Chapter 005- Path Tree
Reality’s Reflection by Khrylia
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I have made slight adjustments to the path system

the system before were too personalized? kinda feels like classes so I made it more general kinda

 

Paths were divided into two main sections: Physical and Magical. Each section had three sub-sections: Offensive, Defensive, and Utility. Players had the choice to play in either the physical or magical section.

PHYSICAL MAGIC

Offensive, 

Defensive, 

Utility, 

Offensive, 

Defensive, 

Utility, 

 

These paths functioned like classes in other games, but there were no restrictions on weapon choice. Players were free to use any weapon they desired, even creating their own weapons using their imagination.

 

After players selected their path, they could unlock their path tree, which consisted of branching paths with various nodes representing attributes or talents. These nodes could be unlocked using Skill Points (SP). For instance, in the Physical-Offensive path, players could increase their STR, AGI, DEX, VIT, and END stats, and also gain special attributes like improved sword or bow comprehension. Advancing through the branches enough would allow players to unlock unique skills.

 

In Lucia's previous life, she had chosen the Physical-Offensive path as a Warrior, upgrading many branches and unlocking nodes, attributes, and skills to enhance her versatility. Thanks to this, she could wield any weapon and still benefit from her path's buffs.

 

Now faced with the decision of her current life's path, Lucia contemplated her options. While sticking to the same offensive path as before would leverage her experience, she also considered her bonus magic affinity, above-average stats, and insanely high-luck stats.

 

Given her unique advantages, any path would be suitable for her. She could choose the same offensive path or opt for a physical or magic defensive type, dealing massive damage while maintaining a strong defense. Utility paths were also appealing due to their rarity, as not many players preferred them. Moreover, Lucia's luck stats played a major role in choosing this path.

 

With her luck stats, her success rate in production like crafting items, consumables, or potions would be extremely high. She could also select nodes that provided buffs to allies or debuffs to enemies. Although support utility buffer and debuffer paths were considered weak in the early game due to low chances of applying buffs or debuffs, they became significantly stronger as players progressed through their branches. With Lucia's luck stats, she could sit back, relax, and watch her foes suffer from stacking debuffs like bleeds and paralysis.

 

After careful consideration, Lucia decided to choose the Magic-Utility Path, taking into account her previous skills from the instructor's teachings. She had acquired the skill "Beginner Reprise Attack" from the skill scroll, which increased damage when striking the same target multiple times. Additionally, her bonus magic affinity and luck stats made the Magic-Utility Path a much more appealing choice.

 

    [Beginner Reprise Attack]

  • Type: Passive Skills
  • Rank: F
  • Effect(s): Increases damage dealt by 3/5/7/10/12% when striking the same target multiple times. The maximum stack(s) on each target is 5.

Skills in the game were ranked from F to SSS, and as players progressed, a skill's rank could drop as enemies grew stronger and players acquired better skills.

 

 

Lucia also obtained a skill called "Haste" from the skill book given by the instructor. Though she found it peculiar that a skill book for swords granted a haste skill instead of a sword skill, she was pretty sure with her learning comprehension boost and her previous experience that it would be a sword skill, regardless it is sufficient.

 

    [Haste]

  • Type: Active Skills
  • Rank: F+
  • Effect(s): Deals 10 + (0.25 × WIS) Magic Damage with a 10% chance of slowing a single enemy for 20 second(s).
  • Condition(s): Requires 20 Mana and has a 5-minute cooldown if the skill effect was not triggered in the previous usage.

 

"Ding! Congratulations on Unlocking your Path Tree!"

"You have obtained 10 SP"

 

She opened her path tree and was astonished to see that she had 20 SP. This seemed inconceivable since players usually received only 10 skill points upon unlocking their path tree. Additionally, players could earn one skill point per ten levels or through quests and special occurrences. Lucia then checked her status window and reviewed all the panels, confirming that nothing had gone awry. However, she realized she had overlooked one part: her free unallocated stat points, which inexplicably stood at 52.

 

After some thought, she theorized that her Celestial Race was the cause. Her body had been directly altered by the system, likely utilizing the power of the core, which presumably originated from a divine source of energy. This might explain why her level-up bonuses and skill points were doubled. If her theory was correct, she would receive two free stat points per level and two skill points per ten levels. The mere thought nearly drove her insane.

 

Lucia then spent 10 of her SP on a branch that increased her DEX by 2, INT by 3, WIS by 3, and Effect Hit Rate by 5% until reaching the tenth node, where she obtained the Unique Skill of the branch, "Silent."

Simultaneously, she unlocked another branch using 10 of her SP, which increased her INT, WIS, and DEX by 3 each. Upon reaching the tenth node in this branch, she obtained the Unique Skill, "Amplify."

She rechecked her stats and let out a sigh of relief, realizing that her stats had not been doubled. Losing her mind at that moment would have been unbearable.

» Basic Attributes «
STR 30 END 30
AGI 30 INT 26
DEX 35 WIS 26
VIT 30 WIL 30
UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS (52)

Dexterity stats allowed players to be more precise and accurate in their actions, not only in combat but also in other miscellaneous activities. It could improve spellcasting, grant bonus effects to spells such as prolonged buffs, and enhance item crafting and consumable production effects.

Lucia then allocated her free stat points to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Agility, raising them to 35 points each.

 
 

» Basic Attributes «
STR 30 END 30
AGI 35 INT 35
DEX 35 WIS 35
VIT 30 WIL 30
UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS (29)

 

Lucia then noticed the system notification that she was eagerly waiting to hear,

"Ding! Congratulations on Being the 4th Player in The World to Unlock their Path Unique Skills!"

"Ding! Congratulations on Being the 1st Player in The World to Unlock Two of their Path Unique Skills"

"You have obtained the Title: Magic Support"

 

Under normal circumstances, she would likely have been the 4th player to unlock their path's unique skills. Fortunately, she received double the normal skill points.

 

That was pretty close though, there could only be five players to receive the title for unlocking their path's first unique skills. Titles differed from achievements, as they only applied their effects when equipped.

 

I'm wondering how strong this title is going to be,

   [Title: Magic Support]

  • Type: Title (Equipped)
  • Effect(s): 
    • Effect Hit Rate +10%
    • Utility Skill and Item Effectiveness +50%

Curious about the strength of her title, "Magic Support," Lucia exclaimed, "The effects are extraordinary! A 50% boost to utility skills and item effectiveness would turn a broken skill into something game-breaking. If I previously had a minimum of 20 seconds to slow down an enemy, now it's essentially 30 seconds. It won't take long to catch up to my previous state if this keeps up."

 

She then decided to examine the path's unique skills:

    [Silent]

  • Type: Unique Skills
  • Rank: E-
  • Effect(s):
    • Spend 50 Mana to disable one skill of the target(s) for 40 seconds. Skills cannot stack but can be cast on multiple targets.
    • Spend 50% of Max Mana for a 30% chance to disable the target(s)' senses of Hearing, Vision, and Touch for 1 minute. Multiple casts on the same target(s) are possible, but the skill cannot stack.

    [Amplify]

  • Type: Unique Skills
  • Rank: E-
  • Effect(s):
    • Spend 100 Mana to summon the Holy Ring of Justice within a 100-meter radius of the caster. Grants a 0.2% chance per blessing for each player inside the Holy Ring of Justice, identified as allies by the caster, to receive the following blessings:
      • Increase STR by 200%
      • Increase AGI by 200%
      • Increase WIS by 200%
      • Increase END by 200%
      • Increase WIL by 200%

 

Sighing, Lucia noted that the Amplify skill would typically be the worst choice due to the abysmal blessing rate. Even with its wide coverage, the chance of receiving any of the blessings was only 1% per player. With her luck stats, it felt like cheating.

Additionally, a 10% bonus to Effect Hit Rate did not simply add a 10% chance to a 30% debuff chance. It meant that the base 30% chance would receive a 10% bonus, resulting in a final chance of 33%.

 

 

*****

 

 

After thoroughly examining her new title and unique skills, Lucia discovered a pass ticket in her inventory that could be used at the warp altar located in front of the tutorial village.

 

Within the tutorial village, previous players had tried talking to every person but had failed to receive any quests. Only the larger guilds in Lucia's past life possessed the knowledge that a dangerous pond lay beyond the forest outside the tutorial village.

 

The water in the pond had a dark red hue and emitted a blood-like scent. It was highly hazardous, causing human skin to burn and dissolve within minutes of contact. Unbeknownst to the players, the pond was tainted with the blood of a phoenix that had perished within its depths. If someone could reach the phoenix's corpse and touch its wings, they would embark on a unique questline and acquire a fire resistance skill and a regenerative ability that couldn't be obtained elsewhere. Moreover, the pond would vanish from other tutorial villages. Millia Cortana, one of Lucia's former companions, had been the only one to obtain this skill, enduring until their final battle with Asmodeus.

 

Initially disinterested in pursuing this skill, Lucia's perspective shifted after receiving her title and the instructor's potions. She realized the need to rapidly strengthen herself.

 

"I need to get stronger quickly," Lucia thought, remembering the title she had acquired earlier and the potions she possessed, also making mental notes to help Millia later on.

    [Great Health Potion ×1]

  • Type: Consumables
  • Rank: C-
  • Effect(s): Upon consumption, immediately restores the player's health to 60% and heals any scars on the body (excluding lost limbs). Additionally, provides healing equal to 6% of the player's health every 3 second(s) for 12 second(s) and grants pain reduction by 30%. (The effects of this potion were already increased with the player's multiplier) 

 

Motivated by her determination, Lucia inserted the potion into her mouth without swallowing its contents. She then leaped into the perilous pond, diving as swiftly as possible while closely monitoring her health bar. She endured the searing pain of the water burning her skin, ensuring her health visibly diminished enough to make her feel dizzy. At that moment, she ingested the potion, allowing its contents to flow through her system, and continued her descent toward the phoenix's corpse.

 

As Lucia approached, she observed the phoenix's body reduced to carcass and bones, with only remnants of feathers clinging to its wings. Without hesitation, she reached out and touched the wings of the phoenix's remains.

 

Immediately, Lucia felt her mana being absorbed by the phoenix's corpse, and a magnificent fire rose, consuming the phoenix's blood and corpse while evaporating all the water in the pond. The flames expanded, revealing the resplendent form of a phoenix being reborn from the ashes.

 

"Thank you, young one. You have saved the life of this phoenix," spoke the majestic creature. "I wish to express my gratitude personally, but there is also an important matter for which I request your assistance. Would you kindly accept this request?"

 

Accepting the phoenix's plea, Lucia was rewarded with a skill and given a quest:

    [Phoenix Blood]

  • Type: Unique Skills
  • Rank: A, Evolvable (Requirements not met)
  • Effect(s):
    • Restores 10% of the player's maximum HP every 3 second(s) using 10% of the player's maximum mana.
    • Enables the restoration of lost limbs and organs.
    • Significantly enhances the player's fire resistance and affinity toward fire.
    • Allows the player to resurrect if enough mana is stored, equivalent to 1000% of the player's maximum mana (0%/1000%). If insufficient mana is stored, the surrounding mana will gradually be absorbed to fully revive the player. Cooldown time of 3 day(s) per revival.

   [Quest: The Phoenix's Plea (1)]

  • Type: Unique Quest
  • Rank: A-
  • Content(s): Get stronger and avenge the Phoenix
  • Objective(s): Kill 'Dullahan' before it could become even stronger
  • Requirement(s): Reach level 60
  • Reward(s): Depends on the Player's performance

 

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