Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]

Now that he had enough fragments in his Arcanum of the Fire Elemental, Ethan brought the menu up and glanced down at the available upgrades. Considering he was about to exchange at least one of the tokens to Enhancer-spellforms, it was time to upgrade the latter's capacity in the Arcanum, especially considering he still had 366 fragments in it, even after he'd bought [Gout of Flames].

Arcanum of the Fire Elemental

Available upgrades

Tier upgrade (Tier-2 → Tier-3): Increase the Arcanum's tier, empowering its capabilities and unlocking more upgrades - 500 fragments

Spellform Capacity (1 → 2): Increase the Arcanum's spell capacity by one - 300 fragments

Spellform Bonus (Tier-1 → Tier-2): Increase Spellform bonus from 15% to 20% - 150 fragments

Spell Capacity (4 → 5): Increase the Arcanum's spell capacity by one - 100 fragments

He still had a few upgrades to get through, but considering he hadn't gotten any achievement the last time he'd tried clearing all the upgrades before he increase the Arcanum's tier, he didn't feel pressure to get them all. The tier upgrade would most likely net him another hidden quest though, he suspected, and so he pinned that to the top of his list of priorities.

Confirming the choice, Ethan waited for the magic to do its thing while he tapped the [Breath Gland] spell to see its details.

Breath Gland (Tier-2): Channel and release spells through your breath, modulating their power and form with breath control. Form Bonus: Spirit, Mana

Ethan crossed his arm, nodding appreciatively. "This boosts two stats? Is that all tier-2 spellforms or just this one?"

He guessed he'd figure that out once he got his hands on another spellform in a few minutes. Though to be fair, he'd still be limited in spellform slots. He'd just unlocked a second in this Arcanum, sure, but the Prime one only had one slot, and it was still limited to tier-1 and while he could still use [Claws] over there, that spell was going to be upgraded soon, and it was going to be a minute before Ethan would be able to afford the tier upgrade to the Prime Arcanum.

It was time to do some limit testing.

Eying the [Breath Gland] for a second, Ethan tightened his jaw and mentally dragged it to the empty slot in the Prime Arcanum. It clicked into place, but he couldn't celebrate.

As soon as the spell was set, a groan escaped from his throat. It was as if he'd just tried to swallow something too large, and he could feel it move and stretch his insides as it tried to make its way down. The spell wasn't really moving, but it was pushing to make a space for itself, somewhere deep in his chest. Or was it soul?

Slowly, he got up to his feet, then did a couple of hops, careful not to hit his head on the rock above him.

This is doable, but I'd rather not have to do it unless I really have to, he thought, brows scrunched from the unpleasant pressure.

Ethan removed the spell and breathed out in relief. He hadn't tried triggering it, as it really did feel like he was pushing his soul too much and he didn't want to risk worsening his mana exhaustion, but he liked knowing the option was there. In case of emergencies.

Eying the spell, he still grinned. This one might allow him to breathe fire. Like a dragon. He chuckled. He was definitely testing that setup before he headed back up but not right this second.

"Now," he said, sitting back down. "About these spell tokens…"

With his increased spellform capacity, Ethan believed it wouldn't be a waste to get another Enhancer-spell or two. He might not be able to use them all, but, well, they came with nice stat bonuses, and he preferred body enhancements to armaments, if he were honest. And if they happened to boost two stats at once, each? All the better.

Ethan couldn't suppress his excitement. He had thought of cracking the spell tokens later, when he found his allies, but he was resting anyway and he still had time, so why not?

Two tier-2 and one tier-1. What do I want? An Enhancer tier-2 for starters, that's for sure. But what's after?

He still wanted a more direct healing. He wanted more resilience and, if possible, some way to not get mana exhausted often. A way to detect enemies before they could sneak up on him was up there on the priority list as well. The list went on, and he was aware that there might be more out there he would most likely want if he'd known about it, but he didn't let himself get bogged down by ifs and maybes.

"So… enhancer-spell for the first tier-2 token. A general-spell for the tier-1, because I just want healing from that one, which leaves another tier-2."

Ethan hummed. Most of his needs would probably be met by Enhancer-spells, aside from the healing, but he still should remember he didn't have infinite spellform slots.

Until I upgrade the Arcanums' tier and get more. And well, there's also the main quest's reward. A third Arcanum…

Ethan could picture it. Between the third Arcanum, and a bunch of spellform capacity upgrades, he'd have multiple forms synergizing and empowering each other while he reaped their bonuses to become a real-life juggernaut.

He smiled, then shook his head as he eyed his status page once more. He still had to work hard, no matter what happened. He still hadn't gotten the crown back, which meant someone out there had passed him again in levels. Even though he'd just gained four levels.

Alright. Let's focus on what I can control. Which is spell selection.

After that, he'd get some rest for his mana-exhaustion, check on the others, then back to grinding.

Ethan nodded to himself. The first spell token would be for an Enhancer spell, the tier-1 token for a general spell, and then he'd decide on the last token depending on what he got. Activating the first one, he made his category selection, then a list of spells showed up.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Select an enhancer-class tier-2 spell from the list below:

Beetle's Mandibles: Summon a pair of mighty mandible to rend and immobilize your opponents. Form Bonus: Might

Feathery Wings: Summon light and powerful wings that empower wind-based magic. Form Bonus: Spirit

Reptilian Scales: Summon resilient scales to shield you from physical attacks. Form Bonus: Toughness

Greenwood Antlers: Summon antlers to empower your life-attuned magic. Form Bonus: Spirit

Minotaur's Frame: Reinforce your bone and muscular structure. Form Bonus: Might, Toughness

Ethan leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he studied the options with a smile on his face. "These are a lot better than what I was offered back when this all started. And it seems like the bonus is not really about the tier."

The options were intriguing, to say the least. Clearly, specialization was becoming a large component of the options offered to him and now, he was really looking forward to upgrading [Claws].

I bet there'll be some pretty cool options once I get there. For now… What do I want? Not the mandibles. The wings are very tempting, and it would have been an immediate pick any other time, but the wind-based magic stuff, while still interesting, is not relevant to me at the moment. As much as I want to have wings and use them to drop on monsters with the lance, the remaining options are just better.

[Reptilian Scales] was a strong contender. [Greenwood Antlers] was probably a pass, as it didn't mesh well with his theme of fire and destruction, and [Minotaur's Frame] was top 2. Especially with it boosting two stats at once.

"Damn. These are really good options."

Ethan rolled his shoulders and focused. Another read-through made him narrow down his selection to two options: the scales, or the frame.

Frame is good. Toughness and more strength are amazing… but the scales seem better. Sure, they only boost Toughness, but they also have a tangible utility to them. If they're even half as tough as the monitor's summoned scales, it'd be a win. [Minotaur's Frame] would give me strength and general resilience, but I'm still as susceptible to to cuts, burns, and injuries as I currently am. And I know the descriptions says they're better against just physical damage, but they're tier-2. I'm sure there are higher tiers and better options in the future to strengthen them.

Glancing down at his hole-ridden, blackened, and burnt pants, then at his big left toe that had begun peering at him from the tear in his boots, another strong argument presented itself to him, cementing his decision further. "And with the scales I won't be buck naked in a few hours."

He was sure the frame was great. He hoped he'd get it offered again in the future, or at least, something like it, but for now, his choice was made. Ethan confirmed the selection, and sighed with relief as the magic sunk into his chest before he moved on to the next token. Specifically, the tier-1, and he prayed for something to heal with. Something more immediate than [Child of Flame].

Select a general-class tier-1 spell from the list below:

Light Arrow: Shoot an arrow made of light.

Detect Life: Sense living organisms within range.

Light Flare: Create a flash of light to temporarily blind your enemies.

Ice Bolt: Shoot a bolt made of ice.

Gust: Summon a gust of wind in a direction of your choosing.

Ethan muttered as he read through the options. "Well, [Detect Life] is great for sneaks and skulkers, but I still don't see a damn healing spell. How rare are these things? And I'm pretty sure I've seen Gust before…"

Ethan shook his head and made his selection. He had wanted a detection spell, someway to tell when he was being snuck upon and he got it, so he might as well get that over with and move on to the third and final token.

Now, do I want another Enhancer spellform? Or something else? What else do I still need?

Ethan began counting on his fingers. Better healing was one. Did he need more modifiers? Not really… They were great, but they weren't the highest priority right this moment, plus, he didn't know how many good ones or duds were there, while something like an Enhancer spellform was a known quantity. But how about another general spell?

He considered for a couple of seconds as he scratched his knee, then grimaced. He didn't want to waste a tier-2 token to yet again not get a healing spell.

I honestly would rather get a great enhancement-spell that I might not be able to use right away than something barely useful. Like [Whisper].

That really hadn't been a great choice. It might still turn out to be useful in the future, but he strongly believed his choices have been a lot better ever since.

"Ah screw it. Give me another enhancement."

As soon as he made the choice, Ethan felt a mix of relief and excitement. It reminded him of that old trick—flipping a coin to decide between two options. The moment the coin's in the air, you suddenly realize what you were hoping for all along. He'd weighed the options, argued them back and forth, but in the end, a new Enhancer spellform was what truly called to him.

Select an enhancer-class tier-2 spell from the list below:

Draconic Arms: Summon powerful clawed arms capable of great elemental affinity. Form Bonus: Might, Spirit

Raptor's Eyes: Summon sharp eyes to see from afar and detect the most minute of movements. Form Bonus: Spirit

Lion's Legs: Empower your legs and feet for might and speed. Form Bonus: Might

Mana Heart: Empower mana circulation, increasing the rate of mana regeneration and significantly delaying the onset of mana exhaustion. Form Bonus: Mana

Spiked-tail: Summon a prehensile, long, and heavy tail studded with bone-spurs. Form Bonus: Spirit

Ethan shook his head, but he couldn't do much about the smile on his face.

Well. I know what I'm picking. But the System is not making this easy…

Still, he was grateful. Having great options to pick from was a pain in the ass, but it was still a great problem to have.