I grinned as I read the description. While Thunderstrike didn't feel like a skill I should have, I was glad that the skill gacha had spit it out. It provided a direct damage option and even had a chance to stun the enemy. Without hesitation, I selected Thunderstrike, and the skill slot was filled.
With my new combat skills in place, I felt more confident about facing powerful enemies. Sure it was only moderate damage, but it was still pretty good. Now all that was left was my Passive Skills.
Doing the same as before, I selected my first passive slot and got the same three options, but Skill Fusion was grayed out. That made sense since you would need at least two skills to fuse them. The gacha was still there, but I hadn't looked at the skill list yet, so I opened that first.
- Artisan's Insight: Increases the efficiency and precision of item creation by enhancing the user's understanding of materials and design. Improves the quality of crafted items.
- Mana Affinity: Heightens the user's connection to magical energy, allowing for faster mana regeneration and increased magical power.
- Quick Synthesis: Speeds up the item creation process, allowing the user to craft items at an accelerated pace without compromising quality.
- Arcane Harmony: Promotes a harmonious connection between the user and magical energies, reducing the consumption of magical power for spells and abilities.
- Enchanted Reflexes: Enhances the user's reaction time and reflexes when dealing with magical or enchanted threats, providing a better chance to evade and counter such attacks.
There were only five choices, but I honestly could have picked them all if I was allowed. The first three would enhance my printing abilities, but the last two would definitely help me out in combat. Enchanted Reflexes seemed really good, but kind of situational. Arcane Harmony felt like the better choice, so I picked that for my first slot.
For the next slot, I picked Mana Affinity, because not only would it help me in battle, but also while using the phones I was farming materials for, along with my time in IHSR. It was all-around a good skill for anyone with Mage in their class name.
That left me with the last slot for my passives. Both Artisan's Insight and Quick Synthesis looked good, but I kind of wanted to give the Gacha a spin. I had already quickly gone back and picked Time Dilation Stance for my tenth skill, so this spin was my last one.
As I was about to activate the gacha, I saw Daryle coming over, so I waited to start it. He was looking at my screen, and Misty was trailing behind him so I assume he wanted to see it.
"Is that really how you get your skills? You just get to pick whatever you want?" Daryle asked, and I nodded, looking at Misty.
"Did you pick your skills?" I asked, but Misty shook her head.
"They are picked for me," She said, and I frowned, looking back at Daryle, who was giving me a raised eyebrow expression.
"Exactly!" He said and then pointed at my screen. "Just look at all the options you have to pick a skill!"
I guess I assumed that Misty was a hero in the same sense I was. It seemed that wasn't the case, and her system was just an enhanced class like the other heroes in this world supposedly had.
"Not much I can do about it, but since you are over here, why don't I knock your socks off?" I asked him with a grin, making Daryle raise one eyebrow at me.
"Knock my socks off? Just what are you going to do now?!" He demanded, and I explained the gacha system. "Shut your mouth! So you are just going to let that thing pick a random skill for you?!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "You're not wrong, but if I use 10 Skill Points, then I am guaranteed a rare rated skill or higher. I think it can go all the way up to Divine-rated skills."
Daryle's face paled. "Divine?! You can only get those if a god blesses you! That can't even happen anymore because of Garland, yet you have a chance of getting one?!"
"I already have two Divine Skills. One from Eldros, and one from Gachica, the being that runs all my gacha systems," I explained, but then noticed Daryle was on the ground in the fetal position shaking and clutching his head.
"I am going to lose at everything with this damn guy!" Daryle cried, and Misty patted the side of his shoulder.
"I am pressing the button,'' I said, and almost instantly, Daryle was sitting beside me on another rock that had appeared from nowhere. Poor Misty was just staring at the air she was now patting.
"Let's go!" Daryle cheered, and I laughed, pressing the button.
The box appeared, and the colors started to spin by.
"There is a rainbow one! That must be a Divine Skill!" Daryle exclaimed like a child as one of the prismatic skills rolled by.
"Yeah, but a fat chance of getting it. I will be happy if it is Epic!" I laughed, feeling more excited with Daryle beside me.
The skills started to slow, but then Daryle grabbed my arm. I saw it too, and my heart leapt in my chest. It was slowing down with a golden skill coming up. Both of us held our breaths as the box slowed down on the golden skill, but then it kept going to the next Rare skill.
Daryle's grip on my arm tightened as it stopped at what looked to be halfway between the skill. My heart felt like it was about to explode as we both waited to see what would happen next.
The box slid back to the golden skill, and virtual confetti exploded from the box. At the same time, both Daryle and I jumped up.
"YEAH!" We both cheered like we were watching the MegaBowl and our time had just won. Both of us high-fived, hugged, and then patted each other's shoulders like we had put in a lot of effort to get this far, but then burst out laughing.
"That was the most excitement I have had in ages! Brother! We have to see what you got!" Daryle cheered, and we sat back down, but this time, Misty came and sat in Daryle's lap.
Daryle seemed a bit flustered by this but didn't stop her. I wasn't sure, but I felt like the two of them were getting closer. Not that I disapproved. In fact, it would be in my favor to have them get closer. Though I wasn't cupid, and things seemed to be happening naturally.
I had a new skill to check out!
[Unique Legendary Passive Skill: Soulforge Master]
[Skill Description: Become a master of soul manipulation, allowing the user to shape and forge souls. This passive skill grants the ability to create powerful golems and to imbue objects with sentience using Captured Souls. This passive skill also grants the user the ability to store souls. The user has a 50% chance of stealing the souls of any beings killed by the user. This chance becomes 100% if the target soul wishes to be captured.]
"Is that even possible?!" Daryle exclaimed, but I was reading the description for a third time so didn't miss anything.
This passive skill was just nuts, and as close as you could get to a Divine-rated skill. Even if you ignored the ability to shape souls and bind them to objects and golems, the 50% chance of stealing a soul was still overly broken. It just said beings, meaning that something like this could have the potential to affect even someone like Garland, or other Divine Beings.
The idea of shoving Garland into a clap-on-lamp was a funny one, but this skill was no joke.
"I am just as surprised as you are," I said, closing the window, but another notification appeared that one of my skills had changed.
[Skill Change: Soul Bind ->Soul Surgeon]
[ Skill Description: Form a spiritual connection with a target, creating a link between their soul and yours. This connection allows for shared emotions, limited telepathy, and the potential for unique synergies. Allows user to bind any soul to any Golem or inanimate object, and remove it. Implanted souls have perfect Soul Resonance.]
Daryle was back on the ground with Misty trying to give him words of encouragement, making me sigh, and shake my head. I couldn't really blame him, but I never could have guessed I would get a skill like this.
“Come on, Daryle. We don’t have time for you to be moping around right now,” I said as I took one last look at my skill list.
[SKILLS]
[ACTIVE]
- Identify
- Restore
- Instant Print
- Fusion Artistry
- Paint
- Soul Surgeon
- Guardian Golems
- Material Strike
- Thunderstrike
- Time Dilation Stance
[PASSIVE]
- Arcane Harmony
- Mana Affinity
- Soulforge Master
[DIVINE]
- Eye of Eldros
- Dice of Fate
[18 SKILL POINTS]
It seemed that ten active skills were my max at one time, but that might change as I leveled higher. What I would prefer was a way to delete skills so I could replace them, or make room for a Skill Fusion. Another thing that would probably come with levels.
I turned to Daryle, who was now standing with Misty brushing him off. “Ready to go?”
“And watch you steal some souls? I couldn’t imagine being in another place!” Daryle laughed, seeming to brush his previous mood like it was nothing, making me smile.
“Let’s go,” I waved, and headed for the next tunnel.
