Arnold should assume that the "Ascension Pill" version that exists here will be the nerfed version of the item. It was nerfed right after the story expansion to prevent players from cheating.
What was the point of nerfing it in the main story if the DLC was singleplayer? Well, experience points and items could be migrated between the base game and the DLC.
If a player completed the main story then they can carry their progress (items and equipment) over to a new player profile. This is to allow continued enjoyment of the game without the need to grind all over again. The only downside is that you can only migrate progress from the DLC to a new player profile and not an existing one.
There's no restrictions to migrating progress from a player profile to the DLC. The game's difficulty increases but other than that you have nothing else to worry about.
Unlike migrating your progress from the DLC to base game and vice versa, using a cheat item like the Ascension Pill could've ended up with you getting banned since it's deemed a shortcut. The devs decided to withdraw that decision and instead nerfed the item to ensure a balanced and fair playthrough for everyone.
A bitter taste spread on Arnold's tongue when he remembered the influx over thousands of new players suddenly making it to the level cap. The statistics didn't add up so top guilds could sense there was cheating at play.
That started a massive movement where every top guild would raid these cheaters and their bases once caught. Misteltein didn't join in on the controversy since they prioritized raiding dungeons and completing quests to strengthen the guild.
Only Liam would ambush cheaters on his free time to mess with them. Sometimes he would cast Greater Blight, a Twelfth-Rank debuff spell that reduces all damage and health potion effects by 50%. This caused a lot of the dishonest level cap players to leave the game since they couldn't exactly get the developers to help them, lest they expose their cheating.
Arnold continued reading the second page.
· A brief history into this divine item's creation.
-This item was first created during the time that martial gods walked amongst humans. This item shares its history with the very first mortal martial artists who received guidance from the martial gods. One day, there was a gifted traditional doctor. It was a time when magic was alien to mortals so healing magic did not exist at the time. As such, humans relied on traditional doctors.
The creator of this medicine was one such doctor, a young maiden who came from a humble family that consisted of a dance instructor mother and a doctor father. She was much more talented than her father in working with alchemical formulas and making breakthroughs in medicine. She was always top of the class but her classmates alienated her. At a time when status mattered more than anything, commoners were not allowed to proudly show their achievements to those of nobility.
The young maiden was forced to be ordinary, lagging behind all her peers and choosing to rather live a quiet peaceful life as a village doctor than becoming a widely-renowned individual.
One day, news reached her village that the heir of a great martial family had fallen ill and could not practice pure martial arts under the martial gods. This caused chaos across the continent. The martial family was supposed to be the strongest, possessing numbers, wealth and prestige. Without the heir, the political situation got worse over time. The former head of the House promised that whomever could cure his son would receive a lifetime of riches and if it was a woman beautiful enough to be accepted by his son, she would be allowed to marry him.
This created further chaos. On one hand, you could receive an infinite supply of wealth due to your contribution to the family or you can bear the next heir. At the time, the latter was the most tantalizing reward seeing as how many young women wanted to marry into the family, even as a second or third wife. Marrying into one of the most powerful families in the world sounded much more valuable to the maidens at the time.
As such there was a fierce competition between aspiring youngsters and professional doctors.
What could heal the young master, increase his talent for martial arts and help him surpass his limits? That was the young maiden's goal.
After much trial and error and mixing many different ingredients, she finally found the solution: the Ascension Pill, a medicine that is beneficial to those who are injured and martial artists simultaneously.
After some experimentation on animals and monsters, the young doctor came to the conclusion that the medicine could: increase physical strength, boost life expectancy, boost immune system to the point where 98% of known diseases could not harm subjects, and most importantly of all, increase the limitations imposed by mortal bodies.
The young doctor went to the castle of the martial family, stating clearly that she brought the one solution to curing the young master and helping improve his potential for practicing martial arts.
The young doctor was told to stay in the castle until the medicine began doing its work.
It wasn't even a day after that the young heir came out of his coma. His body wasn't emaciated anymore, in fact, it was back to its former state. No, he was even faster and stronger than before he fell into a coma.
The young doctor was brought to the family meeting as the young heir ordered.
With no time wasted, he asked "What do you desire?"
She could not answer him. Wasn't the original reward supposed to be either riches or marriage? All she ever wanted was to help people, even at the expense of her own physical health. As long as her mind works and her hands could move, she would help sick people.
She answered him, "If Milord is eager to know… I would like to help people… I want the best equipment on the market… The best assistants a doctor could ask for… Catalysts and labs across the country—"
She went silent, thinking that her demands were too extreme. Looking up at the young heir and his family members, she gulped.
"I shall grant you all that you desire. However, you must give me the ingredients and methods you used to make that medicine you gave me—"
With a cold stare, he commanded. However, she didn't falter from his gaze. She stood up and, "I apologize but I must refuse."
The whole noble court and the young heir's family grew into a frenzy, calling the young doctor all kinds of slurs.
The young master silenced them all and accepted her answer yet inquired curiously why she would refuse.
"This is something that I alone created to help others. I grew up in a world where I can trust no one anymore."
In truth, she could not reveal the ingredients that she used to create the medicine. She had to order the subjugation of a divine beast just to obtain its heart. At the time, divine beasts were sacred beasts which everyone revered and protected. If she revealed everything right there then their lives would be in danger.
She could not let the creatures suffer for the benefit of man.
"I am a very capable physician so I can assist the medical field in more ways that Young Master can know," she said with resolve, "If a time arises where someone has need of my special medicine then I will decide if it's for the best to use it again."
Years went by.
The young doctor was a big name in the medical field, with her name recorded under the most influential people list.
Although her professional life was nothing sort of a dream, her personal life was in shambles.
Every single person who she worked with hated her. They sabotaged so much of her work, which she was barely able to fix.
One night, while she was sleeping, she was almost strangled to death by an "assistant" of hers.
She killed the assistant and ran.
She ran so far that she ended up in the countryside with only her nightgown on her body.
Not much else is known as to why she ended her life by lethal injection or what led up to that point.
Perhaps she ran to ensure that no one could find her and experiment on her brain?
However, her dying hope was shattered when they discovered her body mere days after her disappearance.
It turns out the young master was responsible for her horrible life.
The young doctor's head was cut off and taken to the very lab that she worked hard to build.
The very students who assisted her in research cut off her scalp and stuck needles into her brain which allowed them to study it.
Soon, magic began emerging that could read a dead person's mind so long as their brain was still intact. The spell could send electro-magnetic waves into the brain that fools it into thinking it's alive.
This is how they learnt how to create an Ascension Pill using only the brain of its original creator.
The martial gods, disgusted by humanity left the world to seek other worlds that may benefit from their power. Thus, the age of the martial ended in HE34.
The young doctor's hopes and dreams were crushed, with her head forever to serve the martial family.
Below is a secret text that she left behind that has all the Ascension Pill's varying effects and the variants of Ascension Pills that can be created:
__
"She's not even named in the book, huh…"
It was kind of sad that no one will know who she is. She lived her life as she wanted but died trying to protect the lives of the divine beasts.
Even if the Soul King didn't hunt the divine beasts for sport, humans would've found a way to cause those wonderful creatures to go extinct.
Arnold heard a ding go off.
· [System Learning] has stored all the knowledge obtained from this section. To create the Ascension Pill or its other variations, gather all ingredients.
Arnold looked at the variants of the Ascension Pill.
He ignored the first one, taking an interest in the others listed below.
Progenitor's Arcane Pill
Increase one's mana reserves and create a working artificial core within one's body.
Arnold silently stared at the status screen.
He's never heard of the Ascension Pill having variations before. Was this just the doctor's own creation or did the developers purposely leave this out of the item description?
Compared to the Ascension Pill, the Arcane Pill does two things: created an artificial core and increases mana reserves.
How much mana would this core be able to take? Is it a temporary core that only lasts until the item's usage runs out? Will the mana stay inside his body?
These were his initial questions. Why waste something as important and rare as a "Divine Beast" heart to get temporary stat buffs?
If the amount of mana gotten from this Arcane Pill only amounts of a few thousand then it's not worth it.
Even some of the heavier-hitting Twelfth-Rank spells cost at least 4000 MP to cast.
The Ascension Pill literally does what its name means, it decreases the limitations imposed on your body.
For Arnold who could only use Aether for a few seconds before risking his body imploding within itself, the Ascension Pill was a more tantalizing investment. Even if he could only increase the duration to five seconds, he could make it work with his speed.
Of course, people on Gederick's level would still be impossible to defeat.
"It looks like a sub-class is my only hope, after all…"
· System updated!
· Patch notes: Rewards for NPC Ladiath's future quest [Kill Suarif Elipis and obtain its soul] has been changed from "Receive any skill of your choosing" to "Common Grade Sub-Class Sorcerer"
· Reward will reflect in system's journal once the quest has been started.
"Eh?"
◇◇◇
"How are you feeling, lass?" the innkeeper approached Rafaela's table just as she was done with her second bowl of noodles.
She wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked up at the man in confusion.
"I'm fine, why?"
"Your boyfriend told me to get someone to help you clean up so I had one of my daughters go upstairs. She said that when she began undressing you, she felt your body burning up and you were sweating profusely. You were also frowning a lot and gritting your teeth. It sounds like more than just a fever to me."
"…."
'So that's why I smell like soap and all the sweat is gone. I thought Arnold was the one who washed me…'
If she were to be honest, she wouldn't have minded if he was the one who washed her.
But it would still be embarrassing for her since she was dirty.
"Girl?" the man called out to her again.
"Sorry, uhm, I just have irregular chest pains, is all. It's nothing serious."
"Haha, is that so? I thought your heart was cursed by a witch or something. I've seen many crazy things in my years to find that one a possibility."
Rafaela smiled awkwardly before the man walked to another table.
Someone else suddenly sat down as if they were invited.
"Hey, what do you think you're—" Rafaela's eyes widened just when she was about to shoo the person away.
"E-Elder Brother Yvernus…?" Rafaela gulped when she saw the golden eyes and green hair under the cloaked figure's hood.
Yvernus, an archangel who is also the head of all the disciples who serve the Sky God.
All the angels serving Rafaela's master calls him "Elder Brother" instead of "Lord" or "Your Excellency". This is because he is very close to their master. Not to the point of lovers but they share a special intimacy that transcends touch and love.
He was flesh and bone and she a humanoid doll, therefore a normal relationship was impossible between them.
Rafaela could not utter a word in his presence.
Why is he here–that question will soon be answered. An archangel doesn't just leave their assigned duties to go on errands. There's always a good reason—possibly one that could concern all mortal life—for them to show up in front of mortals.
The handsome young man took off his hood, drawing the eyes of all the women currently in the inn. He smiled, revealing his perfect white teeth.
That smile was anything but friendly.
"Divine Law states – any angel who forfeits his or her role, serving a disciple who serves a divine being, shall be punished by either the god who their master serves or someone with a higher rank than their master in the divine hierarchy. This rule was implemented to prevent tampering of evidence and interference from an angel's master."
Rafaela lowered her head, silently trembling.
So he was here for that reason.
"I took you for an obedient, aloof type who does what her superiors tell her and lives a quiet life, not caring for freedom from serving one such as the Sky God. It appears I was mistaken. You defied the teachings that were etched into you the day you were brought under your master's service and committed a grave sin. The gods are not happy. Their judgmental gazes, I can feel it on me even now. They blame me for what's to come."
"P-Please hear what I have to say—"
"Silence."
"…."
Yvernus' smile was gone, replaced by a cold stare.
His voice was soft but the pressure it held was almost unbearable for Rafaela.
"Before I reveal the truth of how angels come to be, I must remind you that each and every one of you is valuable to the divine realm. We now rely on creating angels since their birth rate is so pathetically low. Be that as it may, creating angels is not an easy process to go through. One must possess a strong soul that can even withstand divine ascension, either to a demigod, god, archangel or angel. 70% of those who are put through the process perish and end up going back to the River of Souls, a slave to fate that will never show them mercy or kindness—not now, and never in a million years. We are left with a measly minority of souls who can ascend. None of whom have shown that they can ascend to true godhood—until you came along."
"…."
"You bear the seed and potential to take the place of the 'Mother of Nature and Plant', the birth mother of the World Tree. That seed is now corrupted, unsuited for any form of ascension."
Rafaela, who her comrades saw as just a low-ranking angel, was actually the one who would've succeeded the Elven Mother, the deity who created the World Tree that connects all nine realms through its roots. It's unknown if there are others like her out there.
Ascension to godhood is usually how gods are born outside of conception but it's extremely rare for a soul to inherit the potential to replace a god.
"The time for the ritual was nigh but now there is no seed to nurture, effectively ensuring that balance will not be restored on the divine realm in this century. Destruction looms as Goddess Nateur's condition worsens."
"…I didn't want—"
"What you want or need is irrelevant to the grand scheme of things. The realms as we know it will be impacted by your idiotic decision to sever your chance at godhood. The Mortal Realm will collapse due to this, the World Tree will lose its creator and the realms will go dark. The divine realm will perish last, however, not before the Progenitor takes control of all nine realms, becoming one with all of its parts and ensuring doom for us all. It will be free to obtain the vessel that will grant it all its powers."
The Progenitor, a being of unfathomable power. It was so powerful that the Timeline Gods had to split its being into several parts and scatter them across several locations on the world they're imprisoned on. Each of them are trapped within sacred relic tombs that can only be unlocked from outside.
If it escapes and finds its true vessel then the Divine Realm will be plunged into war again.
"Ragnarok is now inevitable because of you. Yet you feel no remorse for your decision." Yvernus said with a disgusted expression.
The World Tree will fall.
The realms will collapse, sealing off all nine gates to the realms.
The outer gods of the Between Realms will be free to invade the mortal and divine plane.
And finally the Progenitor will rule over all, plunging the realms into a Kazarick Funtor or, when translated from Godorin, fanning the flames of a Realm War - "Ragnarok".
Yvernus' expression softened. He leaned back.
"I know it is a heavy burden to bear. No, that is merely understating it. It is the greatest burden any being could bear. I assured you countless times that I would be there by your side as your consort once you ascend and the Mother controls your body. She does not desire to replace you, merely to coexist within your body, with her as the host. The Sky God would also have supported you. We mistook your silence for acceptance—no, more like obedience. The fault lie with us as well for pushing so much responsibility on you."
"May I speak…?"
He nodded.
"…I didn't know this before I found out the truth but… all I wanted was to live a normal life as a mortal with only the responsibility to find the purpose for my life."
"Which truth do you mean? How you were once a sacrifice to your own people who were trying to stop a demon lord from wiping them out?"
Of course he knows. He was there the day Rafaela was reincarnated as an angel.
"Yes…"
"You should've run the day your people sacrificed you."
"How could I have thought about that…? I was a child... looking to the adults for answers…"
What did that child think when she saw the gigantic magic circle approaching their village?
-"The adults will surely know how to fix this"
They thought they knew.
Yvernus inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"You have two choices: redo the ceremony that made you an angel. This has the slight chance of restoring your seed to its former self. If it doesn't succeed then you will serve your master in silence. Or the second choice, break free of your master's services and become a prisoner because you disobeyed and broke the divine law."
Rafaela's body trembled.
There was no way out of this.
Why did she ruin her life so?
For freedom? How laughable. There's no freedom for someone such as her.
Yvernus was right. Her silence wasn't acceptance, merely a testament to how loyal she was to the Sky God before.
The two choices are:
1. Even if she doesn't restore her seed, she will still become an angel and forced to slave away for many more centuries until her untimely death or if Ragnarok falls on this realm for some other reason. During that time, her mind will stay in intact, remembering the day she was murdered every night.
2. She is treated as a Divine Criminal and imprisoned on a world within the divine realm, treated the same as the Progenitor who swore to kill the gods.
"You are certainly hurting but I see no tears." Yvernus' expression showed compassion, "I have important matters to attend to so I cannot take you to your master's world at the moment. Keep following the paths we've set up."
That's it? No comfort, words of encouragement or condemnation?
Even a curse word would shake Rafaela's will at this point.
Something… Just say something that will help me make my choice.
Yvernus stood up.
"I also wish you didn't have to bear the burden of succeeding a god, however, feelings must not get in the way of destiny. Now you must bear the consequences of your actions. Forever."
Yvernus' tone was much gentler now. He patted her shoulder and walked away.
Be imprisoned or participate in the ceremony again with hopes of restoring her divine seed.
Those were the only two options for her future.
There isn't even a third option.
No, there is one…
Rafaela picked up the knife which she had been using to cut meat.
She pointed the blade at herself. Her hands trembled under the table cloth.
One strike to the neck and it'll all be over.
Suddenly she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. His hand wasn't gripping her shoulder but it felt powerful and made her feel safe.
Her grip on the knife loosened when he spoke.
"I don't know who that was or what you were discussing so I won't interfere," Arnold said with a poker face, "But if you feel like talking along the way, I'll be here."
"…." Rafaela dropped the knife on the floor and looked up at him, "Mm…"
Rafaela couldn't muster a smile at this point. But maybe Arnold already knew?
His hand left her shoulder and she couldn't help but feel a feeling of loneliness wash over her.