NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82: The End [Last Chapter]
Ethan looked at Ouroboros and the old man. But he didn't even register the words spoken to him. His body and soul were not accustomed to the sudden quiet, the lack of mana that usually felt thick, like a layer on your skin you couldn't wash off. All the people missing, the refreshing air he breathed in on that mountain.
All the people he met along his path, the coalition of Brammgestir and Crocodiarii that died for him in that desert. The elves and their unique way of living as one with nature. The guardian who gave up everything to create a path for Ethan that would give him a better chance at survival. He missed all of it in this second, now there were only three people here. The old man, Ouroboros and Ethan himself. The egg was gone and so was Nora, the tension was thick in the air and despite his better knowledge Ethan stands up. Two soldiers rose from the ground and threw the table away.
He took a deep breath and punched Ouroboros in the face. The god didn't even block or move despite the fact that he was incredibly fast. Ethan just continued to punch his so-called Patron until his knuckles were bloody and his entire arm was shaking, besides some of Ethan'S blood the god wasn't injured. He just looked a tired
Ethan sat down on the chair again and crossed his arm, to mask the trembling in his arm and hand. He looked at the old man and ignored his patron for the time being. Ethan was pissed off and he had every right to so instead of talking to Ouroboros he wanted the system to go first.
"I want to see what rewards I earned for the tutorial. Can you show me?" he asked with a raised brow, the old man nodded and snapped his fingers. Making a message appear from the system.
*Update* Congratulations Ethan Delaney for completing the system tutorial!
Below you find a list of all the hidden statistics of your tutorial!
Difficulty rating: Extreme - Special
Group size: Small
Group compatibility: Low
Monster aggression: High
Dungeon difficulty: High
Dungeons available: 25 | Completed: 1
Challenge altars: 4 | Completed 1
Unique scenario probability: 100%
Unique scenarios completed: 2
Achievements unlocked
- Monster Hunter I: Killing 10 monsters
- Monster Hunter II: Killing 100 monsters
- Monster Hunter III: Killing 1000 monsters
- Monster Hunter IIII: Killing 2500 monsters
- Big Shot I: Killing an enemy above your level
- Big Shot II: Killing multiple enemies above your level
- Big Shot III: Killing many enemies above your level
- Without Guidance I: Deepen your understanding of skills
- Skillcrafter I: Create your own skills to fit your fighting style
- Ritualist I: Achieve basic ritualism skills
- Ritualist II: Achieve advanced ritualism skills
- Ritualist III: Achieve expert ritualism skills
- Survivor: Be the only one of your group left alive
- Lone Wolf: Fight on your own without help of other tutorial attendees
- Hero of the people: Have the inhabitants of the tutorial trust you with their life
- War Hero: Lead an army to victory with them willingly following you
- Frostforger: Obtain a unique class that was lost through time
- Blessed by Winter: Receive the blessing of Winter
- The Shadow of the Harbinger: Gain the trust of the last harbinger
- Lifebringer: Save the last surviving specimen of a species (Special)
- Progenitor: Become the shoulders an entire race will stand on
*Update* You gathered 22 achievements during the time of the tutorial.
*Update* Calculating rewards…
*Update* Calculating rewards….
*Update* Calculating rewards…..
*Update* Calculating rewards……
*Update* Rewards calculated. Please pick a reward!
*Update* Special Reward received - Seraphic Snowowl Egg
*Update* Please choose two of the offered rewards below!
Recommended:
- One Special Skill of your Choice
- Two Skill Upgrade Tokens
- Equipment of the Grandmaster Rank | One Set
- Weapon of the Grandmaster Rank | One Weapon
- Utility item of the Grandmaster Rank | One item
- Race Change Token
Full list below…
*Update* Final level and skill rarities calculated!
*Update* You reached Level 38! Stat points allocated! Free points received!
*Update* Frostforger has reached Level 35! Stat points allocated! Free points received!
[Ritualism(Advanced)] -> [Ritualism(Expert)]
Name: Ethan Delaney
Race: Winter Elf, Progenitor
Level: 38
Patron: Ouroboros, the Eternal Serpent
Class: Wizard of Glacial Chains
Subclass : Frostforger - Level 35
Health Points (HP): 680/680
Mana Points (MP): 3320/3320
Stats
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 25
Vitality: 68
Wisdom: 332
Intelligence: 332
Perception: 35
Willpower: 110
Free points: 38
Ethan took a deep breath after looking over the list of things he received, in a way it was depressing to see all he did compressed into this small list of things. While he felt the changes of his new stats point settling he nodded to the old man. "Thank you kindly for that, I was curious how things would be evaluated."
A sheet of ice appeared between the old man and Ouroboros. "I wanted to ask something. The special skill…can I pick anyone or only the ones compatible with my path. Second, the skill upgrade tokens raise the rarity by one I believe but can I use it twice on the same skill?"
Stolen story; please report.
For the first time the old man smiled. "You changed a lot during your time Ethan. Yes you can pick any skills you like but remember it could warp into something different or not work properly at all. The tokens raise the rarity by one but you can only use it once, also special skills can not be upgraded. But understanding a skill and achieving an upgrade through that gives bigger boosts in power later on. Personally I would recommend the special skill and the weapon. A weapon of the Grandmaster Rank can serve you for many years."
Ethan nodded and decided to start with the weapon first, after he lost his staff he wanted a replacement anyway. While skill upgrades sounded awesome he wanted to do it on his own agenda. So Ethan sent his requirements for the staff to the system with his thoughts. After a bit of time passed a black box of polished wood appeared on his lap, there was no teleportation or explosion…it just appeared. Ethan carefully opened the box and inside was his staff.
The staff was long, a bit taller than him, instead of wood it was forged from black steel that seemed to be shimmering in blue and white. On the bottom end was a long spike that could easily be used as a spear. On top was the most beautiful gem he had ever seen, it looked like a diamond formed into a sphere made from hexagons. Instead it was what looked like a small snowstorm drifting around it. Ethan carefully picked it up and looked over the magnificent weapon before reading its description.
[Ebony Staff of Frostfall]
[Forged from shimmering black steel crafted in the cold fires of Frostfall's legendary smiths, the Ebony Staff of Frostfall exudes an aura of icy power. Its surface ripples with a subtle blue and white shimmer, reminiscent of a frozen winter dawn. The staff tapers into a deadly spike at its base, capable of piercing through armor or serving as a formidable spear in close combat.
Crowned with a breathtaking gem—an orb resembling a swirling snowstorm encased within a lattice of hexagons—the staff radiates with the essence of winter's purest magic.
Crafted by the master smiths of Frostfall, the icy homeworld of winter, this staff embodies the spirit of the coldest season. Its creation was inspired by the fierce storms and silent snows that define Frostfall's relentless winter. Wielding the Ebony Staff of Frostfall is to command the very essence of winter's fury and serenity alike.
[Ice Magic Amplification] Grants a +25% boost to all ice-based spells and abilities, allowing the wielder to harness the chilling power of winter with greater force.
[Ritual Focus] When used in arcane rituals, the staff enhances the efficacy of ritualism skills, especially potent in combination with ice magic, making it an essential focus for rituals and summoning.]
What he held in his hand was no mere replacement but an upgrade that would serve him even better. While he loved his broken staff he couldn't deny the feeling of power this staff gave him. He smiled and gently touched the sphere on top of the staff.
Next was his special ability and while he loved his main class he knew that his subclass while good could still be improved. So he sent his mind out to the system, asking for an ability that would allow him to give his soldiers and himself an advantage on the battlefield.
[Chilling Nexus(Special)]
[Summon the power of the Chilling Nexus, a cold, shimmering core that continually produces support units and cryo-constructs. These allies, while considerably weaker, can be directed to create defensive barriers, strategic pathways, or utility tools in the heat of battle. Freeze enemies in place with quick ice constructs, build defensive shields, or craft makeshift bridges to traverse difficult terrain. Perfect for tactical advantage, the Chilling Nexus grants you unmatched control over the battlefield—freezing, supporting, and manipulating your environment to outthink and outlast your foes.]
Ethan smiled and nodded to himself, he would become a menace especially when he had time to prepare. His mind was already playing through some scenarios where this kind of ability could be the perfect tool to gain the upper hand. Finished with his selection, a new skill in his status and a staff in hand he looked at both gods. Even acknowledging Ouroboros who was waiting patiently.
"The tutorial was rigged and manipulated, every second was like being watched by vultures just waiting for me to die there. I know some more things especially after talking to the guardian, or rather the harbinger. The question is why didn't you tell me? Why did no one ask me if I want my sister back instead of ice related powers? I want answers or I will go and wait out the rest of the tutorial."
Both old, powerful beings looked at each other. A silent conversation happened between them before they turned back to Ethan. The old man spoke.
"Even if we told you the system wouldn't allow it. Not only was your tutorial special but everybody under the age of 15 would be placed in a different tutorial with only some adults being assigned to watch them. You need to know that the tutorials are separated. There is fighting, crafting and protection. Yours was of course fighting, crafting is for people with an aptitude for creating items and protection is for infants, children, old people, pregnant women and so on. The system would have denied your request either way."
Ouroboros continued. "What happened to you was by design yes, the moment Aeloria's signal activated her old plan was set in motion. She used all her heavenly favor to make your journey as challenging and rewarding as possible, sadly you're not the first but one in a long time of people. Only the newly integrated can earn such an important title like "Progenitor" that's why she had the system design a tutorial to challenge you and help you grow. I was only the proxy for her actions, our paths don't align and never will the only gift I could make you was my concept of eternity. Because while you can be killed Ethan, you will not die of old age or disease as long as I'm your patron. This was the only gift I could make for Aeloria, the Goddess of Winter that picked you to carry her legacy."
Ethan listened and just sat there in stunned silence for a while, his mind working overtime to make sense of the things he learned from these two. While he wanted to scream out his frustration he knew there was no point in doing so.
He stood up and walked around the two men, with his pack turned to them he said. "I will no longer be a pawn in your game. The path that I walk will be my own. I will carry her legacy but fulfilling it is something I decide for myself. For now…goodbye, there is a world waiting for me."
Ethan walked through the bookshelves, the path seemingly endless in all directions. But the system notification told him something different.
*Update* The pathway back to your homeworld Gaia, formerly Earth, is now open. All tutorial attendees can now use the portal to return home.
He followed the weird pull until he found the portal, it was a swirling vortex of black that seemed to go on forever. Ethan grabbed his new staff tightly and took a deep breath.
"Back to Earth, back home. Just another battlefield to manoeuvre and conquer." Two rows of icy soldiers appeared behind him, each one equipped with a halberd and shield. Fourteen of them, his increase in levels bolstering his numbers. He smiled and closed his eyes, without waiting another second he stepped through the portal.
With that the tutorial ended…Ethan was finally returning home, determined to claim a small part of that world for himself.
The End