Still inside the unnamed ruins, Hecate rubbed the orb in her hand with a grinning face. Having obtained an unexpected fortune Skill Assimilation Orb, there is still something else that she needs to do.

To gain a skill, there are few methods that every players can use.

1. 1. Skill obtained from their Job-class Skill Tree.
      The very basic method that any player can do. Just by leveling up and spends Skill Point, they can obtain the skills exclusive to their Job-class. There is no need to do anything.
       
   2. Skill obtained from their Sub-classes.
      Player must do a certain quest first to change their Sub-classes.
      After they changed to a certain Sub-class, they can obtain the skills exclusive to that Sub-class, but by direct tutoring of their mentor/Sub-class giver or other means related to it.
      Only 3 Sub-classes is permitted for each player, and once they filled all 3, they can't learn anything more.
      To level up the skill, they can't use their Skill Points and have to increase the proficiency of their skills.
       
   3. Skill obtained from their Equipment.
      Hecate's current build was basically centered on this aspect.
      Some Equipment bestows certain skills that player can immediately use. However, it is limited in use and only can be used for a certain amount of use per day. Skill will disappear once player un-equip the Equipment.
      No Skill Points used, and no proficiency needed. But the skills was fixed and can't be leveled up. 
       
   4. Skill obtained from doing Quests or other methods.
      Some of the skills can be obtained outside of Skill Tree or Sub-classes. And it is not a temporary one like skill obtained from the Equipment nor it will disappear upon changing Sub-classes. In other words, Permanent skills.

Hecate has many skills in her arsenal, of course excluding skills that obtained from Equipment. Though, it was mainly from her Skill Tree and Sub-classes. She did not take any Skill gaining Quest except for one time.

"If what I think is true, then..."

She closed the inventory window and checked her skill list.

Hecate did not have too many Active Skill in her Skill Tree.

Other than some necessary skills and few prerequisite skills, she did not bother to learn other Active Skill. This was because her Equipment already filled that spot for her.

♠♠♠

 

Skills from Acrobatic Sub-class utilized to the fullest for dodging enemy attack.

Unlike the traditional desktop MMO, Virtual Reality MMO executes fully with the movement of the players. This is also applied in Ascension. Dodge stats did not exist at all in this game, nor it was needed in the first place.

If you got hit by an attack, then you got damage and hurt your HP. If you move your body and didn't let the attack hit you, then you did not get hurt at all. That's just simple natural conclusion.

Though, after Hecate obtained sure-kill destructive power, these skill become rarely utilized.

- With just a wave, most enemies decimated. Is there still a need to do unnecessary parkour after that?

Perhaps, the usefulness of this Sub-class will be fully-shown again when she do leapfrog challenge to higher leveled dungeon... or soloing a boss monster.

 

Collector Sub-class increases drop rate items and also have some supportive passive stats that allows her to increase her weight limit and size limit that she can carry. The drop rate effect will not be shown clearly, but it still effective.

If other players were to hunt a wolf an dismantling its carcass, they might collect 2 Wolf Talon, with other loot like Wolf Meat and stuff. And then, the carcass will become unlootable. The rest of it will start to rot and can't be used except for fertilizer.

But if Hecate were to kill it, she can sometimes double the loot. Not only that, she might be able to extract its eyes, blood, brain, etc before the carcass starting to rot.

 

And then Blacksmith, Hecate's main lifeline.

Using it to the fullest, she can craft parts of the DIY project she was about to create, to be assembled by herself in the real life. As for why she did not directly assemble it in the game, because metaphysics in Ascension sometimes messed up her items. Like, why the hell there are HP regenerative bonus or buffs when people sits in her chair.

Imagine when some people with injuries were to sit in the chair and found their wounds healed.

Selling that chair to the public will definitely make her more conspicuous.

Also, there are something that nerf the technology, making the items barely usable.

• If players were to create a gun, its damage to the monsters won't even exceeds swords.
• Bombs, or Nuclear is not as effective as Wizard or Witch's spells.
• Plane will not be able to fly, because something in the air will interferes with the flight.

This is supposedly to maintain the "fantasy" atmosphere in the game. Any technology related craft will either be nerfed or unusable.

 

Lastly, the skills that outside above categories and could only categorized as Extra.

These skills gained by other means, like getting some NPC to teach their family heirloom arts, or some action outside of system jurisdiction like training original martial arts style.

When players do something that worthy enough to be called a skill, the observing AI will conduct an investigation. Using the information inside the internet and the user's brainwave as a reference, then they will plate the action as a skill.

For example, Hecate's Meditate skill was gained by just sit in the spot for full 4 hours without doing anything. This happened during her early days, where she contemplating about the meaning of life. Sick in the bed and having little left time, what are her life worth for...

This skill was the result of culmination of the feeling in that very moment.

♠♠♠

 

Looking at her skill list, Hecate kinda regretted that she did not actively hunting skills. If she at least studied in the city public library, she might able to obtain few skills to increase her arsenal, and perhaps increasing the fuse-able material.

It seems, too much occupied with leveling up also have a serious drawback.

"Oh well, regretting the past will not solve anything. I'll just start hunting skills from now..."

After all, late is better than never.

Having convinced herself, Hecate then opened her Skill Tree, and starts to spend her remaining 45 Skill Points. She keep those Skill Points after her status reset because well... Amnesia Stone, the item required for status reset is expensive!

In her current level, she needs 10 of it and total costs reached 3000, or ¥150.000!

Even though she able to earn more than ten or twenty times of that amount, but she didn't dare to spend money like water for no reason. However, only for this exact moment, if she could increase the fuse-able material, then even if something goes wrong, 3000 is worth to spend.

• Skill Points: 45
• Safety Wall Lv0 ➝ Lv10 Maxed (SP -10)
• Soul Drain Lv5 ➝ Lv10 Maxed (SP -5)
• Mana Stone Creation unlocked ➝ Lv2 Maxed (SP -2)
• Mana Drain Lv3 ➝ Lv10 Maxed (SP -7)

Many system messages popped up every time Hecate pressed the button.

But, she was not done yet.

• Magicallurgy unlocked ➝ Lv10 Maxed (SP -10)
• Mana Stone Explosion unlocked ➝ Lv1 Maxed (SP -1)
• Enhance Radius unlocked ➝ Lv5 (SP -5)
• Memorize Spell unlocked ➝ Lv5 Maxed (SP -5)

"And then, this is the last."

Hecate pressed the button and uses the last Skill Point. Now that all the skill points have been spent, she was ready to use Skill Assimilation Orb.

No, actually there are something that she would like to try.

Now her skill increased even more as she equipped all of her elemental rings. Though, she did not have any expectation that this will change anything, but at least it won't hurt to try.

Her eyes glittering with excitement as her vision fixed on the orb in her other hand.

"Hehehehe... Such adorable orb... I wonder what surprise you will bring to your mama here?"

At this moment, she laughed while letting out a creepy smile. Her disturbing laugh creates very contrasting scene with her adorable face. If any of her guildmate were to see her right now, perhaps they would think this loli is a fake that impersonates their Hecate!

Unfortunately, or fortunately... they are still lamenting in the real world, unable to log in because of the death penalty.

They were fortunate, because they couldn't see Hecate's dark side!
They were very fortunate, because their image of Hecate was not destroyed!

♠♠♠

 

With the smirk still in her face, Hecate tapped the orb with a gentle touch as she intends to use it right away. Soon after, a confirmation window appeared.

Without further ado, she clicked Yes.

The moment her finger pressed the confirmation button, the orb in her hand starts to glow. It's light was so bright that Hecate instinctively closed her eyes. The orb slowly turns into particles of light and envelops her entire body.

An enormous of information flows inside Hecate's mind.

Though, it did nothing harmful to her as it was just a vision of unrecognizable symbols that moves in high speed. At most, it only creates magnificent scene and did not have any other impact.

After a few seconds, the brightness starts to dwindle and everything looks normal.

Except the orb has become swirling of light that oscillates in Hecate's surrounding, orbiting her figure.

"Oh... I have to wait? Okay."

Seeing the message in front of her, Hecate did not complain and just silently closed her eyes.

There was nothing left she could do today anyway. She only hope that the process did not take too long, as she only left with less than one and half hour before she got force logout.

A loli girl sit in the floor of the dilapidated ruins of gorgeous castle while enveloped by particle light.

If only looking at the appearance only, Hecate definitely looked like a fairy or angel right now. The dirt and blood on her clothes did not affect the mystified atmosphere around her. But alas, the appearance is a scam!

This girl was not a kind fairy or angel, but an evil witch!

DING!

Hecate slowly opened her eyes and looked at the rows of system message in front of her.

Hecate looked at the notification window in contemplation.

She already expected that the orb will fuse her damage boost passive skills. But she didn't think that it would just fuse everything into a single skill...

"Wait... Something is not right! Fantasy Archwitch... What is this? 4th-tier Job-class?"

Hecate stared at the skill description carefully for a few times before she convinced that her eyes did not see wrong.

It is really Fantasy Archwitch, an unknown tier Job-class.

She then checked her Skill Tree, only to find that all the damage boost skill were gone, replaced by a single Lv1 passive skill. However, even though it was just Lv1, it was more powerful than all of the old 18 passive skills combined.

Fire Mastery, Fire Boost, and Fire Amp combined, only boosts 85% MATK of Fire elemental Spells.

Meanwhile, Extremity of Primary Elements increases MATK 100% for all 6 elements while reducing MP Cost by 15%, and this is still at level 1. At level 10, the skill will give 1000% MATK, strengthening its strength tenfold!

But, that wasn't the end, the Skill Assimilation Process still wasn't finished.

After the last system notification appeared, there was a moment of silence, as if the system had frozen. Fortunately, it didn't take long, a notification that the skill assimilation had been completed appeared.

In the end, Equipment Skills did not included as a fuseable skills.

"Well, that would be too good to be true if it really happened."

Hecate did not really complain and proceed to see the description of her new skills.

Her Metallurgy (Lv7) from the Blacksmith Sub-class was fused with Magicallurgy (Lv10) from her Skill Tree.

Both skills now are disappeared under their own category in the Skill List and the new skill now placed at the Extra Skill category. This means both skills had become one of the permanent skills.

If by any chance Hecate removes her Blacksmith Sub-class in the future, this new skill will not disappear from her Skill List!

However, since her Metallurgy was still at Lv7, the fused skill also adjusted to the same level. And the benefits that she gained from Magicallurgy also got devolved... into its Lv7 effects.

"Why is it just Lv7... Where is the remaining 3 SP?!"

She couldn't help but pondering the reason.

Fortunately the skill seems can be leveled up, not by Skill Points but by increasing proficiency, so it was just a temporary loss. The skill could still reach Lv10 with a lot of effort.

Though, it probably will take a very long time.

"Does this mean if I only use 1 SP to learn Magicallurgy and stopped there, I'll only got Lv1 Mysticallurgy?
That was close! If that really happen, I would surely cry!"

It was such a close call.

To increase her Metallurgy up to Lv7 takes almost 2 years. If the skill suddenly reverted back to Lv1, then she wouldn't be able to craft items except back to use low rarity iron...

It's like when you got used riding to your destination with a sports car, but because of some reason have to sell the car and replace it with an old used bicycle. Extremely depressing.

Hecate didn't dare to think further. Anyway, it's just an if situation that did not happen.

The bright side is now the skill seems evolving. Its just that Hecate did not know what the extent of the difference. It will be clear once she got back to her workshop so she didn't too worried.

She then moved her attention to the next skill.

Same as Mysticallurgy, both of the spell disappeared from its Sub-class and now plated as a skill inside the Extra Skill category.

"Umm... too vague...? But from the details it's just combining those two skills."

Hecate recalled the two skills that was fused.

Up until now, Sense Crisis had been a great help for her.

When Hecate about to take a mortal blow, her vision would turn slightly red. If that situation occurs, she immediately moved from the spot with her best effort. Sure enough, not long after she do that, a seemingly powerful attack hits that very spot where she previously stand.

And because of her paper-defense, any blow from high leveled player and monster is a mortal blow to her. Thus, the skills activates very often, and Hecate abused this to the fullest.

As for Sense Fortune... It was used mainly when upgrading stuff or gamble. When she holds the hammer upgrade, if there is a light-weight sensation in her mind, then it most likely the skill was activated.

That's basically a guaranteed success!

However, that kind of feeling was fleeting and hard to grasp, so it was somewhat difficult to use.

And the last one, Treasure Sensor.

It was not a new skill, but a reinforced skill and still belongs to the Collector Sub-class.

Meanwhile, the absorbed skill, Ore Discovery, disappeared in the Blacksmith category.

Originally, this skill only shows the valuable that can be looted in the minimap as a dot. Of course, she can exclude unneeded items by including them to the exclude list in the skill's setting. No random rock, grass, or feces will casually shown in her minimap!

It was quite a useful skill but requires Hecate to constantly turn on the minimap which took some space in her vision.

But now there is an additional effect that appears in the description, where lootable valuable items now glow in real-time. She no longer needs to open her minimap again to collect loot.

"Oh, this is quite useful. Is this because of Ore Discovery?"

Ore Discovery is a skill that Blacksmith and Miner had.

The effect was simple, if there are ore in the rock, wall, or crevice that can be mined, the ore will shine with glitters in their sight. There was no need for them to open their minimap.

Now this effect has been appended to Treasure Sensor.

♠♠♠

 

Satisfied with the skills, Hecate closed all of the windows.

She did not have anything left to do today, so she planned to logout and sleep. Since she already got a great harvest, she wasn't in hurry for exchanging her Glory Points. She to see if there are something good after reaching 2000 points first.

But before that, she changed her wand and checked her status screen once again.

Thanks to Exp Potions and the earlier high-level dungeon, three rounds of mad grinding had given her about 12 million Exp. In just a short time, she already filled more than half the Exp required to level up.

"As I thought, the more I level up, the more it will take to progress to the next level..."

It was quite fast leveling speed if according to most player standards. But to Hecate, this leveling speed already starts to slow down. Well, nobody have Elixir supply that can make them grind non-stop like Hecate does.

There are about 10k MP left from earlier grindfest. Her MP won't be so low if her MP regen still worked normally.

But 10k is already enough. She then activated a certain skill.

"Mana Stone Creation!"

As Hecate said that, her hand starts to glow and a fist-sized stone appeared in her palms.

"It would be a waste to not use the remaining SP before logout. But, this is just good, I recently lack these things."

She stored the Mana Stone into her inventory and pressed the logout button. Her figure gradually disappeared from the scene, turning into numerous particle of light.

However, Hecate doesn't know...

Nearly arround 30 minutes after she left, all the players received the same notification message.