Serenity woke up as a hatchling dragon again. Fortunately, he’d once again awakened before anyone else, so he was able to shift back without anyone noticing the slip.

When they got back into the dungeon, they pulled a couple of Death elementals, then finished the puzzle. The poles sank into the ground and were replaced by a pedestal with a crystal floating above it and a pair of chests.

They opened the chests first. There was another Runed Armored Clothing Set, which went to Moira, a suit of what looked like modern body armor, similar to what a SWAT team would wear, and a total of 20 Etherium.

At least, SWAT armor was what Lancaster compared it to.

Enchanted Body Armor

This body armor is technologically advanced and specifically designed to reduce the damage dealt by firearms, while still providing limited protection from other weaponry.

Enchantments: Minor Self-Repair, Minor Self-Cleaning, Minor Firearm Resistance, Minor Blunt Weapon Resistance, Minor Cutting Resistance

Overall, it would be much better at firearm resistance than Serenity’s armor and was almost as good at protecting from other physical weapons, but was not nearly as good against elemental or magical attacks. It would probably be very useful for Lancaster, but Serenity preferred the armor he had (and not simply because it was designed to accommodate his wings).

[Tutorial Great Dungeon Level 6 Complete]

[1000 XP awarded]

[1000 Core awarded]

[Level 100 reached. Paths Available. Select Path?]

Yes

Paths Available (Choice of Tier 0 or Tier 1 enabled by Tutorial)

Tier 0

None Available

Tier 1

Warrior

Weaponsmaster

Mage

Battle Adept

DeathKnight

DeathMage

Knight

Steadfast

…

It was a very long list, possibly even longer than the one he’d had when he had to choose his new Species. Unfortunately, the only way to narrow it down was to decide what he wanted.

He knew he didn’t want any of the Paths that focused on Death. With a little further thought, he also removed any of the options that focused on a single Affinity. They didn’t feel like the road he wanted to take. If there had been an Essence Mage option, he would have taken it; guidance would have been useful. There wasn’t, unfortunately.

Most of the basic Paths were, well, bland. Yes, Mage would give him building blocks, but at the same time, eh. Warrior was similar.

He liked the pure mage route, but it was one he wanted to take later, not now. That wasn’t his Path - yet.

Steadfast was interesting; it was “about” persisting through trouble and learning from mistakes. That was a Path to come back to, but not one he wanted to take immediately.

None of the possibilities seemed to give any help to his primary problem, but he hadn’t really expected the Path to solve it. It seemed more like a Species … thing, even if the description was under his Path.

It took a while, but Serenity narrowed his choices down to four.

Weaponsmaster

Your weapon is an extension of your will, no matter what weapon it is.

Better knowledge of weapons was always useful. If he didn’t pick Weaponsmaster now, Serenity expected he’d pick it later.

Path of the Claw

Weapon of choice or last resort, the only weapons that cannot be taken from you are the ones you are born with.

Serenity didn’t know how to fight with his claws, and wanted a Path that would help. This one would do that, but he wasn’t sure what other benefits it would have. It also didn’t feel like the final direction he wanted to go, so he didn’t think he’d choose the Path. There were options more aligned with what he wanted to be, even if the Path would cover a weakness.

Blademage

Your magic empowers and defines your blade.

A hybrid path sounded interesting, and it should directly improve the Deathstrike ability he’d gotten from Death-Eater. The only downside was that it seemed to focus solely on weapons with blades, and while Serenity’s naginata was a bladed weapon, his claws weren’t - and neither was his shield. He definitely wanted something that would blend weapon-based combat and magic, if he could get it. If he couldn’t, he’d wait until he went a more pure mage route, then blend them afterwards.

Battle Adept

Claw or fist, spear or magic, the method does not matter, only the goal is important.

Serenity had almost skipped Battle Adept; it sounded like a weaker Weaponsmaster or maybe a Warrior variant. The description, however, was perfect. It might let him cover his weakness of not knowing his new body as well while still splitting his focus.

The choice was clear.

Battle Adept

[Battle Adept Path granted]

[Exit Dungeon]

[Proceed to Level 7]

[Wait]

[Compatible Crystal Core material detected]

[Reinforce Core?]

Yes.

[Pleasure resistance increased]

Battle Adept

Claw or fist, spear or magic, the method does not matter, only the goal is important.

Level 10 - Basic Analyze - Analyze a being for basic information. The being may be animal, Pathed, or monster. Other beings may be analyzed if they have any appropriate features. Items may not be analyzed.

Basic but very, very useful.

Level 25 - Intermediate Unarmed Combat (Claw Variant) - Losing your weapons is not a disaster when you have weapons attached to your hands. Your expertise with claws is nearly nonexistent, but your general training with unarmed combat is transferable.

Better than I expected, I thought I’d start at Basic. The Voice always limits the “amount” given by a single skill, I guess what I already knew was closer than I thought. That means I’ll get everything in Basic and Intermediate as well.

Wait. Level 25? But that’s for stats?

Why don’t I get stats at 25?

[You are a Chimera. Your Path isn’t how you improve or modify your body]

That was either really good news or really bad news. Serenity wasn’t sure which. It looked like the Ev required to improve his stats scaled absolutely terribly, so he’d hoped to eventually be able to use the stat points from Paths to at least supplement the Ev requirements.

Level 50 - Infused strike - Infuse your body or weapons with energy to deal additional damage. Replaces Deathstrike. May use any Affinity held. Power of infusion scales with Affinity used. Costs Stamina.

That’s a straightforward upgrade, at least. If he’d had that, he could have done something against the Shadow Wolves back in Stage 2.

Level 75 - Far Strike - Discharge the magic infused in your weapon to strike a single opponent at a distance. Stamina cost increases with distance.

A ranged attack that could be used without changing weapons or spending time channeling an ability was definitely useful. Serenity expected it to be horribly inefficient but fast. That was a useful tradeoff.

Level 100 - Adept Aspect Form - Instead of infusing an Affinity into your weapon, infuse your Aspect into yourself. Limited time, consumes both stamina and mana, induces unconsciousness when the Form lapses.

Special unlock that replaces Battle Adept Dance. Requirements: Shapeshifter with an Aspect at minimum Initiated.

Available option: Downgrade into Battle Adept Dance - Move with the flow of combat. Aids in determining the steps of your focused opponent, allowing your Dance to lead instead of his.

Use of Adept Aspect Form will remove the downgrade option.

Downgrade?

No

What. The. Hell.

An Aspect Form? That was not something Serenity had expected at all.

Yes, this version was horribly limited and he’d have to make sure he never used it when he’d be vulnerable afterwards, but that didn’t matter. It was an Aspect Form. Even with an Aspect as little used in direct combat as Time, he’d be essentially invulnerable and horribly powerful for as long as it lasted.

Which might not be long at all. Still, there was no way he was giving up an Aspect Form for a Battle Flow-type ability, even though the Battle Flow ability would be useful in almost any combat. He’d get a Battle Flow ability later. An Aspect Form might save him in a fight he’d otherwise lose.

Or let him save someone else.

Battle Adept was definitely the correct choice.

Name: Serenity

Species: Essence Dragon Chimera (Hatchling)

Core: Unique

Progression: 7.15%

Tier: 0

Features: 2/10

True

Crystal

Path: Battle Adept

Level: 13 (40/140)

Tier: 0, 0/100 Spent

Path History: Death-Eater

Condition: Hungry

Healing Available: Empty

Mana: 830/830

Stamina: 850/850

Might: 75

Agility: 75

Phys: 75

Understanding: 73

Will: 77

Mind: 73

Perception: 75

Luck: 71 - 168%

Ev: 23

Resistances

Chemical: 137+10

Cold: 553 (53 active)+10

Curse: 263

Darkness: 277 (27 active)+10

Heat: 532+10

Light: 298+10

Pain: 1038 (38 active)

Pleasure: 26

Shock: 334+10

Sleep: 1

Unknown

Affinities

Death: 159%

Life: 14%

Mind: 30%

Arcane: 50%

Plasma: 42%

Liquid: 6%

Vapor: 14%

Solid: 17%

Energy: 40%

Void: 60%

Time: 58%

Space: 31%

Essence: 100% (Bloodline)

Concepts

Death

Mind: 15%

Arcane: 78%

Plasma: 26%

Energy: 52%

Void: 25%

SpaceTime: 30%

Essence: 2%

Aspects

Essence: Nascent (Bloodline)

Time: Nascent

Death: Damaged, Healing (Restricted)

Titles

Previous Supreme Existence

First of A Kind

Named

Ghost in the System

Aspect Pathfinder

Coin

71 Etherium