So… skill selections. It had been a good while since Jake had one last, and he would be lying to himself if he claimed he hadn’t been at least a little bit excited. Especially when it was his very first one in C-grade. The fact that he had gotten it while just sitting around waiting on a flying ship had definitely increased his enjoyment too.

He hadn’t rushed it, though. Usually, Jake wanted to jump right into them, but there was honestly no need to, especially not now that he had reached C-grade. While it was true that there could be some negative consequences to delaying picking a skill – primarily that you would end up getting worse options – the opposite was also true. For some factions, it was even pretty normal to delay skill selections until you had practiced a certain technique or magic with the hope of getting a skill.

This was also why there wasn’t even a warning about negative consequences for waiting with the skill selection prompt, contrary to evolutions. He also wouldn’t have to delay that long. Leveling-wise, floor forty-two had honestly been shit as they spent most of their time running and hiding, and with Jake having to constantly be on watch, he barely found any time to do alchemy. That is why he had only ended up getting his profession level while waiting in the capital of the Aloft Empire to meet the Emperor, at which point waiting just a few weeks more for the in-between room wasn’t out of the question.

So that is what he did. But Jake was still Jake, and his patience did have limits, especially when he didn’t just have a profession to choose skills but a class to pick for too.

After entering the boring in-between room, Jake excused himself from the party as the other four went to meditate a bit by themselves to fully recover their resources. He found a nice corner to sit in and, with high expectations and anticipation, began.

Considering his profession had reached 230 first, it was only right to start with that.

*Heretic-Chosen Alchemist of the Malefic Viper profession skills available*

Accepting the prompt, Jake saw five options appear, making him smile. His smile did fade a bit when he saw the total list had shrunk quite a lot, as many of the skills he had been offered in prior skill selections were now gone.

Though, on second thought, it probably didn’t actually matter that much, did it? He rarely went back and picked skills he had been offered prior anyway.

Shaking his head, Jake’s smile returned as he turned his attention to the skills on display. Man, I have missed this.

He was going to take his time going over every single skill on offer, that was for sure. Starting with quite an interesting one.

[Conjure Virtual Mind (Epic)] – What is better than one mind? Two. Create a simulation of your mind that can think autonomously and develop ideas. This will be a clone of your mind and thus still be limited by your current Records. Can only exist within your Soulspace and cannot directly influence anything around it or manipulate any energy. All information between you and your virtual mind must be relayed orally or telepathically. The duration of the virtual mind and its level of sophistication are determined by Wisdom, Willpower, and Intelligence.

The first skill and the system started out by offering an epic rarity one. This was the C-grade version of epic rarity, too, making it even better. The same as if the very first skill offered in D-grade had been ancient rarity… or maybe not. Either way, the first skill offered was sure something.

This seemed like the first step in creating an avatar, and he had quite a lot of ideas as to why he was offered the skill. The first was naturally Sim-Jake, who had effectively been not just a simulated mind, but an entirely separate version of himself. The second source of inspiration was maybe Minaga and his cloning ability… but that one was a bit of a stretch. Of course, it was also entirely possible this was just a basic skill most people got offered around this point in their Path, as cloning or at least avatar creation did seem like a pretty basic technique for most of those considered truly powerful.

Needless to say, this skill would be far from an actual avatar as the Virtual Mind was rife with limitations. Enough limitations for him to write it off pretty quickly, and not just for the “low” rarity. The real problem with it was… the Virtual Mind was made for thinking and not doing… and Jake recognized he wasn’t the best thinker. He was the type to do stuff until something worked. Or, in fancier words, he preferred doing practical empirical experiments to find solutions rather than relying on studying and theory.

In less simple terms, he wasn’t the smartest cookie in the drawer, and having another mind to think up dumb ideas wasn’t going to help him with anything.

Hence, he moved on to the next one… which he felt like he had seen before.

[Arcane Alchemist’s Grand Purification (Epic)] – Embrace your arcane affinity as you stabilize what properties you desire and destroy the unwanted. Attempt to purify any alchemical ingredient, reducing it to its most basic state while ensuring its stability. Arcane purification can help destroy unwanted properties from an ingredient, making it purer. Must have suitable ingredients. Purification does not require any additional tools or equipment, but the skill’s effect can be amplified with the use of certain catalysts. Adds a small increase to the effectiveness and chance of success of attempted purifications based on Wisdom and Intelligence.

WARNING: This skill is unlocked by and will serve as an upgrade to your Alchemist’s Purification.

Yep, he had definitely seen this one before. Thinking back, hadn’t that also been during his first skill selection in D-grade? Yeah, he was pretty sure it was. The only difference was that it had now added Grand to the skill name, which had seemingly allowed it to even retain its epic rarity tag. There was probably some more stuff in the updated description too, but Jake wasn’t overly interested.

Jake had skipped it in D-grade because the skill seemed like something he could easily do himself… which was still the case. So, why hadn’t he? Well, the thing is, purification was usually used to bring an ingredient to a desired state or to “fix” ingredients with problems. The first of these reasons required the person to have a pre-known theoretical reason for wanting to purify an ingredient and remove properties – without just doing it during the crafting process. The second reason one would purify an ingredient and “fix” it was only necessary for subpar ingredients, and… well…

The thing is, Jake was a rich asshole Chosen who only got the best of the best, and even when he didn’t, his entire Path of alchemy was just to make stuff work by throwing it together. He had very basic plans and outlines of what he wanted to do, but he didn’t draw up entire tomes of research before crafting every poison. Jake remembered seeing some of the notebooks Reika had made, and it was intense…

Anyway, the mere fact Jake hadn’t upgraded the skill on his own already was proof enough that he didn’t need this. Jake couldn’t recall a single time using the skill outside of purifying water a few times since he reached D-grade. Usually, if he wanted something gone, he would only figure that out during the crafting process, at which point he could easily remove it with a bit of destructive arcane energy.

Sure, it did suck to look at the Inferior rarity skill, but at this point, Jake was just waiting to find a use for it or to merge it with one of his other skills. Probably one of his Legacy skills… and if he wanted to do that, then picking an upgrade to it like this would only make that fusion process more difficult.

To summarise, Jake didn’t need it, and picking it could even turn out to be detrimental down the line. So… next skill. And this one moved him up to ancient rarity.

[Arcane Curse Manifestation (Ancient)] – Allows the Alchemist to condense pure curse energy into objects known as Curse Fragments by stabilizing the volatile curse energy using your arcane affinity and encasing it in stable arcane mana. These Curse Fragments can be used in rituals, as alchemical ingredients, and as catalysts in crafting and transmutation. Curse Fragments cannot be effectively used directly as weapons. Be warned that wielding the power of curses can lead to unexpected results and requires a high level of control. Curse Fragments left unattended may begin to influence the world around them. The quality and amount of curse energy that can be put into Curse Fragments depends on Wisdom and Willpower.

This wasn’t Jake’s first time getting offered a curse-related skill for his profession, and it certainly wasn’t going to be the last. The last time had been right after he had created Eternal Hunger, and truth be told, the entire concept of curses still very much spooked him back then. Especially considering he had just managed to fight off the influence of Eternal Hunger, so when he was offered Condense Curse Marble, skipping it was a no-brainer as his use of a Sin weapon was just temporary. It wasn’t part of who he was.

Now, things weren’t quite that simple.

Whether he liked it or not, curse energy was now a big part of his Path. Eternal Hunger wasn’t going anywhere but would stick with him until the day he died or managed to figure out a way to separate it from himself… if that was even something he wanted.

Jake had to admit that he wasn’t entirely averse to his increased reliance on curse energy. He hadn’t even hesitated to use it when he absorbed the World Core, as he knew it was a wellspring of energy that was still only growing by the day. A source of energy that Jake was uniquely qualified to control. While his affinity for dark mana was great, his ability to tame and control curse energy was far superior, and coupled with his Bloodline, he could probably have become a damn good curse mage or something if that is what he wanted.

There was also the fact that Sim-Jake had effectively usurped whatever instinctual presence Eternal Hunger had when it relied on its chimera form. Eternal Shadow, his only mythical skill, was also tied up in the use of curse energy.

All of this is to say Jake had come to accept that curses were now part of him. That being the case, Jake also had to face the reality that he didn’t use curse energy nearly as much as he could or should but only relied on it for special circumstances or with a limited number of skills. Which, in retrospect, was honestly silly when he had one place where he could apply curse energy with great effectiveness: his poisons.

And Arcane Curse Manifestation was a way to do just that. It was a way to begin integrating curses into his alchemy and create interesting and potentially more powerful poisons. He could even use these Curse Fragments for rituals if he wanted…

Yeah, this one was definitely a contender. Of course, all depended on the last two skills. The first of which was… something.

[Malefic Plague Theory (Legendary)] – To kill an enemy, you use poison; to destroy a world, you deploy a plague. Allows the Alchemist to research and potentially create plagues of various natures. Plagues are incredibly complex self-replicating toxins that can spread independently of the creator by taking root in each infected target and using them as carriers. Do be warned that plagues can mutate and are incredibly difficult to control; thus, incredible caution and patience is advised when working on them. Malefic properties linger in all plagues you create, making them more potent and allowing them to spread faster. Stat bonuses are dependent on the nature of the plague.

See, Jake would be lying if he hadn’t kind of seen this one coming, though he hadn’t expected the first-ever plague-related skill he was offered to be legendary. He wasn’t even entirely sure if the skill even deserved that rarity… until he read the second-to-last sentence. Malefic properties.

Anything with malefic properties had to be powerful, right? Jake assumed it meant the skill borrowed from the malefic affinity, something he was pretty sure only his Legacy skills did under normal circumstances. It made the rather normal-looking skill that was filled with warnings look quite a bit more impressive, that was for sure.

The reason he had been so certain he would be offered something like this was due to just how much knowledge he had gotten jammed into his head related to plagues. From both Palate and Sagacity, mind you, as the two of them had tag-teamed him in unlocking a flood of knowledge from the drop of blood when he healed the Dark Witch.

This knowledge did also make Jake aware of just how little he wanted the skill. And it wasn’t just because of the multiverse generally not being a fan of plagues, as Jake was pretty damn sure he could get away with researching and even making plagues with his identity as the Chosen of the Malefic Viper, but because he knew just how useless they would be for his Path.

Plagues, from a combat perspective, sucked ass. They were only good for killing people far weaker than the creator and wiping out entire civilizations. Why in the hell would Jake want to spend a shitload of time cooking up a plague only for it to work on people way weaker than himself? That would just be a waste of time, which was why he had no interest in the skill. Oh yeah, there were moral reasons for skipping it. Can’t forget those.

Moving on to the final offering, one thing instantly caught his attention.

The rarity.

He could barely believe his eyes as he saw it. The very first Mythical skill he had ever been offered in a skill selection.

[Hallowed Shroud of the Heretic-Chosen (Mythical)] – To follow the Path of one who is blessed, yet a heretic, is an audacious and auspicious one, but there is safety to be found for those who follow the Heretic-Chosen of the Malefic Viper. Your very presence as a Heretic-Chosen helps protect those around you who follow a similar Path, hiding their identities as heretics by masking them as blessed instead. All those hidden under your shroud also experience a growth in Records gained related to the Path of the Heretic-Blessed. This skill partly borrows Records from your Shroud of the Primordial skill, making it work even against beings of divine nature. The shroud has no effective range but covers everyone who follows you regardless of where they are. Walk with confidence and spread your Path as all those who follow in your footsteps are protected by your Hallowed Shroud. The effectiveness of Hallowed Shroud of the Heretic-Chosen is improved by Wisdom and Willpower.

“Why is it shit?” Jake muttered to himself while sitting in the corner of the in-between room.

“You got offered a bad skill?” the Sword Saint questioned, having heard Jake complain and aware he was doing a skill selection. Jake hadn’t exactly been subtle about his impatience to finish the floor and have a proper calm period to do it.

“Well, it’s mythical.”

“Oh? That sounds incred-“

“And it sucks ass,” Jake interrupted him with a sigh.

“If I may, could I ask why you judge it so?” the old man asked.

“It is strong for what it does, sure, but it isn’t really something I want. All it does is help hide people and increase their Record growth, but only in relation to the specific Path that I don’t even think anyone else is following…” Jake muttered.

“You are referring to that entire Path of having both a Blessing, yet also considered a heretic?” the Sword Saint questioned.

Jake was about to confirm when he stopped himself. He… he was pretty sure he never openly talked about his identity as a Heretic-Chosen, so how-

“I can confess I, too, was offered skills related to such a Path, and I put two and two together and realized it originated from you,” the old man shook his head. “From what I have gathered, it comes from the innate resistance to gods you carry and allow others to also experience. It makes you innately able to question things and stand in defiance of the gods – which treating them merely as equals apparently counts as. Aware of it or not, I believe you passively convert anyone you interact with a lot into a bit of heretic whether any of you intend for that to be the case.”

“I see,” Jake nodded. Yeah, it probably made sense they were offered skills like that with Jake’s passive influence, right? Which begged the question… “Did you pick any of those skills?”

“No,” the Sword Saint chuckled. “I have no need to, and they don’t fit my Path. Plus, they all seem to revolve around you, and while I have nothing against you, Jake, I am not going to tie my Path to you.”

Jake listened and slowly nodded… realizing the old man had just hit the nail on the head as to why he was so damn reluctant to pick up skills like this mythical rarity shroud. He didn’t like the thought of people following him. He didn’t like to imagine a horde of people looking up to him and relying on him, giving up being their own persons to follow some Path they believed Jake would want them to follow.

He wasn’t trying to start some huge movement of Heretic-Blessed, as the system called it in the skill. If people wanted to take inspiration from him and go that route? Sure, go ahead, but he wasn’t going to actively pursue the Path of being some prophet himself or encourage others to do so. It would be their choices, and any skill that encouraged others to follow the Path was a skill he didn’t want. He preferred for the people around him to be equals and friends, not subordinates.

“Thanks,” Jake muttered.

The old man just nodded and smiled, having seemingly read his thoughts. “Becoming a symbol or someone others look up to isn’t something one can control but will happen naturally the further one climbs toward the peak of power. People will always stare toward the sky in awe, and if they see you among the clouds, so will they be in awe of you.”

“Yeah,” Jake sighed.

“You can accept but not embrace it. In the end, you cannot control what others do, but you can control how you react to their actions. You are not responsible for others unless you want to be. It is not their right to put that pressure on you, so just choose what you believe you can live with and be true to yourself, even if that disregards the feelings of others,” the Sword Saint said encouragingly. “Or, I guess what I am saying is… go with your gut. That seems to have worked out well for you thus far.”

Jake nodded and smiled. The old man was right. He would just do what felt right to him.

That is why he happily picked Malefic Plague Theory to end all of existence and spread death and destruction to the entire multiverse!

All jokes aside, there really was only one skill that truly appealed to him out of these five.

So, pretty happy with his choice, and after only a little more deliberation while checking over prior skill offerings, he picked Arcane Curse Manifestation.

It was time to finally make some truly cursed poisons.