Surviving The Myriad Worlds (A Multiplanar LitRPG)

It was time to go through each of these and make a snap decision. Beginning with [Wʉlian Soldier].

No. Just no. There was no way in hell he was tying his fate to this empire and its wars. The same went for [Hunter of Ahsmati], for all the reasons Pauwna had outlined and more.

Pass.

Next were the charged classes. These were compelling. Most of his abilities were tied to the overloaded mechanic, so there was a synergy there. He still couldn't help but feel that he missed an upgraded version when he chose not to get a third overloaded ability. Dante felt that he should at least decide between one of them. Of the two, he felt that the warrior version synchronized the most with his current attributes and his desire to live through this — though it was a bit too much endurance for his taste. He did like the idea of using multiple charges at once. But it had no attributes he liked, so he preferred [Charged Warrior].

[Aura Adept] was the most mysterious of the options. It seemed to hint at offering more finesse with [Overloaded Warding Flesh], which he had gotten a taste of with [Aura Manipulation]. He had liked what he had seen with that skill so far, so it was tempting. There was the line that said that it was a pathway to secret things, which appealed to his curiosity. However, it seemed like it would take time to master. Time that he did not have. The stats it gave were not optimal either. Cognition didn't seem relevant, given his current situation. A reluctant no on that one.

His last choice was [Indomitable Survivor]. On the face of it, it seemed perfect. It focused on giving attributes that he would always need and it would boost his survivability. Dante was just leery of the line that said: 'give up on change. ' He wasn't quite sure what it meant, but he didn't want to be too passive. Sometimes, he would need to take a stand. When he had fought that Ahsmati earlier, he had only won because he had a way to strike back. Still, it was perfect on every other account. So maybe.

Which just left a choice between [Charged Warrior] and [Indominatable Survivor]. One was practical and the other was a risk. One flexible, one inflexible. Dante didn't have time to agonize over this, so he went with his gut.

You have selected [Charged Warrior] as your [Class]

+1 to Constitution, + 1 to Fortitude, +2 to Endurance

4 free attribute points are available

A new ability can be selected

Keystone [Rising Tide] obtained

This is complicated. Perhaps the most text out of any ability I have. Let's check … Yep, both of my overloaded abilities now have two charges. It seems incredibly good, just a straight up power increase. And that last part, I wonder if —

"Dante! Get into position. We have wasted enough time as it is."

He looked away from his notebook to see the squad ready to go and Sūnva giving a rather stern look. That was the first time he had a look like that from Sūnva. It was not a happy one. The unit that they had assisted had already left. Dante began stuffing his notebook in his bag and rose to his feet.

I will think about that later. Also, I will need to take a look at whats available for my new class abilities.

"Sorry! Coming." He called back, having stored everything and re-equipped his crossbow. He stood up and began jogging over when he remembered something.

Ah! I still need to distribute the free attribute points. I've been meaning to add points to alacrity. Everything in this war happens way too fast for me, so it's time to change that.

+4 to alacrity

The instant he confirmed his choice, he began to feel … strange. It was only then that he remembered the deleterious effects that his past attribute changes had. Suspiciously, the effects from the class attributes hadn't hit yet either. He only had time for one thought before it hit.

This is going to suck.

Time had slowed to a crawl. Heat flared through his muscle and his skin began to itch. The step he had taken towards the group moved as if through cold honey. The strange thing was that it was selective. His heartbeat maintained the same rate and he could hear it in his ears. A steady thud, thud, thud.

This persisted until his foot nearly reached the ground, a time made longer by his discomfort, then it flipped. His foot crashed into the ground, moving far too quickly. By comparison, his thoughts were now sluggish and he was falling before the change even registered. His heart rate caught with time, becoming a staccato thudthudthud. Then it was normal again and Dante caught himself right before the fall became hopeless. The entire experience was like the worst head rush he had ever experienced. He was unsteady on his feet and his limbs trembled, his sense of balance ruined. He forced himself to take another step forward. He couldn't reveal what had happened. Already, his lapse had garnered attention from the group.

"Are you alright?" asked Sūnva, concern peeking through her placid exterior. Behind her, Pauwna sent him a knowing look and rolled her eyes.

"Yes. Sorry, just a brief bout of lightheadedness. I am fine now."

That part was true, he felt fantastic. An aftereffect from increasing his constitution and endurance. He bet that, beneath his bandage, the wound was already partly healed. Plus, the change to his reaction speed was very noticeable. After all, he had nearly increased his alacrity by fifty percent. It was like he processed the world at a smoother rate, even his thoughts were quicker. He now understood that what he had thought were brief moments of strategizing were an eternity to someone with senses like this. How slow he must appear to them. It must have been aggravating. Sūnva gave him a piercing look and Dante could tell that he had not quite convinced her.

"Speak up if it happens again. Get into position. We have wasted too much time already."

Nodding his head, Dante walked back into the center of the formation where he very much felt like a VIP protected by bodyguards. A picture that was highlighted, given that he was spotless where as they were covered in so much dust they appeared corpse white. Paired with the blots of blood from the earlier fight, they looked like they had gone through the wringer.

The feeling of uselessness came back. But then, he reminded himself that he had actually taken down an Ahsmati. Sure, it was injured and on the lower-level side, but he had contributed. In fact, perhaps there was a way he could help right now.

Dante sidled up to Pauwna, then focused on his sensation of [Overloaded Warding Flesh]. It was getting easier, especially with the increases to [Aura Manipulation]. He could feel the area had expanded, perhaps about a body length distance from him at all times.

"May I test something on you?" He asked Pauwna. "If it works, I can clean off all of that dust."

Once she had given him a hesitant nod, Dante expended a charge and reached out with [Aura Manipulation]. With it, he managed to shape [Overloaded Warding Flesh] beyond anything he had attempted before. He pushed it towards Pauwna and it swelled beyond his expectations, easily enveloping her. She stiffened as all the dust flew off her as if she had stood in the path of a strong wind, her short hair billowing widely. When it was done, she was spotless save for the dried blood patches. Even her hair was free of impurities. It was strange, it seemed like the dust on the opposite side had also blown off, giving the impression that the wind had flowed through her and only affected the dust. It seemed like the ability went through objects. Recollecting herself, Pauwna inspected her gear and, seeming satisfied, gave him a nod.

"My thanks. That filth was distracting and it's bad for the equipment besides." She turned from him and yelled to the front: "Hey, Rhea, take a look at this!"

After displaying the trick again to Sūnva, Dante soon found himself doing the same for every member of the squad. He had to admit, being able to help in that way reassured some of the fear that he was a burden. It was small, but this was something that only he could do. Even if he was being, in essence, a glorified shower. Though it certainly didn't seem to change Ren's opinion of him. She had even rolled her eyes when she saw that they were stopping for this.

What even is her deal? Am I ever going to win her over?

It quickly became apparent that he didn't need to use his charges for this, but at least he learned that the cooldown was closer to forty seconds now. Which was better than before, but still an eternity on the battlefield. He also saw firsthand the effect of his new keystone on his stats. With a single cast, it had changed substantially. He opened his character sheet briefly as they continued again.