Congratulations! Your Class Longing of the Banished Wind is evolving!

The Paths you have tread are not for the faint of heart. It required both focus and dedication to thrive in such environments, with precipitous drops surrounding you in every direction. A single mistake would have labeled your life as forfeit. Some individuals take joy in such fearless journeys, yet you approached them more with resignation than excitement. You viewed the narrow possibility with pragmatic eyes, setting down ancillary burdens in order to be able to pass the tests waiting in front of you. Piece by piece, you streamlined your existence until you could climb up and reach the ceiling of the world.

Behind you, a long path of discarded dreams gather dust.

Congratulations! Your Class Longing of the Banished Wind has evolved into the Myth of Deferred Dreams! Your Skill Spirit Realm of Marshaled Endeavors (M) has evolved into the Spirit Realm of Forgone Possibilities (T). Within the mental clashes between user and the Alpha Cosmos, strange and unusual monsters may appear that threaten both sides. These phantasms are heavily influenced by the choices not taken in your Paths, and uncompleted Paths. Defeating these interlopers will draw inspiration from the choices not taken, empowering whichever sides beats them. Increases the efficiency of transferring mental energy between the two sides. Effect increases with Skill Level. Skill Level will be maintained.

Congratulations! Your Skill Casting Blades from Insatiable Grievances (M) has merged with Armory of the Nether Damned (L) and evolved into A World’s Regret Begets Serrated Insurrection (T). User’s emotions have become increasingly sharp; the total area amount of emotion contained with the emotional sea has been expanded. User can craft weapons for others directly out of the energies of his body. Condensation will require a full 24 hours in order to complete. Effect is slightly boosted if a powerful medium is used to contain those energies. As others use these weapons, they will eventually earn Unique Paths, leading to aspects of Randidly Ghosthound’s powers. Effects increase with Skill Level. Speed of condensation increases with Skill Level. Skill Level will be set at 1000.

For a long time, Randidly just looked at the notifications. The second Skill intrigued him; he looked forward to crafting unique weapons for his powerful followers. Likely due to their relationship, Charlotte Wick would be the first to receive one. Yet he couldn’t miss the obvious message contained in this Class evolution.

Finally, Randidly’s fingers paused in their sewing. He knew if he didn’t speak, she would. Neveah, you made this for me?

Yes.

Randidly could only sigh. Are you really so afraid for what will become of me?

Don’t I need to be? When have you ever given it any thought?

When Randidly didn’t respond, Neveah continued. No matter how many times I remind you not to completely sever your connection to humanity, to weakness and relaxation, you continually put yourselves in situations where you need to set down those miniscule aspects and grow into a more capable version of yourself. Now, I’m quite thankful you have made these hard choices; I know how much they benefit me and the people of the Alpha Cosmos. But still I worry, because you won’t. And I don’t want to lose you, Randidly. You, not a platonic ideal of a hero wearing your face and saving us. You might be the beating heart of the Alpha Cosmos, you might finally overthrow the despot Elhume… but you are my Soulbound. My brother. My other half. If I lost you-

I know, Neveah. He pressed his eyes shut. His shoulders ached.

He understood her emotions. Yet he felt helpless before them. Ideally, he wouldn’t need to sacrifice so much in order to gain power. But he did. The threats existed on every side. Especially now, after his actions in the Upper Sonora, it would be impossible to avoid clashing against Elhume. He had earned quite a bit of ire for his actions.

Which meant he needed to be ready, when this little bubble finally popped.

He couldn’t afford to slow down now. No matter what the culture of his world said about deferred dreams, he couldn’t spare the attention right now. He needed to advance.

He felt Neveah’s attention— she believed he would never survive if he didn’t start caring for himself. They both looked at each other. She, the mother of fear, the carrion dragon. Him, Randidly Ghosthound, the Myth of Deferred Dreams.

Mentally, he cleared his throat. I mean, it’s not like I’m completely focused on power. The connection with Devick… it’s good for me, I think. To interact with her, to flirt a little bit.

I agree. It’s why I haven’t said anything in particular about her. Don’t want you to get too embarrassed. Neveah conceded the point easily. At first Randidly felt confused, but then her smugness began wafting through their connection. Just remember this; all the lessons you have taught Devick are a double edged sword. This woman will not change her feelings easily, if at all. And now you have taught her to be unreasonable. How will this unreasonable woman react, if in some hypothetical future you realize it is necessary to sacrifice yourself for the greater good of the Alpha Cosmos? If you vanish in order to protect your people?

That… Randidly paused. Very quickly, he grimaced. …not well. She would suffer under the same sort of wound as when she attempted to have the progeny of the Master. Very likely, she will try and burn and twist the universe in order to bring me back. And that even includes sacrificing the Alpha Cosmos on the alter of my revival, even if I would want it protected.

How unreasonable. But quite cute, in its own way, don’t you think?

Stolen novel; please report.

I’ve always had a soft spot for unreasonableness. Randidly felt rather helpless as he considered the possible futures. He understood Neveah’s points. But perhaps it was now his Toosah bond with Enmya; he also understood how all decisions needed to be executed from a place of balance.

He had a responsibility to the Alpha Cosmos. But the Alpha Cosmos was just a thing. His true connection was to its people. And he, along with several key figures, had been the ones to truly shape the Alpha Cosmos. Those relationships would suffer if he began chopping off portions of his psyche in order to defend the broader Alpha Cosmos. Bonds became heavy.

It was a sort of karma, for asking Lowanna to label Nether connections as a burden.

This state could also be called his Ghasthund; Randidly had taken all the steps that led him here. The consequences might not have been known, but even knowing them, he probably would make those same decisions again. He had no regrets.

And now… With glittering eyes, Randidly picked back up his Hollow Needle. The seemingly-endless radiance and wild images that Pine’s revival produces had begun to slow, but there were still enough energy to finish the revitalization process. A glittering golden river flowed into his body, digging down to reinforce the core of his being.

Congratulations! Your Class Lord of the Baleful Wood is evolving!

As the changes began to occur within his Class, Randidly blinked; several figures condensed in front of his eyes, grey and blurry shapes whose features sharpened as he looked. The first stepped forward and spoke.

“From the beginning of our interaction…” The shade of the Spriggit Thief said slowly.

“To the end,” Alta Bounty grunted, folding her arms across her chest. After they said their words, the details of their bodies began to fade and they joined back into the strange mist conjured as his Class prepared for its final evolution.

Lucretia stepped forward and bowed. “You have provided us with more opportunities than we had believed possible. Where we had considered ourselves doomed, limited, trapped… you opened a pathway. It is why we chose to follow you.”

“Its why we continue to follow you,” The Earth Golem Emperor grinned.

Those figures faded and others took their place. The three-headed leader of the ogres smashed his fist against his chest. “We never regret joining your Alpha Cosmos. You humans may be duplicitous… but not without merit.”

Tatiana smiled. “You changed my life, Randidly Ghosthound.”

The figures began to flicker more quickly. A sharply dressed woman, the newly minted Mrs. Moss-Collins, Headmistress of Kharon Academy, nodded her head. “Your investment in the future will ensure Expira grows and prospers. While others bickered over land, your gaze went toward the future.”

“You have our thanks as well. You provided a lifeline to all our peoples,” The Winged Serpent’s tongue flicked out of its mouth. Behind it stood leaders of the other Nemesai population, all united in their appreciation.

They began to blur together as more and more phantasms appeared. Mrs. Hamilton waved her hand. Annie winked. Lights lit up and down the length of the tank-like exterior of mobile Ghost. Huang Li touched his forehead to the sword. Azriel stood next to a nervous looking Monster Prince and raised a glass in acknowledgement. The solemn Randy waved a shy hand. Nrorce looked up from a half cooked meal and grunted. Naffur Suite, leader of the Order Ducis, looked up from stacks of paperwork and executed a sloppy salute.

Simon, the man who became the Champion of Zone 32, dozed off; he looked incredibly at peace as he dreamed. Vye knocked her knuckles together. Nathan, now a young man grown into his own, opened eyes that glittered with Aether Engravings and loosed a laugh of pure joy as he witnessed Randidly’s transforming Class.

A thousand Lancers of the Baleful Crusade stood at attention, their weapons raised in tribute. They opened their mouth and roared.

Through their messy edges, the solid shouldered appearance of Sam could be seen. He pressed his lips together and squinted. “A long time ago, you stopped really needing me as much for making your equipment. If I’m being honest… it hurt. Both my pride and my feelings. It was how I felt like I mattered to you, yanno? Obviously I still forged Donnyton’s equipment and the Squad emblems for a long time, but…”

Sam took several steps forward. He reached out and tapped a finger against Randidly’s chest. “This I built with love, Randidly. Probably my magnum opus. Got plenty of rewards, including the ability to attach Class affixes to equipment. I just hope it helps you reach the end of this journey, touch the core of the System. Go win, and tear it all down.”

“Sam-” Randidly didn’t manage to express the tender feeling in his heart before the last string of notifications arrived.

“We will all be waiting, when you win and come back to us,” Neveah whispered in his ear.

The System has numerous methods to categorize accomplishments, both in terms of their rarity and their power. Numerous labels have developed over the past centuries, based on impressive accomplishments. Sometimes, however, a simple rating cannot capture the value that is provided by a particular Skill, an image, a possibility. Randidly Ghosthound, you have exceeded Rarities, both literally through Ghosthound’s Deviation and figuratively by subverting System apparati for your own ends. You have sought your own Path. You refuse to concede.

Such an attitude, when pursued with a pure heart, will leave a lingering effect. In the end, where you go, you will leave whispers of your exploits in your wake. Those small seeds of possibility will be your legacy, creating a particular, stubborn, and wondrous brand of Alchemy for decades to come.

Congratulations! Your Class Lord of the Baleful Wood has evolved into the Legend of Randidly Ghosthound!

You will earn an additional +100 Health, Mana, and Stamina per Level! You will earned an additional +10 to all Stats per Level.

Your Skill Lancers of the Baleful Crusade (L) has evolved into Heralds of the Ghosthound’s Legend (M)! Individuals created with the Skill with have a greatly increased ability to handle Nether. The likelihood of these individuals developing distinct personalities is increased. The breadth of Skills and abilities they are able to learn is slightly increased. The growth potential of these individuals is increased, directly proportional with the user’s growth. Effects increase with Skill Level. Skill Level will be maintained.

Your Skill Architecture of the Primordial Ways (M) has evolved into Engineering of the Enigmatic Alpha Cosmos (P)! Drawing on the natural subconscious of the Alpha Cosmos, the user’s ability to create patterns and structures is greatly increased! In addition, all the strange experiences of the user has vastly expanded the scope of possibilities. User has a slight chance of creating schema that directly affect time. User has a minute chance of corralling the energies waiting beyond the safe walls of a universe. Effects increase with Skill Levels. Skill Levels will be maintained.

Your Skill Yearnings of the Nether Heir (P) has merged with Left Hand of the Nether Oracle (M) and Right Hand of the Nether Polymath (M) to evolve into Randidly Ghosthound, Executive of Nether Reborn (GD)(U)! All Skill Levels in Skills related to Nether will be more effective. Both sensitivity and understanding of Nether has vastly increased. Nether beings will acknowledge your words in all situations. Your Nether Core has been reinforced. The amount of Nether you are able to channel has increased to a ridiculous amount. Your Authorities have been slightly strengthened. All results involving Nether are increased. Effects increase with Skill Level. Skill Level set at 1500!