.

+10% Damage to Arthropod.

+15% Damage to Ladybugs.

Skills

Electrify Level 1.

Electrify Self Level 1.

Lightning Bolt Level 1.

Chain Lightning Level 1.

Smite Level 1.

Bonds

Sereia.

Umbra.

Ione.

Elysia focused on the bonds section, picking Sereia. The ever-present connection with her twin pulsed.

Elysia shot up with a gasp. “8126 Kilometers!” How was she that far away? Did she travel to Japan? Her father said they had family there, but he wouldn’t say who. Hopefully, the system didn’t hit them as hard, but somehow, she doubted anyone escaped this unaffected. At least she knew for sure she was healthy. Did Sereia reach level 50 before her and establish the bond? Hopefully, she met up with her soon, but there was no way would she make it that far by boat. Good thing she didn’t try to follow the bond.

To take her mind off the insurmountable distance between herself and her twin, Elysia scanned over her status again. After finding nothing else of interest, she focused on her attributes to spend her points, only to receive an unexpected message.

Current effect per attribute point.

.5% per point: Strength.

2% per point: Intelligence, Dexterity.

3% per point: Perception, Endurance.

That would have been good to know a long time ago. No wonder she didn’t feel a ton of difference when she improved strength. It looked like she was stuck physically weak until she found a way to increase the attribute effect. Was this how those humans were so much faster and stronger than her? She had to ask Joe. There had to be more to it than pure stats. Their systems were different too, so maybe the captain took her down with a skill. Annoying how she still didn’t have that unfair identification skill. She hoped there was a way to learn it. Another question for Joe.

Elysia stared at her attributes for several minutes in indecision before dumping ten into each. Despite knowing the effect per attribute, she decided she wanted to even them out at fifty before specializing to give herself a decent base. Before the effects took hold, she gave Ione a pet, then closed her eyes.

Several minutes passed without the side effect prompting her to open her eyes. She blinked at the sudden clarity of her vision, but nothing else jumped out at her.

Curious, Elysia climbed out of bed, feeling slightly lighter as she trotted toward her bedroom door. A flash of silver shot through the door the moment she opened it. Her sensitive ears picked up muffled music coming from above.

Ione sat at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at Elysia with her slitted amethyst eyes.

With a giggle, Elysia scooped her kitten into her arms, no longer able to hold Ione with one arm because of her increased size. She nuzzled Ione with her head, firing up a purr motor before climbing the stairs.

The music grew louder with each step. Fortunately, at the top of the steps, just when the music became almost painful to her ears, her hearing adjusted.

Ione struggled in her arms until she wiggled free, dropping to the floor with her ears flat. In a flash, she retreated downstairs.

Elysia approached the control room to find both Joe and Eva conversing over the loud dubstep pumped into the room by several mounted speakers.

Elysia’s gaze landed on a tablet on the end table. Her hand flashed out to grab the tablet, pausing the music.

Joe and Eva stiffened before shuffling apart, both blushing. Joe recovered first, trying to act natural as he asked, “Finished with your class evolution?”

Elysia smirked knowingly but answered anyway. “I think so. Could you answer a few questions?”

While Eva made herself appear busy reading a manual, Joe nodded his head, turning his full attention to Elysia.

Before asking her first question, Elysia’s eyes scanned the still-messy control room. With her hands on her hips, she directed her attention at Eva. “Eva, if you’re going to use the control room as your bedroom, you need to keep it tidy. What if one of us trips in an emergency? While we have time, please clean up.”

Still blushing slightly, Eva nodded her head while keeping her gaze focused on the manual.

Deciding to leave it at that for now, Elysia glanced at Joe as she pointed toward the exit of the control room. He followed her out onto the rear deck in silence. While staring out at the ocean inlet, Elysia began her much-needed question barrage. “Something that’s been bugging me for a while is how everyone knows my level. How do I learn identify?”

Joe winced but answered. “You can’t. At least I don’t think so. I know Changed can’t learn identify, but after your evolution, I don’t know if it applies to you.”

Disappointment flashed across Elysia’s face. She was hoping there was some secret unlock method.

In the name of getting answers, Elysia pushed down her disappointment in favor of asking her next question. “How did you get so strong? I’ve been fighting for my life since I first woke up, yet so many of you can crush me without effort.”

Without missing a beat, Joe replied, having expected the question. “We regular humans got a tutorial together to give us some time to organize and level. If it wasn’t for the tutorial giving us a month’s reprieve, we probably would’ve been wiped out. I don’t remember seeing any Changed in the tutorial, so I’m assuming only regular humans had it.”

So unfair. The system helped them out, yet it insulted her for being clueless. Elysia fumed, glaring out at the water.

After spending several minutes in silence, Elysia moved on to her next question. “So why is the class evolution so underwhelming? The statues made it seem like my chosen path would be really powerful, yet the skills and bonuses seem so weak.”

Joe smirked. “Give it a try.”

Elysia lifted her hand as she gave the mental command to release a lightning bolt. Unlike how she usually performed magic, a preset amount of lightning siphoned off her core, flowing through her body toward her outstretched hand.

-100 Charge.

With a deafening crack, lightning shot from her hand, arcing over the water. The lightning strike speared through a massive pine tree on shore dozens of meters away, felling the tree in an instant.

Unable to resist, Elysia called upon smite immediately after. A thread of lightning five times the size of the previous attack siphoned from her core, causing a momentary wave of weakness. The next moment, the world turned white as a lightning bolt beyond anything she’d ever unleashed shot into the sky. A moment later, the lightning descended on the water twenty meters behind the boat, instantly boiling the water on impact.

A wide grin formed as Elysia stared at the mist. “I take it back! Path of Lightning is amazing!”