Runeblade

Kaius drank in the stream of notifications. They were unlike any other communication from the system he had experienced before. They demanded his attention, soaked in layered meaning and context, refusing to allow him to misconstrue their words.

Mana would rise, and the low density regions that had sheltered the vast majority of settlements would be no more. Nowhere would be safe. Especially not when beasts ruled the lands.

Of Tyrants and Crucible Grounds the system said nothing more than what was explained over text. It was clear that it considered preparation in the absence of insight part of the challenge.

The aspects, however… Those were made viscerally clear as the claws of the highest power brushed aside his resistance and defences to punch into his soulspace. Kaius gasped, falling inwards.

In the dark and empty space that occupied his centre his soul lit up the dark with golden fire. Ten platinum shards sat locked in orbit, with three coloured clouds occupying the space between. Beside him, through the thin barrier that kept them separate, he could see Porkchop's soul, feel his bond-brother's presence as they weathered the ministrations of the system.

Power flooded him, guided by ancient will and nigh-abominable intent. It was like nothing he had seen before. Not in the glowing potential of Mana, the robust fortitude of Stamina, or the virile persistence of Health. Something else, primal and tightly constrained. It almost felt like standing before Ekum the Pale, but untainted by opinion and personality.

Streamers of glistening energy phased straight through the barrier at the edges of his soul, coalescing above his soul, splitting into a trio of roiling orbs. Gasseus and shining like burning copper, they grew and grew, until they dominated his internal sight. Hanging over his very essence of being like an executioner's sword.

Then the streamers started to slow, before stopping completely. The system acted, a mountain of pressure bearing down on Kaius's mind. He cried out, trying to pull back out of his soul-space. The fire of his soul flickered, barely withstanding the monumental forces that it was swept up in.

Agony, deep and all consuming, radiated through every facet of Kaius's body. It had no origin, no end. It just was. He gasped, breath fluttering as he braced himself against the assault. Whatever was happening, there was no escape. He could only endure.

The copper balls of gas swirled, slowly compressed under the forceful ministrations of the system. Shaping them, twisting them to its liking. They collapsed, shrinking to a tenth of their former size, diffuse power condensing into a slick looking fluid.

Waves of energy rolled off the liquid, washing over him, heightening his discomfort. Kaius grit his teeth, a crack shuddering through his jaw as he ground them together. A thin stream of red left his pool of Health, flying free to treat the injury.

Uncaring of his ordeal, the system continued its work. The orbs of copper liquid distended, morphing and stretching. Slowly they took shape. Three floating pillars, capped with claw-like sconces emerged from a cocoon of potential. Ancient power flexed. The pillars crystalised.

Soul-fire guttered, a blast of pure energy rocketing out from the completed pillars. Kaius watched the slow moving wave approach, his eyes wide. It punched into his mind, spiking his agony until he could keep his mouth shut not longer. He cried out.

And was booted from his soul.

**Ding! Aspect foundations forged!**

**Ding! Complete your Pillars to begin refinement! Find your Truths.**

Kaius gasped, the cold grip of the system retracting as he sat limp against the cold stone of a dwarven statue. Whatever the system had done, whatever aspects were, it had required a level of energy and power he had never seen before. While it had had the grace to prevent him from being injured, even just the sheer presence of that unknown energy had been agonising.

Whipping his head over to check on Porkchop, he found his brother groaning as he slowly pushed himself up off the floor.

"Well, that was unpleasant. Nothing like a good few kicks in the teeth to reward us for doing the impossible." Porkchop complained, shaking his head to clear off his fugue.

Kaius let out a bubbling laugh, unable to help the reaction to Porkchop's nonchalance after repeated encounters with powers beyond them. Even if it did spike his headache, it felt good. His shoulders shook as he worked off the tension, before he wiped his eyes and had a last chuckle.

"That's one way to think about it. Whatever these Aspects are, I am curious about what they will actually do. Both Ekum and the announcement made them sound like they were the next step after a legacy?" Kaius questioned.

"Who knows. I just hope that it is not so impossible to finish as a full legacy set is in isolation. We have until the end of the second tier at the very least. It must be obscure and difficult if it is considered a challenge to finish them in the time it would take us to cross the four-hundred barrier." Porkchop replied. "Either way, I expect it will be something that we might have to work on in isolation. If everyone in the first tier had these unlocked, there will be a mad scramble to explore and understand them. I doubt it will be widely shared. From what you have told me people are not exactly prone to handing out potential advantages."

Kaius snorted. That was an understatement. If Aspects were anything like legacy skills, let alone a completed legacy, Dynasties would be holding on to every scrap of information they could glean with an iron grip. Wars had started over legacies, and if someone was suspected of holding knowledge… Well, many people saw only slightly less value in preventing an enemy from obtaining an advantage than gaining one for themselves.

"It's going to be a fucking bloodbath. Great." Kaius groaned, pushing his mop of hair out of his face. "Hopefully things will be so much of a shit show that we will be able to avoid suspicion. A greater beast and a human working together is one thing, but both of us are Observed with Honours, and have a full legacy to boot. If someone even suspects that we know more about what's going on, we are fucked."

Porkchop grunted. "I understand that we will need to keep our advantages close to our chest, but I will not go around pretending to be spineless prey. That will only lead to others trying to capitalise on our weakness."

"Oh no, you misunderstand me." Kaius grinned. "We need backing; if we're going to get it we will need to show we are strong. If anything, I think we should try to poorly hide that you are a greater beast, and that we have a bond. It is a small enough secret that it will get us attention, and people will assume we gained good classes through that skill. The fact it requires mutual agreement and trust will make it far less valuable to the powers that be."

"And what would you use this attention for?" Porkchop asked, cocking his head.

"We join the Delver's Guild. Once we have found my father and dealt with whatever chaos is no doubt waiting for us at Three Field's, at least. There's a branch at Deadacre. They're a power unto themselves, and if we can secure their backing it will open many doors for us, and protect us from the gaze of Dynasties." Kaius said, resolute.

It was a path he had always intended to take. As they rose through the ranks they would be able to access the Guild's archives and more. A path to strength, and one of the better chances he had to find out what happened to his family. If Father was gone, that would be more important than ever. He was not one to forget a blood debt.

More than that, Father had let slip that at the higher ranks, the Guild made regular use of the services of Hiwiann caravaneers and their bloodstones. Behind a binding oath, information flowed much more freely. If there was any place that would research and discover how Aspects worked, it would be there.

With his direction for the future set, Kaius returned his attention to more pressing issues. The rest of their rewards, and the looming presence of his available Class selection. He shivered, tingling awe shooting up his spine. He still couldn't believe he had unlocked it a year early. Still, despite his manic desire, he held back. The Honours were more important, as each one might have an influence on his class, and he wanted to understand each fully before he made any life altering decisions.

"Honours first, and then our Class?" He asked, sending Porkchop an excited grin.

Porkchop quivered, anticipation obvious. "Finally! I was about to be worried you would want to wait until we got back to the Sea!"

Kaius laughed, and then pulled up the description of his latest rewards.

Kingslayer:

Major Honour

A challenge only exists to be beaten, but some are designed with others in mind. Steeped in might and ambition, some disregard all warnings to attempt what they should not. Most die, others rise ascendant.

Awarded to those who slay a Guardian while Unclassed. Personalised Guardian Rewards are Moderately more tailored. +10 all stats.

Bonus: For being the first in your cohort to achieve this honour reward bonus is increased to Significant, and stat bonus is increased to +15 all stats.

Kaius gasped as a flood of power rushed over his body, the deluge of new stats left him shivering as every facet of his capabilities was improved at once. He could only be glad that for whatever arcane reason, the changes wrought by bonus stats were far less disorienting than a change to his base. Even lesser in magnitude, the change his bondskill had worked on his body had been far harder to adjust to.

The non-stat benefit was good too. He'd not heard that Guardian rewards were personalised until he had seen it for himself, but anything that led to the system being more favourable with their rewards was a good thing. While it wasn't certain, there was a high likelihood that the sorts of rewards the system offered were far more potent compared to those they had seen for defeating Champions.

Shaking off his daze, he moved to the next. He was curious about what it could be. He'd expected an Honour for his defeat of the Guardian, but to receive a second was something else entirely.

Ruthless Underdog:

Honour

The difference between bravery and fatalistic disregard is capability.

Awarded to those who slay an enemy 35 levels or more above them while Unclassed. Provides a Minute increase to all experience earned when fighting above your level. +5 all stats.

Bonus: For being the first in your cohort to achieve this honour reward bonus is increased to Slight, and stat bonus is increased to +8 all stats.

Another pulse of change ran through him, leaving him invigorated. Receiving so many stats back to back left him fizzing, the hair on his arms raising as electric vigour coursed down to his fingertips.

He smiled as he read the effect. No doubt, with the added power of his Honours and the likely high rarity of his class, he would be far better positioned to punch above his weight class than most others.

Generally, it was considered something of a fool's strategy. It was great for increasing the growth of your skills, and for accumulating the sorts of feats and achievements needed to push skills and classes up a rarity when they crossed tier boundaries. Yet most who tried it died. He was confident that wouldn't be the case for him and Porkchop. Not when they had already done so without a class.

Smile widening into a grin, Kaius pulled up his status sheet to review it for the last time as an unclassed.

Status:

Name: Kaius

Dynasty: Unterstern

Age: 19

Class Selection: Available!

Race: Human (Dynastic, Greater Beastblooded) - +1 Wil, Str, End, and free stats per level

Layer Reached: 2

Resources:

Health - 298/740 (6.4/min)

Stamina - 264/640 (6.4/min)

Mana - 187/790 (7.9/min)

Free Mana - 187/790

Reserved Mana - 0

Stats:

Endurance - 30 + 44 (74)

Vitality - 20 + 44 (64)

Strength - 20 + 44 (64)

Dexterity - 20 + 44 (64)

Intelligence - 20 + 59 (79)

Willpower: - 20 + 59 (79)

Stat Points: 0

Aspects:

Pillar Corporus - N/A

Pillar Mentis - N/A

Pillar Animus - N/A

Class Skills (0/10):

N/a

General Skills (10/10):

Rapid Adaptation (Heroic) - 20

Warforged (Unique) - 20

Explorers Toolkit (Unusual) - 18 > 20

Adamant Body (Unique) - 19 > 20

True Sight (Unique) - 17 > 20

Runic Lexicon (Unusual) - 20

Mana Manipulation (Unusual) - 20

Lesser Regeneration (Unusual) - 14 > 20

Uncanny Dodge (Unique) - 1 > 20

Brotherhood of Ichor and Animus (Heroic) - 20

Glyph Bound Hymns:

N/A

Honours:

Born for Slaughter

Sublime Prodigy - Glyph Binding

Birds of a Blood Soaked Feather

Persistent Survivor (Minor)

Kingslayer (Major)

Ruthless Underdog

Bound Artefacts:

A Father's Gift - Common Growth Longsword

Growth Conditions-

Gain a class (0/1)

Acquire suitable materials (0/3)

Forge a link (0/1)

Honestly and truly, his status sheet was ridiculous. His stats alone were almost inhuman, more than three times higher than an unclassed should be - nearly four times in the case of his mental stats. Even just having three additional sections - discounting Aspects - for Honours, his hymns, and A Father's Gift, beggared belief.

He had to be amongst the most powerful unclassed to ever exist. Pride and satisfaction thrummed through his chest, his heart pumping to the tune of his successes. Hiding the thin current of venomous grief that simmered within him.

Despite everything, it felt like a hollow crown. If only Father were here to see, then it would have been truly perfect.

Kaius grunted, scrunching his eyes to clear the slight blur. He knew Porkchop had noticed, but other than a warm flow of support through their bond, he didn't make a big deal of it. Kaius appreciated that.

He took a steadying breath and refocused on his status. Right at the top, his class selection called for him, screaming for his attention.

"Me first?" Kaius asked, turning to Porkchop. Class selection was supposed to be… disabling. Not dangerous, but you were left insensate for what could be hours. Porkchop nodded to him, and Kaius steeled himself.

No longer would he be restrained and hampered by the limitations imposed upon him by the system. It was time for him to join the climb up the tiers.

It was time to pick his class.

A flicker of intent was all it took.

Everything went black.