Chapter 5 - Arts

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1. Dark Arts Legacy of Sithrius, Evoker of Evil

Rick's original Dark Arts, brought from his first life as the evil deity Sithrius, are rooted in shadows and corruption, with dominion over negative powers and entities. Although they give him incredible power, there is a massive danger of being sucked back into Sithrius's dark mindset; they're difficult to control, especially as he tries to balance good and evil within himself.

1. Veil of Shadows - Basic manipulation of darkness, creating shadows and illusions.

2. Corruptor's Touch - Infuses anything he touches with corruption, weakening it.

3. Dark Bindings - Chains of darkness that can trap enemies and drain their energy.

4. Despair Wave - Emits an aura that saps hope, weakening the resolve of enemies.

5. Nightmare Projection - Can summon and project illusions of fear and despair.

6. Soul Rend - Direct attacks at the soul, breaking down a foe's spirit.

7. Dark Dominion - Control of weaker dark entities, shadows, and corrupted beings.

8. Void Surge - Power to summon pure darkness, capable of devouring light.

9. Chaos Manifest - Summons chaotic dark energies that destabilize space around him.

10. Eternal Abyss - Opens a portal to the Abyss, a void that devours everything within range.

Rick's Current Level: Dark Bindings

In Soothing Corruptor's Touch and Nightmares Projection, Rick's Dark Arts can immobilize his enemies without needing brute force. However, as he exercises these abilities, the danger of reigniting Sithrius's dark impulses that have complicated his quest for balance looms large.

He became a dragon lord in his second life, mastering the arts of Dragon Arts, where he combines physical and elemental prowess. These powers come from his primal dragon soul that helps balance his Dark Arts to give him raw physical strength, elemental resilience, and ancient wisdom.

1. Dragon's Breath - Basic elemental breath attack, adaptable according to surroundings.

2. Scales of Aegis - Summons protective dragon scales, enhancing defense.

3. Draconic Strength - Enhanced physical strength beyond human capacity.

4. Wyrm Flight - Enables short-flight range with levitation abilities.

5. Ancient Roar - It lets out an agonizing roar that paralyzes or frightens enemies.

6. Elemental Adaptation - Capable of adapting to and handling elemental energies.

7. Primordial Fangs - Dragon claws and fangs for close-combat mastery.

8. Heart of the Dragon - Resistance against psychic and spirit attacks.

9. Elder's Vision - Primal truths and hidden energies reveal themselves.

10. Dragon Soul Awakening - Full unlocking of his dragon powers, channeling pure elemental fury.

Rick Current Level: Ancient Roar

Rick wields Draconic Strength and Elemental Adaptation. He is a well-rounded warrior who can adapt to a variety of environments. Dragon Arts stabilize his soul, holding him grounded when the Dark Arts seek to sway him toward darkness.

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3. Emotion Arts – Mastery of Love

Rick managed to master many of his emotional powers in past lives but couldn't understand the full depth of love. His poor knowledge of love has resulted in a partial mastery of Emotion Arts, which makes him prone to making wrong relationships and gets him into making connections that do not really build.

1. Empathy Sense - Basic sense of what people feel.

 

2. Fear Infusion - Ability to give fear, increases it in other people.

3. Anger's Fury - Focuses anger to unleash devastating attacks.

4. Happiness Boost - Can transfer and boost happiness to allies, boosting morale.

5. Passion's Flame - Focuses deep passion into his power, intensifying strength.

6. Trust Bond - Can form a bond of trust, making allies more loyal.

7. Grief's Shroud - Places an area under the shroud of grief, demoralizing enemies.

8. Desire Manipulation - Influences desires, but love is hard to catch.

9. True Love Perception - The ability to feel and know what is true love.

10. Heart of Eternity - Absolute mastery of all emotions, but the core of love

Rick Current Level: Manipulation of Desire

He did not achieve true love that would help him progress in mastering Emotion Arts. He may be in control of the other emotions but, of course, he does not reach Heart of Eternity without love's knowledge.

For Rick to really unlock Emotion Arts completely, he has to learn what love is beyond the emotions' surface. Connections that form will challenge his previous life of self-centeredness.

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4. Soul Levels and Meditation Levels

With Soul Levels already at Eternal Soul and Meditation Levels at Spirit Enhancer, Rick's soul and mind are fortified; however, to balance Dark and Dragon Arts effectively, he'll need Astral Traveler (Meditation) in order to project and observe without being influenced by his darker tendencies.

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The system spirit gives Rick tasks to integrate his skills and explore Emotion Arts at deeper levels:

1. Dragon Soul Awakening: He has to infuse his Draconic power to balance out the darkness, which will help him to contain Sithrius's influence.

2. Dark Dominion: As Sithrius, he ruled dark forces with ease. Rediscovering this power will challenge his ability to resist evil.

3. Learn Love Through Task Trials: Elara sets up emotional trials for Rick to experience and connect with love in its forms: friendship, loyalty, and sacrifice to reach True Love Perception.

4. Become an Astral Traveler: Develop a non-attached mindset for complete mastery of power as he uses his meditation skills with spiritual stability.

These powers, training stages, and tasks from the system will make Rick face both his strengths and the deeply ingrained darkness from his lives. His mastery of Emotion Arts and Dragon Arts will balance out his dark heritage and will give him a realistic but challenging path to both power and self-understanding.

These levels represent mastery over the Dark Arts, enabling Rick to tap into increasingly destructive and sophisticated dark powers. Each level challenges his will power, with the risk of becoming lost to Sithrius' influence if he probes too deep and does not balance it in return.

1. Shade Initiate: Basic command of darkness, including manipulating shadows and minor illusions.

Abilities: Veil of Shadows, Corruptor's Touch.

Skills: Dark Bindings, Wave of Despair

Dark Channeler: His power deepens now that he can project intense fear and amplify despair.

Skills: Nightmare Projection, Soul Rend

Chaos Weaver: Unlocks the skills to harness chaos energies that destroy the reality around him.

Skills: Dark Dominion, Chaos Manifest

Eclipse Lord: Masters near total control over dark forces as they can bring forth darkness strong enough to devour light.

Skills: Void Surge, Eternal Abyss

6. Sithrius Ascendant: Achieve maximum potential of the Sithrius's dark essence. Corruption is horrific, but it lends one godlike control over darkness.

Abilities: All previous-level abilities at maximum potential, and further influence over chaotic forces

 

 

Rick's Current Level: Void Channeler

Dark Bindings are used constantly with Nightmare Projection, meaning he can immobilize the foe through fear. Being a Void Channeler, Rick has control that could distribute despair and influence, though he feels himself strongly tempted to sink deeper into the ill will of Sithrius.

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Dragon Energy Levels (Draconic Power)

The Dragon Energy Levels is when Rick's physical and elemental endurance develops in harmony with his primitive dragon nature. As one moves higher, he develops his body more, increases his elemental flexibilities, and gains colossal powers of the draconic power.

1. Scaled Novice: Gained protective scales and develops further in his physical strength

Abilities: Dragon's Breath, Scales of Aegis

2. Elemental Adept: Ability to use elemental attacks plus adjust to any environment

Abilities: Draconic Strength, Elemental Adaptation

3. Wyrm Sentinel: Enables limited flight and intimidation.

Abilities: Ancient Roar, Heart of the Dragon

4. Primordial Guardian: He can mold his surroundings with elemental manipulation and instill fear.

Abilities: Primordial Fangs, Elder's Vision

5. Dragon Sovereign: This is commanding pure elemental fury, including mastery over physical and mystical dragon traits.

Abilities: Dragon Soul Awakening, full mastery of all previous abilities

6. Elder Dragon: Possesses the highest rank of draconic power, containing cosmic insight and highly resistant invulnerability.

Abilities: Has complete mastery, including the power to control elements, resilience, and ancient lore related to dragons

Rick Current Level: Wyrm Sentinel

He loses Draconic Strength and Elemental Adaptation. He is more sturdy and adaptable in environments. Ancient Roar scares enemies away, whereas Heart of the Dragon quiets his mind against the influence of mental intrusions, which is very vital under the influence of Sithrius.

It so means that Rick must take equilibrium between Dark Energy and Dragon Energy so that Dark will never overpower him. Any achieved Level of Dark Energy demands equivalent advancement in Levels in the Energy of the Dragon: maintaining his powers balanced because balance is the path into which he must tread when handling his conflicting nature-that thin line between good and evil.

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As Rick treks into the woods, creeping chill sets in. There, from the mist comes forth a dark creature. It appears like liquid shadows that pour in, and eyes glint an unnatural red. A Shadowfang Wraith it is-the manifestation of fear and despair.

Rick could feel that the creature is feeding on his darkness. The creature lives on the malice of his past. The wraith shoots towards him with a shriek cutting the silence.

Using Dark Energy - Shade Manipulation: Rick puts out his hand, calling forth the shadows from around him into his hand. He throws out a wave of Despair, super-charging the wraith's darkness to rebound off the wraith itself. The thing stumbles, caught on its own dark reflection.

Using Dragon Energy - Draconic Strength: Rick moves forward with the strength of the Scaled Novice level resistance and unbridled power as the wraith writhes about, his scales forming down his arms for protection. He tears through the wraith with a powerful swipe and sends it back into mist.

The creature is defeated, dissipating into wisps of darkness. Rick feels an increased confidence, but also some of the pull to the dark power of Sithrius.

Rick continues through the forest and there's the next creature: a huge Emberclaw Basilisk slithering forth from behind the boulder, with scales burning like the embers. Its eyes sparkle with a petrifying gaze that can turn any weaker being into stone.

Knowing that true sight would paralyze him instantly, Rick calls forth his Elemental Adaptation of shielding his vision, the dragon instincts taking over completely. He feels the overwhelming heat but fights it inside, his body adapting to support the blistering temperature.

As the basilisk lunges, Rick calls out the Chaos Manifest technique, which brings chaotic energy swirling around him. This destabilizes the creature's fire-based attacks; its flaming breath is now just embers.

Rick moves in on the weakened and disoriented creature.

He utters an Ancient Roar, which shakes mountains, draconic force magnifying his voice waves. This force sends enough shock to disrupt the concentration of the basilisk that it just manages to throw a go at him.

Emberclaw Basilisk falls into a heap, its fire dying. Rick, scot free feels his draconic force is now stabilizing against the chaotic forces he commands himself.

Just as Rick is almost about to catch his breath, he can sense a dozen shiny eyes emerging from the blackness. All of Feral Etherhound pack, huge, nearly lycanthropic creatures whose very existence shifts in between the physical and the spiritual, starts encircling him. Snarls crackle as they zigzag around, leaving afterimages in the air.

Rick needs to slow them down; he summons Nightmare Projection, sends images of their worst fears into their minds. The hounds hesitate, some retreating as their vision distorts.

But a few remain focused, shaking off the illusion. Rick shifts tactics.

Rick's hands now became hardened and strengthened by the fangs as he returned the bites of the hounds. Every blow of his would send one of the hounds crashing down.

In his final step, Rick linked his Void Channeler to Dragon Energy. Dragon energy went out all around him in a swirling mass of darkness, making an aura that disabled the Etherhounds. The rest of them dissolved in the chaos and strength of the dragon.

The pack is defeated, and their forms recede into the shadows of the Nexus Realm. Rick is still unscathed but empowered because he is so skilled at both dark and dragon powers; however, there's this lingering whisper urging him on toward greater and darker power through Sithrius.

With the creatures defeated, Rick stands alone in the misty forest, power swirling around him, dark and draconic energies settling like an unsteady balance. The encounters push him closer to the realization of his dual nature—both destructive and protective, chaotic and resilient. As he walks away, Rick can feel the Nexus Realm responding, the time-flow bending to grant him years within days as he prepares for the trials ahead.