"There are times where monsters grow restless, and mortal's birthrate grows exponentially. Some say that these are conflicts between the monstrous Gods, the Emperors, and the Mortal ones.

I’m here to tell you the truth.

And the truth is that the Gods have absolutely nothing to do with it.”

-Alaskana, Retainer of the Omnidragon.

Nashariel pov

Nashariel the omnidragon and her friends soared above the forest called Lyah’thien.

Her wings flapped swiftly, for the Astillian could taste home nearing with every meter she advanced. She and her Voice, Veliel, easily dealt with the various fliers on their way. Neither of them was the scared Templar that once got stranded here by an evil mage, not anymore.

Nashariel ignored the notifications, enjoying the vast sea of trees returning to their vital green after being buried in the thick Winter’s snows.

She had come out of an intense session of improvements, most of which had intimately changed her body, soul, and mind. A bit of peace was both needed and welcome. How are we doing?

The secondary mind activated Nashariel’s [Omnia manipulation] to bend the metal armor. She used the pseudo arm to retrieve the artifact that had guided them for so long. /We should see the end of the forest shortly. I hope that we won't meet with trigger-happy people…/ The skill sighed, getting the map back in the storing mantle.

That would be quite the entrance, eh? Nashariel snickered, making her passengers look at her in an interrogative way. “We’re about to officially enter Valkas. My secondary mind was recommending caution.”

Dan, the Inquisitor, snorted. “And how could she dare say something like this to you, Boss?”

“Unconceivable.” Added Dorel with a brief smile. “But seriously, where do we go first?” The Defender added.

“Well, I know of some important places, thanks to my father. I just have no idea of how to arrive there, not without looking at a map.” Nashariel replied. Benefits of having a Valkanian dad. She considered tapping into her past lives to get an answer, but… time could get duckywith buildings and such.

“Let’s just search for a citadel or a stronghold. We need to ask the Paladins for help anyway, might as well ask for directions.” Said Veliel, zapping another unwise bird.

Lightning is truly a wonder to deal with fast foes.“Seems like a plan. Their Spatial-network should be linked to Varastill’s, right?” The two holy nations were close allies, as the patron Goddesses were sisters.

The siren nodded. “Yes, I’m certain. We might need a bigger city for that, though. Space isn’t a common affinity, especially for a Paladin.”

“Why tho? I figure that a teleporting ball of holy rage would be pretty effective.” Dan expressed Nashariel’s thoughts aloud.

“Wanna ask them?”

“… So, where’s the closest city?”

They all burst out laughing.

A few hours into the night, the omnidragon spotted the first buildings. Judging from the layout and the disposition of the torches, it was a medium-sized citadel.

Valkanians were slightly more militant than their neighbors, the Astillians, living only within fortified citadels or massive strongholds. As soon as kids awakened, they went through military service for two years. They could, instead, decide to become Squires under a Paladin’s direct tutelage or within a stronghold until they were eighteen.

Paladins worshipped Alka, the Flaming Angel. They took any rumor of Dark arts as a personal offense to their Goddess, searching far and wide for these heretics. However, as the Radiant skills often reminded, their true hate was reserved for creatures deeply attuned to Darkness, such as the undead. Paladins were pretty… zealous when those creatures were involved in something.

Nashariel hoped that they hadn’t anything against her kind. Not that they should be able to see my nature. Also, she wasn’t sure how dragons were considered in this nation. Well, the non-Dark-aligned ones.

/Radiance is made to reveal the truth. We might need to avoid higher-leveled Paladins if we want to remain hidden/

Nashariel grunted. True. At least my memory isn’t showing me getting skewered by a bunch of zealots. Perhaps I’m worrying for nothing, but let’s not risk it. She dropped her disguise to show her draconic nature, hoping that no one prodded further. Aloud, she announced her finding to her friends.

Nashariel landed a moment later. After everyone climbed down, she returned in her dragokin form. “Vel, is your sub-race hidden?”

“Yes. I can decide to appear as a ‘Voice’ of an element of my choice. Seems like it can be an evolution naturally reachable. You know, without… that.”

Nashariel, being an omnidragon, had influenced her friend’s evolution. The Priestess was a ‘Voice of the Empress’, someone tailor-made to support her. They had yet to fight together, but Dorel and Dan repeatedly told her that Veliel was a menace to fight, even if she was a dedicated supporter.

The group took a moment to make themselves presentable, then walked to the citadel looming ahead.

As soon as they stepped somewhat closer, powerful lights blinded them. “Who goes there?!” Shouted a woman’s voice.

“Stranded Templars! We seek aid and refuge!” Shouted Nashariel, immune to the effects of the lights. Her fine hearing caught some whispers. At least they aren’t planning to murder us.

The lights dropped to an acceptable level. “Approach with your arms raised above your head!”

The group glanced at each other, then did as requested.

They arrived at the gate, where a group of warriors and Paladins welcomed them with skills at the ready.

Nashariel felt a bunch of spells washing over her. The people in front of them had both deep scowls and bags under their eyes. She noticed that one mage had his arm marred by a thick layer of scarred tissue, recently healed in [Medical eye]’s opinion. What’s going on in here?!

/I don’t feel good about this…/

The casters collectively let out their breaths. “They’re fine.”

The others sighed in relief.

“That’s good to hear. Sorry for the trouble, Comrades, but the Light is undergoing an… intense trial, and we saw a large creature flying right to us...” The same woman who shouted at them declared. She sent an uneasy glare at the wilds. “Please, come in and enjoy some refuge.”

The Valkanians parted, opening a tunnel for the Astillians. They let them in, shielding their rear.

Well, that’s a good start.

/You don’t say/

The Templars were led inside the citadel.

Nashariel noticed the chipped buildings and the healers dashing around. She immediately snapped into her professional side. “Do you require healing?”

A Paladin nodded. “That would be most welcome if you could provide."

“Lead us.” Nashariel and her group dashed behind him.

They didn’t need any guidance about what to do.

Most people in the improvised hospital had visible deep wounds. A few of them showed black markings, an unmistakable sign of Darkness or one of its Variants.

Most Paladins unlocked healing skills and spells, but Radiance was fairly limited in that regard. [Radiant light] implied that the element was more focused on cleaning the afflictions, instead of helping the patient themselves to recover.

Veliel and Nashariel didn’t have this problem.

While Dan dashed toward the alchemists, the monstrous duo went in the middle of the wounded. Veliel sang two songs at once, or a Hybrid Song, as she called them. One to regenerate mana, and the other to heal body, soul, and mind.

Nashariel shifted to Healing, powering her Territory as much as she could, activating [Light’s refuge] on top of it. The latter’s skill converted her massive health regeneration into restorative blessings to the helpless people.

The duo’s lightshow attracted considerable attention from everyone. Some marveled, others smiled knowingly. The only thing Nashariel cared about was that more and more people that had once lost consciousness were awakening.

“Shut the lights!!!” Someone shouted. He sounded terrified.

Exchanging a dubious glance with Veliel, Nashariel shut off her skill. “Why…?”

“Too late!” Someone else shouted from atop the wall. “They’re coming! Prepare yourselves!”

A symphony of cries rose from beyond the walls.

Monsters? Swiftly, Nashariel and Veliel rose in flight. As the other two Templars approached, the girls picked them up and soared.

They saw a large group of Assassin-Jaguars speeding out of the forest, jumping from shadow to shadow. A dozen or so Giant vultures followed, surely going after the scraps of their quadrupedal fellows. A Dark-aligned bear roared behind, standing on two legs.

Nashariel couldn't believe her eyes but soon shook herself. This was no time for overthinking.

The dragokin let the duo drop down.

Dorel landed heavily, cracking the ground. Dan gracefully rolled; just before standing, the Inquisitor’s skills already hid him from the world. The Defender shouted his Taunts while some monster’s necks exploded in a fountain of blood, some splashing against a transparent figure.

Veliel sang an angry song of light and flame, outright igniting the first row of jaguars. She also passed the effect to the human duo, thankfully without setting them on fire or making them visible.

Nashariel took care of the horse-sized birds.

*Air-Giant vulture Lvl 47 (x14) *

Child’s play.

Nashariel became Lightning. [Omnia creation] allowed her to conjure Blue bolts, while [Omnia manipulation] unleashed them at the hungry enemies.

Perhaps using Water-attuned electricity was overkill, but the omnidragon decided to side with caution, and the element's dark-blue color was harder to spot. She didn't want the people behind to see her multiple attunements. Still, the spreading properties of her electricity charred the sorry remains of the monsters. The flakes of ash unceremoniously rained down.

Nashariel moved her attention to her friends, noticing that they too had easily defeated their enemies. The bear’s head was just now rolling on the wet grass. “Good job!” She shouted, looking for more enemies. Were they scared of this squabble?

/They didn’t look good. Perhaps they were losing the attrition war?/

But why would monsters act this suicidal? I don’t understand.

/Let’s ask them, then/

“We only know that this last month had been a disaster! We should fight back the Dark, not slaughter animals!" A Paladin declared, slamming her fist on the table.

"Technically, we killed a Dark bear." Dan tentatively interjected.

The other huffed. “A mindless creature is hardly an emissary of the Dark Ones.” She took a deep breath. “Nonetheless, thank you for your assistance. Sorry for my outburst, Comrades. These are trying times.”

Nashariel waved him off with a friendly smile. “Don’t mention it! Why don’t you tell us how we can be of help instead?”

That had the Paladin crack a smile. “May the Sisters be blessed. Name’s Arthania, pleased to meet you.”

Their new friend told the group that, for some reason, the monsters all around had seemingly gone mad. They crashed against citadels like unending tides, exhausting the defenders.

At first, the Paladins thought that this was a ploy of some sort, but nature quickly corrected them. The entirety of Valkas was under siege, to the point that even secret covens were strangely silent. The various Grand Paladins had tasked all their talented mages to find the cause of this phenomenon, but anything had yet to come alight.

Nashariel resolved to check inside her memories once she would be able to rest. You already reported this thing happening, right?

/Yes. Before your unwilling teleport, you have encountered many peculiar monsters near Andriel. Let’s not forget about the early waking of winter monsters too/

Is this the next stage?

“We could stop here for a while, just to let you return back to shape.” Dan half-asked, half-declared.

“That would be wonderful. But now tell me, why does a group of young recruits like you appear so far from home?”

They told her and the few people around them their story, omitting the fact that Nashariel was the Omnidragon, and Veliel her Voice.

That let the Paladins sneer in disdain. “Typical Solkans. Killing children for advancing their schemes.” The woman looked like she wanted to add more, but bit her tongue. “You’re brave recruits. I’m sure that your Grandmaster will award you greatly.”

“We just want to come back home, honestly. Speaking of that, do you know the nearest Core available to teleport?”

“Absolutely.” She stood, leading them to the nearest wall of the inn they were in. Arthania pointed to the most eastern citadel, one of the smallest ones. “We’re currently in the citadel of Kharos. The nearest Stronghold is Cleansing Angel, right there.”

A large spear sat under said name, pointed toward Lyah’thien. The city, or Stronghold, was massively larger than the citadel.

“I know that there’s a Core and mages able to use it. I’m sure that they’ll lend a hand to you.”

The group didn’t relax at that. They had already been disappointed once with the Willow’s Elder, after all. Fricking Network policies.

A Paladin nearby sighed. “Although, the situation must be direr than we thought. Reinforcements should’ve already arrived a week ago.”

There we go. “Are you sure that you don’t need a few weeks? We’ve been missing for months, that much more won’t be anything for us.” Asked Veliel.

“No, Priestess, thank you. We need your help, but we won’t abuse the aid of a group of recruits. A few days will suffice."

“No rest for the righteous!” Dorel said with his lips ticking upwards.

Everyone chuckled at the common saying.

As the Paladins said, monsters kept pouring out of the forest. Usually unaligned, but the raw numbers fully compensated for their weakness.

Still, being fresh out of the forest of the Huntress, the Astillians were more or less used to it. Their ordeal had shaped them nicely enough.

The Paladins didn’t even spare a second glance at Nashariel’s true form. “Are dragons common in Valkas?” The Omnidragon once asked.

Arthania nodded. “Many are part of our Order. It’s not that strange to see one of them accompanying a group of veterans. Alka knows how many necromancers and their abominable spawn have been put to rest thanks to a dragon. Why, do Varastill's dragons live far from each other?"

Nashariel hesitated for a moment. “Kinda? I don’t know of any who lives within Andriel, but it’s not like I’ve traveled a lot. Before, you know, getting stranded miles from home.” She remembered the doubts expressed by her fairy friend, Felassiah, about the sudden lack of draconic instructors. The Winter fae had expressed her worries about Nashariel being kept weak on purpose…

“Aren’t your parents dragons?”

“It’s… complicated.”

The other winced. “Shit, forgive me. I didn’t wish to raise delicate matters.”

“It’s fine. Do you know anything about Astillian dragons?”

"I know that most Healing dragons worked in Hospitals or Clinics. I'm pretty sure that a few work in the Bastion too."

Nashariel shrugged. “Never met them.” She let the argument drop. I have a few questions for the Grandmaster, that’s for sure.

“Attack!” Came the shout from outside.

Taking that as her cue to leave, Nashariel dashed with heavy steps.

Many, many questions.

On the third day of their stay, the omnidragon decided to check out her system's notifications. She was sure that the dozens of monsters she felled during this time had granted her a level or two.

Plus, with Valkas being currently overrun by monsters, perhaps following Veliel’s example and investing in some healing skills might’ve been for the best.

As always, Nashariel fell deep inside her status.

The ever-changing statue greeted her, as did her royal-styled room. The drapes still showed massive battles where a dragon looked at the fighters from above, waiting for something. Or, as Nashariel had once thought, pondering which side to support.

The entrance of all her chambers pulsed, inviting.

Grinning, Nashariel willed herself in. Let’s get on with some spending!

*Soul healing and Body healing have been bought.

Soul healing, Body healing, Mind healing, and Improved healing would like to merge for 25 points.

Y/N? *

Nashariel was about to press yes when a flash of memory made her pause. Have I already chosen this skill…?

She let the ‘river’ flow, doing her best to control its impetus. Through guessing and impressions, she remembered a better skill, one that used these ones as a prerequisite together with many others.

Thanking one of the first few good memories to resurface, Nashariel blocked the merge. She then used [Omnidragon kin] to search for alternative ones.

As Felassiah explained her, the best merges were the ones that involved the most skills possible. In the end, she told her, two simple fusions would merge into one later on, but cost higher and performed worse in the meantime.

I miss Fel already. I wonder when I’ll see her again…Nashariel picked her skills, then merged them into one of the six alternatives presented her.

*Soul healing, Body healing, Mind healing, Improved healing, Emergency healing, First aid, Improved medication, and Medical eye would like to merge for 32 points.

Skills merge into-> Dedication of the healer

Dedication of the Healer Lvl 1

A powerful skill, dedicated only to those who sacrificed many paths to search for the right components. Befitting, for such a kind one.

All healers fight an unending battle against the inescapable doom that is the final moment, knowing full well that they'll eventually lose. And still, the fact that you're reading this text means that you are determined to give it your all, now and forever. Keep lighting the torches, brave healer, for a candle’s flame never truly dies.

All healing is moderately improved. Effect increased considerably when healing others. Effect increased again when the patient is dangerously low on health.

All your healing skills, spells, and mundane techniques are considered specialized healing. You can also treat attunement’s side effects this way.

You recognize at a single glance all the afflictions hindering a patient. Effects that hide these conditions are weakened. Accuracy increases with level.

Upgrade cost: 8 points Lvl.

Skill moved to-> Healing attunement. *

This is probably the most powerful non-racial skill that I’ve ever had.

/Those were a lot of merged skills. It had to be this good/

You’re right. Nashariel concluded with a shrug. She wondered about her previous merges, and what combination she could’ve made.

Nashariel closed the skill slate. She went to review her status, finding it mostly unchanged.

Except for…

*Name: Nashariel Holyshield

Race: Omnidragon (young)

Age: 18-> 19

Current humanoid form: Human dragokin

Current attunement: Light

Level: 188-> 190

Available stat points: 19

Available skill points: 13

Strength: 650 – 1300

Power: 1000 – 2000

Resilience: 1400 – 2800

Vitality: 1250 – 2500

Dexterity: 600 – 1200

Awareness: 800 – 1600

Essence: 800 – 1600

Endurance: 800 – 1600

Hp: 25.000/25.000

Mana: 16.000/16.000

Stamina: 16.000/16.000

Omnia: 1.900/1.900

Skills:

Racial:

Omnidragon kin (minor) Lvl -

Omnidragon superiority (III) Lvl 1-> 2

Omnidragon physique (II) Lvl 20-capped

Omnidragon’s dance (II) Lvl 1-> 5

Omnidragon’s supply Lvl 1-> 4

Omnia creation Lvl 1-> 3

Omnia manipulation Lvl 1-> 3

Omni empowerment Lvl 1-> 4

Omnidragon Infusion Lvl 1-> 3

Omnidragon’s breath (III) Lvl 12

Omnidragon territory (III) Lvl 1-> 2

Dragon’s fighting style (II) Lvl 20-capped

Draconic hoard Lvl 20-capped

Draconic presence Lvl 20-capped

Air:

Improved flight Lvl 20-capped

Draconic feathers Lvl 20-capped

Decreased air resistance Lvl 13-> 15

Decreased weight Lvl 20-capped

Water:

Draconic venom (II) Lvl 9

Draconic dive (II) Lvl 8

Dragon’s sight (II) Lvl 16-> 17

Improved grapple Lvl 20-capped

Mana efficiency Lvl 20-capped

Water dragon fighting style Lvl 12

Body of the water dragon Lvl 5

Earth:

Improved burrow Lvl 20-capped

Increased size Lvl 20-capped

Increased body density Lvl 20-capped

Earth armor Lvl 16

Hunter senses Lvl 20-capped

Fire:

Fury Lvl 20-capped

Sharpened natural weapons Lvl 20-capped

Improved Aoe Lvl 20-capped

Light:

Light’s refuge Lvl 20-capped

Taunt Lvl 20-capped

Dark:

Nullify presence Lvl 20-capped

Improved draining Lvl 20-capped

Shroud of darkness Lvl 12

Metal:

Metal armor Lvl 20-capped

Sharpened wings Lvl 15

Manufactured weapon mastery Lvl 14-> 15

Metal dragon fighting style Lvl 20-capped

Mind:

Intellect of the Mind dragon Lvl 20-capped

Dual mind Lvl 20-capped

Body of the Mind dragon Lvl 13

Lightning:

Body of the lightning dragon Lvl 20-capped

Lightning dragon fighting style Lvl 20-capped

Ease conductivity (other) Lvl 20-capped

Spreading lightning Lvl 20-capped

Paralyzing lightning Lvl 16

Lighting armor Lvl 9

Curse:

Body of the Cursed dragon Lvl 6

Protection:

Defender’s aura Lvl 4

Body of the defender dragon Lvl 8-> 10

Defender’s armor Lvl 3

Defender dragon’s fighting style Lvl 4-> 7

Radiance:

Radiant sight Lvl 14

Aura of Radiance Lvl 13

Radiant light Lvl 3

Radiant armor Lvl 4

Poison:

Refine toxins Lvl 5

Healing:

Dedication of the healer Lvl 1 *

…Nashariel had turned 19!

While she didn’t exactly get the birthday she had envisioned last year, her friends had sung the same embarrassing song as all the other times at the Bastion. She couldn’t wait to be back home with her parents…

Nashariel glanced at the last slate.

Then took a second look.

She hurriedly opened her Retainer menu.

*Retainers:

Veliel Soothsong: Song/Omni-Voice of the Empress (II) Lvl 247

Felassiah Winterbreath (*****): Soul/Omni-Herald of the Empress (III) Lvl 709

Dan Lightbloom: Poison/Illusion-Lvl 205 Title available!

Dorel Shieldforger: Protection/Metal/Lava- Lvl 201 Title available! *

“What in the ever-loving duck!?!?” Shouted Nashariel in the real world.

After calming herself, the omnidragon dashed toward her human friends. They were innocently playing cards with three Paladins.

Nashariel stopped just shy of crashing into them. “Ehy, sorry guys, I’ll grab my companions for a moment!” She grabbed her very confused friends, then dragged them back into an alley.

“You alright boss?” Asked Dorel, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but… Titles? Seriously?!” She whispered loudly.

“Oh, that.” Said Dan. “Yeah, we got the prompts when we arrived here. Then things got busy…”

“And we figured that this wasn’t the time.” Dorel concluded for him.

Nashariel sighed.

Titles were rare, only given to those who accomplished grand feats recognized by the System. Their benefits were extremely variable, and often tailor-made to benefit the singular individual.

Most heroes and villains ended up with Titles. The legendary ones, at least.

“Yeah… but, still! That was a heck of a shock, you know?” Nashariel summoned the menu. “Let’s wait for this evening. Veliel should be able to handle the situation on her own for a bit.” She didn’t know if Titles were the equivalent of evolutions, but erring on the side of caution seemed wise.

The humans nodded.

"Still… thank you, guys." Veliel had gotten the offer of being a Retainer only because of the depth of her trust, or loyalty, as the system defined it. Dan and Dorel must have felt the same way.

The duo grinned and smirked respectively.

And now, let’s check on Fel.

Nashariel sat on a nearby roof, falling once again in her status.

She pressed the slate, willing herself in Fel’s interface.

Nashariel looked around. A snowy valley met her eyes, its borders blurring once she looked at them for a moment too long. Icy statues littered the place; some standing tall and proud, others with their gazes lost somewhere far from here.

A solitary, floating figure looked at a gargantuan dead tree. A plethora of wisps danced around, uncaring of the solemn air of the cemetery.

“No wonder that you enjoyed the Equinox’s party.” Started Nashariel, approaching her friend.

/Creepy/

A spectral, echoing chuckle reached her ears. “We were waiting for you, Nashariel. Have you met problems along your way?”

The dragoness huffed. “Was there any doubt?” She stopped at a respectful distance from the tree.

Fel turned, smiling brightly. The ex-Omen of Winter had undergone plenty of changes.

Before, she was a pale blue phantom with barely enough features to be recognized as herself. Amorphous, one could even say. Now Fel resembled a transparent ghost, only with her eyes flickering of all the colors of the rainbow. She also had gained more facial features, such as a mouth and a nose. Her ethereality gave her a graceful, almost frail look. The depth of her gaze drowned this first impression under an ocean of hidden power, rippling just below the surface.

“We guess not. Trouble always seems to follow you in your lives.”

“So, what about… this?” Nashariel asked, using her arms to encompass the whole place.

Felassiah smiled, crossing her legs mid-air. “Do you remember the moment you evolved your growth skill?”

“I do.” [Omnidragon superiority] had given her massive boons, in exchange for her ability to gain points. Nashariel hadn’t been too happy about it, but Fel was certain that it had been a fair exchange.

“Do you also remember saying that the answer was ‘yes’?”

“… Oh, right! I didn’t remember the question, tho.” Nashariel widened her eyes. “Don’t tell me…”

“‘Can we join your Cohort?’ That was our question.” The specter smiled warmly while an ethereal tear fell from one of her eyes. “And, finally, you answered.”

Nashariel mutely gawked at those words. “You waited… an ungodly amount of years… for that?”

“It was only right. Do you regret your answer?”

“Astill’s mercy, no! It’s just… I definitely didn’t expect this.” Was this why she ran away for a day?

Fel chuckled. “Understandable.”

“And what about the other fairies? Your mentor especially.”

A Princess had taken a liking to Felassiah, so much that she had murdered Nashariel’s incarnation during Fel’s time as a Tier 1 fairy. Not to mention when said Royalty had gone through great lengths to hurt Nashariel during this one. Nashariel still thought about that village and those poor souls.

Fel’s smile grew dark. “Worry not, Empress. We shall handle it all.”

Ignoring the chills running down her spine to the tip of her tail, Nashariel nodded. "Fair enough. Why have you waited for me to go away, before evolving?"

“We recall you missing your home. We did not want to make you feel torn about it, as we cannot follow you.”

And now that I’m not there anymore, I can’t go back without abandoning my other friends. “Fel… thank you. I’ll visit as soon as I can!”

“That is appreciated, but hurry not. We have things to do… things that we have postponed for far too long.”

This didn’t feel like a death sentence, at least. “Fair enough. Do you know why I haven’t received a prompt for your evolution?”

Felassiah smirked mischievously. “May we remind you that we’re demigods? We have some authority over the system. Not much, but enough for tricks like this.”

“Neat. Can I have some free points?”

Fel laughed loudly. “Some, Nashariel, some!”

Nashariel let out a fake pout, bursting into laughter a moment later. "Well, I tried."

“Talking about free points, would you like to check out what a third Tier evolution looks like? We were pleased with the bonuses and even more by the skills.”

“If you don’t mind.”

The fae smirked, inviting her near to what looked dangerously like a tombstone. “We do not.”

*Soul/Omni-Herald of the Empress (III)

You have befriended two different incarnations of the omnidragon. You have called Mentor one of them, and student the other. You have helped the omnidragon while being at a massive advantage of power. You held on to your evolution for more than a millennium, just to get permission. You did all of this without ulterior burstedmotives.

Your loyalty to the Empress is a precious relic, safeguarded from before the rise of some mortal empires. You have held onto it, protected it from a Princess, and did so with the certainty that one day you would be remembered.

Rise, unforgotten spirit, for the days of solitude are over!

From now on, you shall no longer be the omen of the coming of famine, cold, and suffering, but a reminder.

A reminder that the Empress cannot be truly defeated.

A reminder that Her will is eternal.

And, lastly, a reminder to all the fools who once sought to conquer her.

Rise, spectral fae, warn the whole world of Her coming!

+200 levels.

This evolution will grant you 2000 stat and 1000 skill points.

Warning: The Empress of the many lives, Nashariel Holyshield, will be able to always see and influence your status. Racial skills will be massively altered. You might be given Quests to benefit her, though you’ll be rewarded for them as usual.

Additional warning: The requirements to evolve further will be massively increased. You shall be granted two free skills per attunement. *

Those requirements… "I'm sorry, *****, I didn't want it to end like that…" The name had changed. From the loud lament of a blizzard to the ominous winds of a brewing storm.

“Neither of us could do anything about that. As we have been recently reminded, power isn’t everything, but a lot is power. Do try to grow as strong as you can, our friend, our Empress. We do not wish to lose you once more.”

Nashariel agreed in full. “Not dying is part of the plan.”

“Good enough for us. Do you want a tour?”

“Why not!”

/Yes, let’s stroll in the creepy cemetery with a Tier 3 specter demigod. What an afternoon/

Technically, this isn’t real.

/Practically, it’s creepy as duck/

Nashariel didn’t reply.