Oh, hello there, Lev 'grinned' to himself as memories rushed in, temporarily unlocked for him to know how the previous evolution went. He was once again in the homely emptiness.

We meet again.

// WELCOME, ADEPT.

// YOU HAVE QUALIFIED FOR AN EVOLUTION.

// YOU MAY PROCEED WITH IT AT ANY MOMENT.

Sorting through the memory of his previous evolution sent a jolt of shock and sorrow down his being. Knowing that none of the billions of humans had survived, and that nobody was waiting for them out there, hurt far more than he expected, even if the outcome was already likely.

"Can I still ask questions?" Lev asked the empty void surrounding him.

// YOU MAY.

// THE SAME CONDITIONS APPLY.

So, still only two of them, Lev noted and started brainstorming. There was little he wanted to ask about, so he went with the most obvious ones.

"Will the venture to secure the center of the plains help our chances?"

// THE IMMEDIATE CHANCES, YES.

// HUMANITY'S GREATEST ENEMY REMAINS NOT THE DENIZENS OF YOUR LANDMASS, BUT THE BEINGS THAT MAY COME FROM OUTSIDE. NONE OF YOUR KIND HAVE THE POWER TO DEAL WITH THEM.

// RELOCATING WILL IMPROVE THE SECURITY OF YOUR CITIES CONSIDERABLY, REGARDLESS.

Outside? Of the Continent or of Monarch?

"I see. As long as it helps," he figuratively nodded to himself. "My second question is, how do I empower my soul further?"

// THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS TOO VARIABLE TO PROVIDE HINTS FOR.

Okay, well. That's that.

"Then… what can I do before evolving to Ascended to help humanity as a whole?"

// HONE YOUR CRAFTING CAPABILITIES.

// IN TIME, WITH ALL YOUR MANA CAPACITY AND REGENERATION, ALONG WITH YOUR WILLPOWER, YOU WILL NO DOUBT GAIN THE ABILITY TO RELIABLY CREATE RARE AND EPIC ITEMS.

// DO NOT HESITATE IN DISTRIBUTING THEM AMONGST YOUR KIND.

// EVERY SINGLE SURVIVOR COUNTS FOR HUMANITY, A RACE WITH LIMITLESS EVOLUTION POTENTIAL.

Lev held back a wince at the answer. Crafting was obviously going to be his next main aim, but the goal presented by The System was going to be so prohibitively expensive.

"Can I ask about Chaos?"

No answer.

It wasn't unexpected. He was asking something far beyond his station, and the lack of an answer was already the best-case scenario. Lev wouldn't have survived if the System took offense to him knowing things he shouldn't have known.

"Since I'm gonna forget about everything else anyway, proceed with the evolution."

****

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Lev opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, searching for anything unusual. He was met with disappointment when nothing stood out, negating any chances of his soul randomly improving even further.

Sherron's head hovered halfway above his face, smirking down at him.

"I wasn't going to miss any abrupt growth this time, Mr. Anomaly."

Lev just rolled his eyes and focused on the notifications. It took a herculean effort to ignore all the obvious changes in his body and keep his eyes on the System prompts.

[

Mana Tempest has evolved into Arcane Maelstrom

Arcane Maelstrom has reached Level 251

+50 Constitution

+100 Wisdom

+100 Intelligence

+50 Perception

Class Benefits:

Mana Capacity is increased by 250% and Mana Regeneration by 100%.

The range of manipulation granted by the Intelligence attribute is quintupled.

Barrier formation is more efficient. Durability is significantly enhanced.

Infusion and Imbuement are a vital part of your constructs and are aided accordingly.

Barrier formation is permanent.

****

Arcane Barrier Manipulation has evolved into Arcane Barrier Authority.

Arcane Barrier Authority - 3rd Level 8:

Shape arcane barriers anywhere inside your manipulation range, regardless of distance. Barriers formed are 206% more resilient. Control over arcane barriers improves with the skill level.

Arcane Barriers gain the following benefits from the skill:

- Sharpness of your formed edges is increased by 78%.

- Speed of your projectiles is improved by 78%.

- Your connection with the barriers is greatly enhanced, allowing you to utilize and track them better.

2nd Rank: Imbue and Infuse different mana types through different sources dictated by your class skills. Mana Conductivity of your barriers is improved by a static 50%.

****

Colorful Destruction has evolved into Wrath of the Arcane.

Wrath of the Arcane - 3rd Level 9:

Imbuement and Infusion. Your barriers readily accept mana of all types as their conductivity is engineered to handle large amounts. Teleport your elements into any barriers within your manipulation range as long as they remain under your supervision.

Control over different mana types stored in your barriers is significantly enhanced.

2nd Rank: Your destructive attacks absorb ambient mana to increase their potency by a static maximum of 75%.

3rd Rank: The effects of Perception are further improved for mana types inside your barriers.

****

Barrier Armor has evolved into Arcane Protection

Arcane Protection - 4th Level 1:

Cover your form in an unyielding armor of the arcane, protecting you from your foes. Durability of your armor is enhanced by 300%. Overload the construct with mana to double its durability at a moderate cost and increase its receptivity for enchantments.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

2nd Rank: The skill now has a passive portion. Command your armor to settle into an invisible and intangible form, primed to defend you from unseen attacks at all times.

Durability is reduced by 50% during the passive state.

3rd Rank: Loss of durability from extensive carving is significantly reduced.

****

Rapid Infusion has evolved into Expeditious Empowerment.

Expeditious Empowerment - 3rd Level 9:

Rapidly channel various mana types into your barriers with precision. Speed and efficiency of channeling are improved by 109%

2nd Rank: Intricate control over infused elements is drastically improved, allowing them to be swiftly cycled through enchantments with increased efficiency.

3rd Rank: Negative effects of infusion and imbuement are significantly reduced.

****

Heavier Lifting has evolved into Arcane Passage.

Arcane Passage - 3rd Level 9:

Zip through the air as your armor is adjusted for flight, increasing your flight speed by 178%.

2nd Rank: Imbue different mana types to empower your flight even further, depending upon the chosen element.

3rd Rank: Overloading your armor further improves your control over its movements, allowing for unparalleled flitting and seamless evasion.

****

Mage Conduit has undergone a linear upgrade.

Mage Conduit - 4th Level 1:

All Barrier Manipulation is 210% more effective. Increases Intelligence by 160%.

2nd Rank: All Mana Manipulation is 210% more effective. Increases Wisdom by 160%.

4th Rank: Rune activation and control are greatly enhanced. Precision of enchantments is heightened.

****

Your title has been upgraded.

You have earned a new title: Master Pioneer.

Master Pioneer:

At the age of 14 Monarch years, you are the youngest human to evolve past Adept without breaking any rules of Mana. The accomplishment has been noted.

+35 to all Attributes.

]

Lev closed his eyes as the attributes hit him all at once. 180 from his Youngest Prodigy title, another 210 from his new Pioneer Title, and 300 of them from the evolution.

Holy shit… he thought to himself as his mana pool kept expanding and expanding, first from the attribute points, then from their increasing effectiveness. It swiftly ballooned to five times the previous pool's size before going much further beyond. Mana regeneration followed, rapidly filling it at an eye-watering pace.

Then he clenched his fists, sensing the great strength in his limbs. Despite the lack of any physical skills, he felt that he could punch through iron walls with his bare hands and kick down massive trees with his legs.

"It didn't evolve," Lev announced to the waiting company. "But the specialty skill did see a massive improvement. Might as well be a full evolution."

"I don't think that mattered any longer with your titles," Alec voiced. "Go on."

"Okay, so the evolution now focuses heavily on infusion and imbuements…"

Explaining took a long time. Everything had changed, be it the main focus of the class or how he was going to approach it from now on.

Permanent Barriers was the simplest and expected change. The small text explaining the new addition disgustingly underplayed its importance, as Lev would've been far stronger with that power even if his class hadn't evolved.

His armor, combined with the evolved flight skill, saw some massive improvements. Not only did overloading improve the formations carved on it, but it also enhanced his control over the entire construct to a large degree. A huge change that Lev wasn't expecting but loved nonetheless.

All arcane barriers also saw not just one but two increases in raw speed, as well as one in sharpness and penetration power. Their durability was also much higher, something Lev sorely needed.

Then came the largest upgrades. Any and all mana types in his armor and barriers were going to be almost like his domain now, instantly swirling to obey his commands. Two different skills enhanced his control over them, as well as increasing his Perception for all mana inside his barriers.

Conductivity also saw a sizable boost, which was especially useful for his armor. Enchantments also benefited nicely, primarily from the upgrade before that. His Mage Conduit skill also further improved handling of runes, giving his overall capabilities a decent boost.

And finally, there was his gigantic mana pool and the matching regeneration. It was so unbelievably vast now, he just basked in its glory for several silent minutes. Nobody disturbed him after Lev was done explaining, letting him savor the moment to his heart's content.

"Is the evolution supposed to be so strong?" he questioned and opened his eyes.

"Take a guess," Sherron snorted. "Try sending out your aura."

He belatedly realized that controlling his aura and growing his willpower were possible now. Closing his eyes again, Lev searched inwards for a way to. Seconds passed as nothing stood out to him before something gave way. He pounced on the new sensation, finding it oddly malleable and receptive.

The best he could describe it was a cloud of dense… something surrounded him, one that was struggling to control itself, let alone follow his command. Willpower, which was much sharper than before, immediately overwhelmed its resistance and allowed Lev to control the aura.

Grabbing hold of it as best as he could, Lev followed his new, budding instincts and tried to throw it out into the room. His mana followed, mixing in with the aura and empowering it even further.

A pressure suddenly enveloped the bedroom, proudly displaying itself in front of the spectators. Already, it was comparable to a strong second-threshold monster, whereas Lev hadn't even tested a single skill of his new class.

Focusing harder, he injected more emotions into the aura rolling out. Pride, arrogance, and unbridled joy infused the presence coating the room, increasing its potency even further.

Lev opened his eyes and met Sherron's. Her face sported a smile just as excited as his own, expressing her thoughts and happiness clearly. Alec also looked on with a wide, predominantly proud smile. Orianna was wiping the corner of her eye, just as proud as her friend, as she gazed upon Lev with a tender smile.

"Okay, get up," Sherron said and pulled him off the bed by the arms. Lev almost stumbled to the ground, just barely catching himself because of the massively improved physical attributes.

"Hold on, where are we even going!?"

"The Dreadwoods, of course. Show me what you can do now."

Lev didn't even get a chance to argue as she dragged him outside and kidnapped him with her bubble.

****

Everything feels so… odd. Lev looked around as time seemed to move much slower. As usual, his Perception was pretty high for his level, but the increased effectiveness of attributes had enhanced it considerably.

As a result, the people far below Alec's bubble, the one they had now switched to, seemed to be walking in slow motion, as if struggling through a viscous liquid. But that wasn't the case, and they were merely moving forward without any hindrance. Only, if they walked at 95% of the usual speed when he had evolved to Adept, they now walked at 70%.

"What's the usual Perception for a new Master?"

"Usually around 300, with a 100 - 120% boost unless the class specializes in it, in which case it's way higher. What does yours look like?"

Lev brought up his newly improved status to check again.

[

Name: Lev

Class: Arcane Maelstrom - Level 251

Titles: Reinforced Mind, Extraordinary Soul, Youngest Prodigy, Goliath Slayer II, Daunting Steps IV, Champion Delver, Hunter, Seen, Survivor I, Titan Slayer, Master Pioneer

Attributes:

Strength: 240

Dexterity: 240

Constitution: 585

Intelligence: 705

Wisdom: 865

Perception: 575

Class Skills:

Arcane Barrier Authority - 3rd Level 9

Unerring Volley - 3rd Level 9

Wrath of the Arcane - 3rd Level 9

Arcane Protection - 4th Level 1

Superior Senses - 4th Level 1

Expeditious Empowerment - 3rd Level 9

Arcane Passage - 3rd Level 9

Mage Conduit - 4th Level 1

General Skills:

Advanced Mana Manipulation - 2nd Level 10

Identify

Aerial Maneuvers - 2nd Level 10

Mana Perception - 2nd Level 10

Arcane Archery - 2nd Level 10

Barrier Carving - Level 2nd Level 10

Wanderer's Repository - Level 4

Crescent Decimation - 2nd Level 10

Self-Taught Beginner Glaive Mastery - 2nd Level 2

]

"575 currently, with a 210% boost. Kind of sad that the skill didn't evolve, but it was pretty good already, I guess."

He summoned his armor after that. No longer was it called "Barrier Armor", which was also regretful. Lev liked the simple name. As it appeared around his body, he closed his eyes and felt all the changes unnoticeable to the naked eye.

Much more durable… but the base conductivity was lowered even further, Lev observed with a small frown. The authority skill still improved it quite a bit, at least.

The advanced enhancement formation was slowly carved on the front of his armor as Lev took in the extent of the upgrades. Before powering up the formation, he instead overloaded the armor.

Mana surged into the protection construct like a river, filling up its deep reserves required to overload the armor. Yet, there was so much more of it where the mana came from, it wasn't even funny. Lev was dumping a large amount into it every second, but his regeneration still covered the cost almost immediately.

It was ridiculous. He couldn't wait to start leveling again.

As the mana seeped deeper into his armor and overloaded it, a profound change took place in Lev's mind. His connection with the armor strengthened, amplifying both his control over its movements and the formation carved on it. Arcane Passage joined in, empowering it all even further. With a thought, the enhancement formation was easily powered to full and effortlessly primed by his vastly boosted willpower.

Moment of truth…

Exploring the armor skill even further, Lev flipped the switch. The armor flickered and vanished, settling into an intangible form that still protected him.

"It worked!" Lev exclaimed and laughed. His armor, despite being in the passive state, was still overloaded, and the enhancement formation was still running at full power. Supplying mana was still as easy as before, which meant that, with enough Wisdom and willpower, Lev could indefinitely run all the extra effects on his armor in its secondary stage.

Alec walked closer as they flew out of Windkeep, circling him and observing the new addition from multiple angles. Despite being intangible and invisible, the mana channeling into the armor was still easily noticeable, even if it just… disappeared into something after leaving his pool.

"Marvelously hidden," his mentor commented, impressed. "I can't feel even a hint of your armor anymore."

"That's good, right?"

Alec nodded absentmindedly. "What are the downsides?"

"Half durability," Lev replied, his excitement lessening a notch.

"That's pretty tame," Alec remarked in his lecturing tone. "Such skills usually come with severe downsides. A flat reduction in durability would've been nothing if you weren't a combatant."

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