"Hmm," the Ordinate said as she finished reviewing his upgrades. "This vow skill is certainly unusual."

"I thought so as well," Alarion agreed, pretending as if she were the first one to say as much.

ZEKE had ranted and raved when Alarion had shown him the upgrade. He had long been critical of Alarion's use—or rather lack of use—of [Self-Motivated]. Of all Alarion's skills, it had the most wasted potential; perhaps because it had the most potential to begin with.

The truth was, that potential was the problem. The ability to grant himself quests opened so many possibilities that Alarion often found himself paralyzed by the options. Every time he assigned a quest, outside of his standard training regime, he worried he was setting his sights too high or too low. Complicated quests risked breaking the skill with an impossible task, or penalizing him heavily for failure. Unfortunately, lowering those risks often made the rewards so meagre that he might as well not have bothered.

Zeke hated the upgrade, but Alarion felt relieved. This was more his style, more direct. Less open-ended or versatile, but far more practical, in his opinion.

"You hardly need us to tell you this, but use it early and often—whenever you can. Your previous file indicated that you hoped to modify your Single-Minded flaw into a virtue, is that correct?"

Alarion's expression darkened at the question. Sierra had been the one to suggest the idea, back when he'd selected [Stubborn Swordsman]. It was indeed something he was working toward, but like all his goals, it seemed impossibly distant.

"That is the goal," Alarion said after taking a moment to collect himself. "You think this will help?"

"It is a skill intrinsically linked to your flaw, so we would think so." She flipped to the next page and quickly skimmed the details. "We have little to say about Unraveller's Sight. A competent upgrade with a sympathetic component. We would expect nothing less from the Orphan."

He scowled at that, but to his surprise, she responded with a Cheshire grin before continuing.

"Let us talk about your new skills."

Last Stand [Epic]

Description: When death looms closest, your potential surges to unimaginable heights. Faced with your final moments, you push beyond the limits of your Awakened body and, if nothing else, you make sure to take them with you.

Requirements: The ability to remain functional below 0 HP (Currently granted by Pig-Headed Resilience). VIT – 750.

Type: Active. Enhancement.

Effects: The user may activate this skill once per day when reduced to negative HP. Immediately increase all attributes by a moderate amount for the duration of this skill. Add 400% of adjusted WIL to the total HP calculation for determining maximum negative HP for the duration of this skill. This skill has an unlimited duration, but immediately ends when the user's HP becomes positive.

Growths: VIT +6. STR +6.

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Sympathetic Manipulation [Exceptional]

Description: The ties that bind are both a source of power and vulnerability. With Sympathetic Manipulation, you take your first steps on the road to altering, strengthening, or unravelling those ties.

Requirements: The ability to perceive sympathetic bonds (Currently granted by Unraveller's Sight). INT – 500. WIL – 500.

Type: Passive/Active.

Effects: Through intense effort, this skill allows the user to strengthen, alter, or unravel existing sympathetic bonds over the long-term. Additionally, this skill allows the user to temporarily forge or sever existing connections as a form of attack, allowing them to weaken, influence, or even damage others.

Growths: INT +4. WIL +4.

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Fatebound Curse [Rare]

Description: By weaving the threads of destiny, you can bind another to the dregs of your reality. Every action they take is doused in the weight of your avoided misfortunes, and every choice they make carries the seeds of calamity.

Requirements: LUK – 3000.

Type: Active.

Effects: By channelling a variable amount of MP, this skill allows the user to create a unique sympathetic bond with the chosen target. For the duration of this skill, the target's LUK attribute is reduced by an amount equal to that of the user's LUK attribute. This can result in a negative attribute for the target. The target does not need to have the LUK attribute for this skill to function. The strength and duration of this skill vary depending on the amount of MP spent and the full attribute total of the target compared to that of the user.

Growths: LUK +10.

They were, in Alarion's opinion, the best of an exceedingly strong batch. [Last Stand], for example, had competed with [Unshakable Spirit], a similar enhancement skill that would have drastically increased his willpower and vitality in exchange for consistent HP loss. Given how close he'd come to losing his life because of a mental attack, Alarion was in the market for a way to defend himself from such assaults. The other skills had similarly enticing options, which had left him agonizing over the decisions for days.

There was only one skill that had been the no-contest winner.

"We must say, it is refreshing to see skill selections more advanced than Basic Mana Manipulation, or Weapon Mastery," said the Ordinate.

"Where would you like to begin?" he asked.

"Fatebound is the oddest of the bunch," she answered. "Last Stand is a boosting skill with some extra caveats. Interesting, but we have little to say on the matter beyond a warning."

"Which is?"

"With your current attributes, you can go as low as -2,663 HP. But we would not recommend staying there. Last stand increases your ability to take punishment, but the injuries that result will be far more significant."

Alarion felt a twinge in his side, a lasting reminder of the wisdom in her advice. His body had healed as best it was able, but there was a reason he woke up sore and started every day with half an hour of stretching.

"As for Sympathetic Manipulation, its rarity may be exceptional, but the skill itself is shockingly common. The only advice we can provide is to locate a suitable tutor."

"I already have one in mind," Alarion said.

"Fatebound, then. Have you had any opportunities to test it?"

"There is a nurse I am not especially fond of."

The Ordinate searched his expression, then frowned. "We trust you are joking?"

"Mm."

"Good. With your obscene levels of luck, we would advise against using the skill against anyone lower than half your UCL. Using it against a civilian could very well ruin their life, if not end it. The resulting charges would be a stain on your record."

"It can not be that powerful, can it?" Alarion protested.

"We are, perhaps, a touch out of our wheelhouse on the subject, but it is our understanding that negative attributes are no laughing matter. Negative luck scales far more quickly than positive."

ZEKE had mentioned nothing of the sort, but Alarion wasn't surprised. Luck was an uncommon attribute, even among Vitrians, and almost unheard of among the Steelborn. While his mentor had considerable knowledge of the System, he tended to ignore facets that were unlikely to be helpful to a Steelborn. As he had yet to fully recover his [Infinite Library], ZEKE's knowledge on the subject was fairly minimal.

"That is… good to know. Thank you."

"Our pleasure," she replied.

The two spent the next several minutes going over the details of Alarion's newest skills. She offered insight into the practical application of sympathetic manipulation and some interesting trivia about the ongoing gambling legislation regarding those with the luck attribute, but eventually they got back on track.

"Instrument Mastery-"

"It is a hobby," Alarion stopped her. "Unrelated to my service."

"Ah. Well, then, as we discussed previously, you have a skill available for your fourth Orphan milestone. Since you have yet to select the skill, you are under no obligation to disclose your available options. However, we make ourselves available for any insight we can provide into the selection. Would you like our assistance?"

The words were formal and rigid, a script she had no doubt repeated time and again. Under Vitrian law, he had a right to these appraisals and to her advice. He even had a right to be informed of those rights.

"Not at this time."

"May we ask why?"

The question brought him up short. He'd had a similar conversation once before, while waiting to select [Dimensional Evasion]. The Ordinate at the time hadn't even looked up from the page when he refused, let alone questioned him.

"I have already settled on a preference," he said honestly. "But the skill has… complications that I am still weighing. It is the obvious choice, but it may be more trouble than it is worth."

"Nothing illegal, we hope?"

"No," Alarion told her, glancing at his own Status where the skill in question was highlighted. "Nothing like that."

Shared Burden [Unique]

Description: Potential is often a double-edged sword, as those blessed with talent are burdened with expectations. Some wilt under the attention, others flourish. While your path remains to be seen, this skill guarantees you will not walk it alone.

Requirements: Orphan. UCL – 100. Aptitude – 220.

Type: Passive/Active.

Effects: This skill bolsters the Aptitude of allies with whom the user shares a positive, sympathetic bond. The amount bolstered will increase along with the strength of the sympathetic bond. The amount bolstered will decrease with distance. The amount bolstered increases with levels in this skill. The amount bolstered is inversely proportional to the ally's existing Aptitude, and their total bolstered Aptitude will never exceed that of the user. The user may actively sever the bolstering effect for any individual or group.

Growths: Free Points + 100.

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