Seeing his newly acquired Title and the amount of AP he had, twice what he should have, most of Cairn's misgivings about his situation waned. He was sure he would have nightmares for at least a few weeks, maybe even months, but he would live.
Before anything else, Cairn donned his newly acquired [Ookami's Visage], finding it similar to an expensive FD-VR headset. It had soft cushions that conformed around his eye sockets like a pair of pliant goggles, and there was even a mechanical whir as the ocular functions initialized, providing a remarkably crisp and noticeably broader view of his surroundings.
"Man, this thing is even better than I thought..." remarked Cairn. A normal person's field of view was around 180 degrees, but the [Ookami's Visage] endowed him with vision comparable to a wolf, allowing him to see 250. It would take some getting used to, but once he did, it was just one step shy of having eyes in the back of his head.
"It does appear to possess a remarkable degree of quality..." noted Kaia, her voice notably subdued due to the [Medium Experience Crystal]s Cairn had gifted her. She was still hoping he would take them back, but he did the opposite, staring at her through the glowing red eyes of the mask and asking, "What are you waiting for? Eat up."
Exhaling a defeated sigh, Kaia brought the first crystal to her lips and took the tiniest of bites. To her surprise, the flavor was identical to a [Rainbow Carrot], her favorite fruit. Cairn was also staring at her as if waiting for her to finish, so after a final bout of hesitation, Kaia steeled herself and ate all seven crystals.
--------------------------
Name: Kai'ankh
Species: Karukut
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Title: Neophyte(Talent Rate+100%)
Class: Neophyte(Rare)
[Attributes]
Level: 12->18/88(85,095/85,925)[Neophyte(18)]
HP: 5,200/5,200
MP: 14,846/14,846
Str: 20->25
Agi: 103+57->133+48
Vit: 80+18->110+39
Int: 125+30->167+60
Dex: 55->60
Cha: 69+16->75+27
Talent(s): [Goddess of Light's Blessing(12->18/20)], [Corruption Resistance(12->18/20), [Karakut Physiology(12->18/88)], [Hunting(22/83), [Spearmanship(17/76)], [Shield Mastery(13->15/64)], [Throwing(9/39)]
Skill(s): [Light Healing(7/10)], [Purification(4/10)], [Strong Kick(8/10], [Leap(8/10)], [Charge(7/10)], [Shield Bash(6->7/10)], [Fling(5/10), [Piercing Blow(3/10)], [Javelin Toss(3/10)]
--------------------------
Seeing Kaia's final Status, Cairn couldn't help reiterating, "Your Int and MP scaling are insane. You've gotta be some kind of prodigy."
Though it couldn't be seen beneath the thin layer of fur covering her face, Kaia blushed slightly at Cairn's compliment. She was fairly accustomed to receiving praise, but Cairn's crass, informal manner of speaking made his words seem more sincere. It was very strange.
"So, what now?" asked Cairn, mentally toggling the Visibility option in his Equipment Tab to make his helmet vanish. He didn't mind its appearance, but it made conversing awkward.
"What do you mean?" asked Kaia, tilting her head slightly.
"I mean, now that we've cleared the Guardian Chamber, is there anything else we have to do?" asked Cairn.
"Not in particular," replied Kaia, directing her gaze to the far side of the chamber and pointing at a massive metal door as she added, "If this were a normal Dungeon, we would be able to access the Dungeon Core. But, as you can see, the Kingdom has long since sealed it off."
"Hmmm..."
Staring at the giant slab of dark blue metal, covered in a complex array of magic circles, Cairn summarily dismissed the thought of trying to access the Dungeon Core. Instead, he returned to his Status and focused on the [Awaiting Selection] icons in his Talent and Skill List, saying, "Since I just reached Level 10, I'm going to need a few minutes to peruse my options. You should get some rest, even if you don't need it."
Shaking her head, Kaia plainly stated, "I'll stay awake. And if you need my assistance or opinion, please ask."
"Suit yourself..." replied Cairn, focusing on the [Awaiting Selection] icon in his Talent List. Passive Abilities were far more important than Active Skills, so Cairn opened the notably expanded list of Classes and focused on the twelve Legendary options.
-----------------------------
[Sword Saint]
[Peerless: 5% boost to all Stats as Level increases]
[Weakness Exploit: Guaranteed Critical Strikes when targetting Weak Points]
[Archmage]
[Mystic Mind: Mana increased by 1000%. Int is boosted by 10% as Level increases]
[Wellspring of Mana: Mana Stockpile boosted by 10% as Level increases]
[Great Sage]
[Heavenly Divine Body: Damage Mitigation boosted by 100 as Level increases]
[Monkey See, Monkey Do: Increases comprehension, making it easier to learn a variety of Skills and Abilities]
[Overlord]
[Allied Growth: 100% Talent Growth to Familiars, based on the total number possessed]
[Animal Magnetism: 10% boost to Vit/Dex/Cha as Level Increases]
[Dragon Soul]
[Draconic Assimilation: Boosts stats based on the number and type of Dragon Souls consumed]
[Lord of the Forest]
[One With Nature: Boosts stats based on the number and type of animals the user had befriended]
[Territorial: When fighting within an established territory, all stats are increased by upwards of 100%. When fighting elsewhere, this bonus is lost]
[Divine Smith]
[My Fist is a Hammer, and My Heart is a Flame: Experience acquired when forging is increased by 500%]
[Discerning Eye: You can see the vulnerabilities and imperfections in metals and forged equipment]
[Archfiend]
[Demonic Resilience: Enhances the Archfiend's resistance to physical and magical attacks, reducing incoming damage from all sources]
[Infernal Presence: Exudes an aura of darkness and fear, causing nearby enemies to experience reduced accuracy and lowered morale]
[Grand Plunderer]
[Nimble Fingers: Dexterity increased by 20% as Level increases. Also boosts the success rate of lockpicking, pickpocketing, and sleight of hand abilities]
[Illusory Presence: The Grand Plunderer leaves behind a faint illusion while performing thefts, making it harder for others to detect their presence or notice stolen items missing]
[King of Beasts]
[Enhanced Instincts: You can sense danger and the presence of other creatures.]
[Natural Born Hunter: Your stats increases up to 50% while hunting.]
[Seraphic Knight]
[Celestial Blessing: Vitality increased by 10% as Level increases. HP regenerates over time.]
[Divine Presence: Inspires courage and confidence in allies, boosting their morale and increasing their resistance to fear and intimidation effects]
[Dread Corsair]
[Conqueror of the Seas: Vitality, Dexterity, and Charisma increase by 10% as Level increases]
[Cursed Aura: Exudes an intimidating aura that strikes fear into the heart of your enemies]
-----------------------------
"So this is what it feels like to be spoiled for choice..." muttered Cairn, finding some options more appealing than others but seeing the potential of all the listed Talents. After what he had just gone through, [Heavenly Divine Body] was definitely near the top of the list, but the scaling boosts provided by [Peerless], [Mystic Mind], [Overlord], [Celestial Blessing], and [Conqueror of the Seas] were likely better. Damage Mitigation was one of the most broken attributes in the virtual world, but it was only truly useful if you planned to soak a ton of damage...
As most correctional Talents started at Rank 0, they were less useful the later you obtained them. Cairn 'really' wanted [Heavenly Divine Body], but a 300% cumulative boost to key attributes was far more useful in the long run than an extra 1,000 Damage Mitigation. Thus, after several minutes of contemplation, he resolved himself and chose [Animal Magnetism] as his Level 10 Talent, confirming it started at Rank 0 and was capped at Rank 90. That meant that once he reached Level 100, he would benefit from a cumulative 900% increase in Vit, Dex, and Cha, drastically improving his HP, reaction speed, general athleticism, and appeal.
("Now, onto Skills...") thought Cairn, repeating the previous process, but this time the list was even longer, denoting tens of thousands of Skills to choose from. Fortunately, the list could be filtered by Class, so Cairn did exactly that, narrowing his options to the Skills associated with the twelve Legendary Classes from before.
-----------------------------
[Sword Saint]
[Attack Aura (1/10): Increases P. Atk by 10%*Level]
[Defense Aura (1/10): Increases P. Def by 10%*Level]
[Aura Sword (1/10): Increases Attack Range by 10%*Level]
[Archmage]
[Magic Boost(1/10): Increases M. Atk by 10%, M. Def by 20% and P. Def by 10%*Level]
[Chant Omission MAX: Instantaneously cast a spell at twice the Mana cost and half the efficacy]
[Town Portal(MAX): Automatically teleport to the most recently visited Warp Portal]
[Great Sage]
[Fiery Eyes(1/10): Increases Fire Resistance(10%) and allows the user to see through weak illusions]
[Cloning(1/10): Creates between 1-10 clones of the user with 10-1% of their total stats]
[I, Your Father, Carry a Big Stick(MAX): Increases damage with Staves and Polearms by 500%]
[Overlord]
[Domination(1/10): Force a living being with less than 10% of their Health to submit. The number of entities you can force to submit increases by one every ten Levels]
[Familiar Storage(MAX): Familiars belonging to the user can be placed in a revitalizing sub-space that prevents hunger and will gradually restore Heath and Mana]
[What's Yours is Mine(1/10): The user can utilize the Skills of their Familiars as if they were their own]
[Dragon Soul]
[Dragon's Majesty(MAX): Boost Cha by 500% for 300 seconds]
[Dragon's Visage(1/10): Stuns a target within view. If the disparity between the user and the target's Level is greater than 20, there is a small chance of Instant Death Effect]
[Dragon Scales(1/10): Produces scales along the arms and legs, increasing Elemental Resistance and improving Physical and Magical Defense based on the number and types of Dragon Souls consumed]
[Lord of the Forest]
[Natural Healing(1/10): Increases Health Regeneration of a target by 100%]
[Forestwalk(1/10): When traversing forested regions, Movement Speed and Stamina Regeneration is increased by 50%]
[Beast Form(1/10): Transform into any animal the user has sufficient knowledge of]
[Divine Smith]
[Divine Forge(1/10): The user can mass-produce any items they have personally forged so long as they have the required materials. Mass-produced equipment is always two Ranks lower than the original piece]
[Material Storage(1/10): Minerals and loot items can be placed in a sub-dimensional pocket for use in the Divine Forge]
[Soul Infusion(1/10): The user can infuse their Experience into the items they forge, strengthening them further]
[Archfiend]
[Dark Embrace(1/10): Conjures dark tendrils to ensnare and immobilize enemies, rendering them vulnerable to further attacks]
[Hellfire Blast(1/10): Unleashes a devastating blast of hellfire, inflicting massive area-of-effect damage to enemies caught within the flames]
[Demonic Transformation(1/10): Temporarily assumes a monstrous demonic form, granting increased physical attributes, resistance, and access to devastating demonic abilities]
[Grand Plunderer]
[Pilfering Touch(1/10): Allows the Grand Plunderer to steal small items or valuables from unsuspecting targets without being noticed]
[Shadowstep(1/10): Instantaneously teleport a short distance, bypassing obstacles and gaining a tactical advantage during thefts or escapes]
[Smoke Bomb(MAX): Releases a cloud of smoke, temporarily obscuring vision and allowing the Grand Plunderer to disappear into the shadows or confuse enemies]
[King of Beasts]
[Bonechilling Roar(1/10): Unleash a booming roar with a 10% chance of inflicting Paralysis on targets weaker than you. Effect diminishes over distance]
[Predatory Gaze(1/10): Targets in your sight have their attributes decreased up to 10% depending on the difference between your Levels]
[Seraphic Knight]
[Divine Smite(1/10): Unleashes a powerful strike imbued with holy energy, dealing increased damage to evil or corrupted beings]
[Shield of Justice(1/10): Raises a divine shield that absorbs incoming damage and reflects a portion of it to the attacker while providing temporary immunity to persistent damage.]
[Wings of Retribution(1/10): Temporarily transforms into a spectral form of an Archangel, granting increased speed, enhanced damage, and the ability to unleash devastating area-of-effect attacks]
[Dread Corsair]
[Conscription(1/10): Siphon an opponent's soul and transform them into a Conscripted Wraith. Conscripted Wraiths possess 10% of their original stats]
[Boarding Assault(1/10): Empower self and allies when conducting naval battles and raids]
[Cursed Cutlass(1/10): A spectral cutlass that has a 1% chance of inflicting Adverse Status Conditions on the target, including Instant Death]
-----------------------------
("I'm starting to regret choosing Jack-of-All...") thought Cairn, albeit insincerely. Having more options was better than being forced into an inflexible route. With that in mind, Cairn spent the better part of three hours discussing his options with Kaia before eventually choosing the Skill he believed to have the greatest long-term potential...
-----------------------------
Name: Adam Masters
IWN: Cairn
Title: Fledgling Hero(Growth Rate+100%)
Class: [Jack-of-All]
[Attributes]
Level: 10(33,038/36,890)
HP: 1,060/1,060
MP: 260/260
Str: 10
Agi: 28->30
Vit: 23->40
Int: 10->14
Dex: 21->30
Cha: 50->60
AP: 0
Talents: [Slow Start, Endless Potential(10/100)], [Never Say Die(MAX)], [I Can Do It Too(1/10)], [Animal Magnetism(0/90)], [Pain Tolerance(9/100)], [Disease Resistance(4/100)]
Skills: [Insight(MAX): 1MP], [Domination(1/10): 200MP], [Sophistry(1/10): 50MP], [Penny-Pinch(1/10): 50MP], [Gamble(1/10): 10MP]
--------------------------
...
..
.
(A/N: For those who are curious, even if Cairn doesn't place any additional points into Cha, he'll have 1,080 by Level 100. Cumulative stats boosts are crazy)