NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84
While a lot was unknown about D Grade, the evolution process was generally well understood. A person would select their class, and that was it. The D Grade human would gain additional attribute points per level, but there was never anything written about a specific evolution selection that needed to get done. On the other hand, I’m not exactly a human anymore. The usual bitterness entered his mind, and he did his best to quash it. This was still an exciting time, and he wasn’t going to let his other circumstances put a damper on it.
The red energy continued to condense, forming the image of a deep crimson gem. Other motes of light began to form surrounding the gem, combining with one another until only six remained. These held a similar ephemeral quality that he experienced with his class evolution, though the impression was starkly different. He understood that each of these spheres could merge into the red gem, infusing it with new energy and shaping it. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, he just… did. It was instinctual, making him wonder if awakened creatures out in the world had similar experiences. Putting the thoughts aside for the time being, he focused on the first orb.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION – ROYAL ADAPTATION:
VITALITY – 3
ENDURANCE – 3
STRENGTH – 3
DEXTERITY – 3
WILLPOWER – 10
INTELLIGENCE – 7
PERCEPTION – 8
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 8
What is this? Kyle was entirely blown away by the sheer number of attribute points. The change to D Grade should only have resulted in a total of thirty attribute points, while this was half again as many. Focusing on the words, he got an image of what this adaptation would focus on. He saw himself at the peak of a social hierarchy, sending legions out to do his bidding.
Working, building, fighting – all of it done at his command. As a sovereign, that’s how it should be. Kyle shuddered as the images faded. The attribute points were great, but there was no way he was going to select it. First, there was no synergy with his new class. As a Survivalist, his path would be one of overcoming hardship, not sending others to overcome it for him. Beyond that… it just didn’t feel right. Kyle had no illusions of becoming the leader of some organization, nor did he desire to build his own faction from the ground up. The pursuit of those ambitions meant a willingness to sacrifice others that Kyle simply couldn’t get behind. Dismissing it from consideration, he looked at the next option.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION – SOLDIER ADAPTATION:
VITALITY – 8
ENDURANCE – 8
STRENGTH – 9
DEXTERITY – 5
WILLPOWER – 2
INTELLIGENCE – 2
PERCEPTION – 3
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 8
This was much better already. He saw himself growing in physical power, crushing enemies by virtue of might alone. This adaptation was clearly focused on combat, and in synergy with his other attributes he had to admit it looked good. In conjunction with the Survivalist class his physical defenses would be boosted to absolutely ridiculous levels. The growth in Strength would more than make up for the lack of growths from his Class, and in many ways, it would leave him in a much more balanced position. He wasn’t sure how he felt about the combat specialization, though even without looking for fights he’d run into more than his fair share. Filing it away as an option, he looked to the next choice.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION – HUNTER ADAPTATION:
VITALITY – 3
ENDURANCE – 3
STRENGTH – 5
DEXTERITY – 10
WILLPOWER – 4
INTELLIGENCE – 4
PERCEPTION – 8
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 8
The Hunter adaptation felt interesting. The focus here was much more on planning, preparation, and landing decisive blows. He saw himself waiting in the shadows, lashing out and executing his enemies when the time was right. It was better than the Royal adaptation, but a worse fit for Kyle than the Soldier adaptation. If he had selected the Nomad class, this would likely have been an adaptation that would have matched it nicely. As things stood, however, he moved on.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION – WORKER ADAPTATION:
VITALITY – 6
ENDURANCE – 6
STRENGTH – 6
DEXTERITY – 6
WILLPOWER – 6
INTELLIGENCE – 6
PERCEPTION – 6
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 3
This was much more interesting. It took away the bulk of the free points, instead offering a perfect balance across each attribute. He saw himself thriving in simplicity, having the tools he needed to overcome most challenges at the cost of never being able to truly specialize. He thought about his current spread of attribute points, and held no illusions that this racial selection would smooth much of them out as he progressed through D Grade. The real question here boiled down to if he was willing to commit to becoming a jack of all trades at this point. Shelving it alongside the Soldier adaptation, he looked at the next orb.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION – PARASITE ADAPTATION:
VITALITY – 3
ENDURANCE – 5
STRENGTH – 2
DEXTERITY – 3
WILLPOWER – 8
INTELLIGENCE – 10
PERCEPTION – 6
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 8
Another interesting choice, though it was in many ways a foil to the Soldier adaptation. It was focused on the attributes that synergized the best with his current skills, although the name was off-putting to Kyle. The impression this time was odd, focused on adaptation and change. There was a broadness and flexibility that he hadn’t expected, offering a relatively free approach to its driving directive – specialize to thrive. There was a synergy there that felt like it fit his Survivalist class, but he wanted to make sure he reviewed all his choices before making his decision.
D GRADE RACE EVOLUTION
– SCAVENGER ADAPTATION:VITALITY – 8
ENDURANCE – 8
STRENGTH – 3
DEXTERITY – 5
WILLPOWER – 3
INTELLIGENCE – 3
PERCEPTION – 7
FREE ATTRIBUTES – 8
His initial impression of this last choice was fairly positive. It combined the defensive aspects he liked from the Soldier adaptation, without the impression of being combat focused. In fact, it felt like this was an adaptation that would lean heavily into avoiding combat as he reflected on it. He saw himself in a wide variety of circumstances, never sticking out and never being put down. It was a broad path, similar in that way to the Parasite adaptation, if much humbler.
With the Hunter and Royal adaptations not real options to him, that left Kyle with four to choose from. With only marginally more consideration, he dismissed the Worker adaptation as well. It just wasn’t the right fit, and he didn’t like the lack of flexibility that the limited free attributes offered. That left him with three options, each representing strong synergy with his Survivalist class. Even more, they each offered a different expression of what survival meant to him. It may have been his grandfather’s last command, but it was now Kyle’s path to walk. For the first time, he really felt like he understood the magnitude of what that meant. The decision he made here would have far-reaching implications for the rest of his life, and with seriousness bordering on reverence he began to methodically break the choice down to its components.
First, he considered the different synergies. Choosing Soldier would give him far and away the strongest physical abilities, while also striking a balance with his much more mentally-focused class. It would offer him the largest benefit in direct confrontations, being able to take and return hits more effectively. His Enhanced Carapace and Exoskeletal Strength would also see tremendous benefit from the attribute points here.
Choosing Parasite would specialize him much further. The low enhancement to Strength coupled with the lack of growth in his class would leave him physically weak, at least relative to other D Grades. This was also the option that would contribute the least to his Vitality and Endurance, which had to this point been some of his most valuable attributes, saving his life on multiple occasions. In exchange, this was the decision that would allow him to make the best use of the skills he had so far. The major bonus to Intelligence would make the fine manipulation of mana much easier, coupled with enough Willpower to move truly staggering amounts of energy. Every one of his skills would benefit, and grow more potent as he advanced through the grade.
Lastly, choosing Scavenger would give him incredible durability, and the highest bonus to Perception of the options left to him. This would be the least combat-oriented adaptation by far, though in exchange it offered an incredible amount of utility. With Enhanced Carapace and Auric Perception both benefitting from the attributes, he would also become even more difficult to put down. When he thought about the four monsters he’d been shown in his vision, he knew that he’d need every advantage to survive an encounter with them. The Scavenger would help him do that.
Satisfied that he’d given each enough attention in a vacuum, he turned his thoughts to the bigger picture. The way he saw it, there were three distinct definitions of survival set before him. Choosing the Soldier adaptation was to choose a path of survival through combat. He would face strong opponents and overcome them. It was direct and simple – and that largely appealed to Kyle. Still, to accept this definition would be turning his back on what he had hoped to be as a Healer.
The Parasite adaptation was survival through, well, adaptation. It was the most flexible approach to survival, caring less for the means and more for the ends. It would force him to use his specialization creatively to adapt to a wide variety of circumstances, which in many ways felt like the continuation of what he’d been doing over these past months.
The Scavenger adaptation was nearly the opposite, survival through endurance. No matter how the world around him changed, he would hunker down and make it through.
Combat, adaptation, and endurance. Each a valid lens through which he could view his path, but one felt truer to himself. Dismissing the rest, he selected the Parasite adaptation. The energy held in the orb flowed into the red crystal floating in his mind’s eye, turning and shaping it. The gem gained luster, facets becoming more well-defined. Kyle felt the brush of an ancient mind, only for a moment. He was left with a faint impression of approval before it faded, and he was returned to his center. He still had skill selections and upgrades, but something else had to take precedence. There were a lot of free attributes waiting to be allocated, and he didn’t want to keep them waiting.
KYLE MAYHEW. ARTHRO-HUMAN CHIMERA (PARASITE), SURVIVALIST. LEVEL 1 (D)
ADAPTIVE ANATOMY – 3/? – ENHANCED CARAPACE, AURIC PERCEPTION, EXOSKELETAL STRENGTH
VITALITY: 309
ENDURANCE: 312
STRENGTH: 133
DEXTERITY: 218
WILLPOWER: 250
INTELLIGENCE: 313
PERCEPTION: 308
FREE ATTRIBUTES: 62
In addition to the increases from his class and race selection, the simple entry to D Grade offered him a one-time bonus of thirty points to each attribute, as well as forty free attributes to allocate. With the remaining points from moving to Level 75, that left him with a lot to allocate. The thoughts about his path fresh in his mind, Kyle didn’t think long before allocating them all to Willpower, bringing it closer in line with his highest attributes. He knew it would grow much more quickly, with Willpower and Intelligence offering equal amounts per level. By allocating the way he did, he made his first major investment towards specializing. Satisfied with his choice, he turned his attention back to the skills. One last set of decisions to make.
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