[395] 5.19 The Third Ascension IV

I roll my neck as I finally come to in this dark room.  Someone must’ve turned out the lights here.  The air is far colder than it was when I began my ascension as well.

More notifications slam into my consciousness.  I force all of them aside to focus on my bond with Chloe.  She’s alive and unharmed, thank the goddess, but anxious.

Something must’ve happened.  I don’t know what just yet.  But I will find out, and soon.  Should anyone have threatened Chloe in any capacity, I will ensure that they are brought down.

I clench the fist of my mechanical left arm.  It feels even sleeker and more natural than before.  Perhaps even more natural and intuitive to use as my still biological right arm.  A new impulse follows.  I allow it to take hold and watch with astonishment as the entirety of my body, with the exception of two small slots for my nostrils, is covered in a suit of biomechanical silver armor.

My movements are completely unimpeded by my exoskeleton.  My now-occluded vision seamlessly transfers over my new [Veilsight], which still allows me to see the flow of Ether in the air and my surroundings just as I had been before with [Valkyrion’s Perception].  A quick look at the relevant window also confirms that I also retain the increase in my [Agility] from my previous Skill in full, less the loss of three Skill ranks..

With a small expense of [Ether], I look beyond the material world and into that endless expanse of blue that then proceeds to shift through the entire color wheel.  It’s empty as the void, as to be expected.  I’d be more surprised if there were some sort of structure, as that would mean that there were competent people who’d also learned to not only breach the dimensional boundary, but also start learning specific abilities like [Dimensional Lock] and [Dimensional Seal] to restrain subspace movement.

I take a long and deep breath.  Another sensation hits the back of my mind.  I will it forward, and another pair of screens appear.

[Skill Calculation complete.  Skills combined and allocated as follows.]

I dismiss it.

[You have gained [The Sentinel of Humanity] Class Skill: [Cyber-Sentinel’s Form].  Has the following effects:

1. [The Sentinel of Humanity] may assimilate Ethertech components into her body.  Those cybernetics are considered to be a part of her body, regenerating in accordance with her [Health] regeneration and using her [Defense] and [Vitality] to resist damage dealt to them.
2. [The Sentinel of Humanity] has her natural [Health] regeneration increased by 300% (Previously: 200%)
3. [The Sentinel of Humanity] may, at will, suppress her pain by an amount of her choosing of up to 99.5%.  She may also cancel or modify the amount of pain suppression, also at will.  (This effect partially assimilates her previous Skill [Defiant Spirit].)
4. (New) [The Sentinel of Humanity] may, at will, coat herself in a biomechanical exoskeleton that reduces all incoming damage by 10%.  If this shell is destroyed or lost, it will regenerate over the course of 24 hours.]

Most of this isn’t too big of a deal, though getting a new 10% passive damage reduction is quite powerful.  It’s not quite as effective as a corresponding increase in defense due to how the System calculates damage and applies multiple damage multipliers.  It still beats the hell out of a sharp stick in the eye.

[[Defier of Fates] Class Skill [Death Defied] has been assimilated into [The Sentinel of Humanity] Class Skill [The Undying Warrior] with the following effects:

1. For up to 30 Seconds after her [Health] hits 0, [The Sentinel of Humanity] continues to live.  If her [Health] is brought to above 0 through any means, she continues to survive as though her [Health] had remained at 1.  Cooldown: 9 Hours (Previously: 12 Hours)
2. (New) 30 seconds after reaching what would otherwise be true death, [The Sentinel of Humanity] revives at 10% of her Maximum [Health].  Cooldown: 1 Earth Year]

I stare at the window for a good ten seconds with my mouth agape.  I had just been ruminating about how true death can’t be prevented and my [Death Defied] was about the closest thing to a revival Skill that was known.  Now, I just got handed a true revival Skill on a chrome platter.  Yes, it’s only usable once a year, but it’s once a year more than anyone else I’ve ever heard of.  I don’t dare get my hopes up for whatever else is in store for me.

[[Valkyrion’s Rally] has evolved into [Sentinel’s Standard].  When activated, all allied individuals within a radius of effect of up to 2 Miles (previously: 1 Mile) have their [Strength], [Speed], [Vitality], and [Mind] stats increased by 30% (Previously 20%) for [Level / 2] Minutes.  All intelligent enemies are subject to a [Fear] effect that lowers their base stats by up to 15% (Previously 10%).]

[[Valkyrion’s Defense] has changed into [Humanity’s Protector].  No other changes have been made to this Skill.]

[[The Sentinel of Humanity] Class Skill [Elemental Ether Strike] is unchanged by this ascension.]

Nothing too significant here.  It’s worth noting that I have definitely been underutilizing the stat-reduction effect of what is now [Sentinel’s Standard].  If the [Ether] cost was not so substantial and my [Glyphcasting] was not so expensive, I would make better use of it.  Good to be aware of it.  I have the feeling it will come up soon.

More notifications stream in.  Even these awe-inspiring Skills fail to capture everything I now am able to accomplish.  And I still have an entire additional Class worth of Skills to look through.  Reaching through the new mental sensations I have access to, I pull a new window forward and find myself double-taking at what the window says.

[Your [Defier of Fates] Class Skill [Defiant Spirit] has evolved into the [Unraveler of Fates] Class Skill [The Unbound].  Has the following effects:

1. The [Unraveler of Fates] cannot have her freedom of movement, power, or mind restricted in any manner by any effects of Ascension Level no more than one greater than her own.
2. Any [Mind-Altering] effects targeting the [Unraveler of Fates] automatically fail as long as the Ascension Level of the affliction is no more than one greater than her own.  The [Unraveler of Fates] may, at will, allow herself to be affected by any such Skill or effect.
3. (New) All attempts to divine, track, scry upon, or otherwise surveil the [Unraveler of Fates] through magical or Etheric means automatically fail. (Regardless of Ascension Level)
4. (New) Instant-Death effects targeting the [Unraveler of Fates] automatically fail as long as the Ascension Level of the affliction is no more than one greater than her own.]

It is unfortunate that the complete immunity I thought I had from these effects is not quite as good as it had been advertised previously.  In truth, however, any being over level 160 and able to use Skills at the fifth Ascension level already has more than enough ways to kill or incapacitate me.  As such, the limitations are moot in practice.

[[Defier of Fates] Class Skill [Morningstar’s Triumph] is modified in the following way: When fighting against an enemy with level higher than one’s own, the [Unraveler of Fates] has her base stats increased by [(Enemy Level - User Level + Skill Rank) x (1.2)]%  (Change: x 1.0 → x 1.2)]

A minor improvement.  Again better than a sharp stick in the eye.

[[Rebellious Surge] has changed into [Limiter Removal].  No other changes have been made to this Skill.]

[[Unraveler of Fates] Class Skill [[Infernal] Element Manipulation] is unchanged by this ascension.]

[[Unraveler of Fates] Class Skill [Reconfiguration] is unchanged by this ascension.]

I hadn’t expected any of these Skills to receive any notable changes.  The Skill [Limiter Removal] does sound very similar to my [Overlimit] ability.  I wonder if the Skill will allow others to achieve the same level of strength that I can in that form.  Or perhaps, the Skill will allow me to bring more of the [Overlimit] power out without the negative effects.  Either way, I’ll be keeping a close eye on how it develops.

[You have gained the [Unraveler of Fates] Class Skill [Rewrite Fate]]

My gaze narrows at that final Skill.  Again, this is something that should not be possible.  I’m being forced to completely unlearn everything that I and society writ large have gleaned about the System up until now.

[[Rewrite Fate]: At any time, the [Unraveler of Fates] may choose one individual and anchor their state at that instant.  (State parameters include the target’s [Health], [Ether], base stats, and any effects currently active on the target).  The [Unraveler of Fates] may either force a return to the anchor state at any time, or may set a trigger condition at which point the anchored state is automatically returned to (e.g. State Trigger: target falling below 500 [Health].)  [Rewrite Fate] may be used a maximum of once per 24 hours per target, and thrice per 24 hours in total.]

I blink.  Twice.  I have never heard of such a Skill existing.  It’s not quite time travel, but it’s damn close.  Already I can see the potential.  At a minimum, I can double my effective [Health] and [Ether] values in the middle of a long fight.  I can also just about double the length of any status condition or series of buffs (or debuffs) applied to a target, assuming perfect timing.

But I can also, for instance, use my [Overlimit] then, after it expires, refresh myself of the [Overlimit Fatigue] that follows.  Best case scenario, I might be able to use it to get around Skill cooldowns…  Is it possible even to undo the one year cooldown on [The Undying Warrior]?  I do not plan to do the experimentation necessary to figure that one out.

I take a deep breath and step outside the tiny bathroom where I had sequestered myself to ascend.  It’s pitch black in here as well, in contrast to the Ethertech lighting that was illuminating the cell earlier.  Chloe is there, pacing back and forth, fidgeting her hands.

Our eyes make contact.  She rushes into my arms, and I embrace her, acknowledging her strength while being careful not to lose control as I adjust to my heightened parameters.

“You’re finally done.”  Chloe is nearly in tears.  “I’ve been so worried.”

“I’m sorry to have worried you.  How long has it been?”

“About six hours.  But then about two hours ago, the facility went into lockdown.  The lights went down in the cell an hour later.  People have been scrambling back and forth outside, something about an attack on the outside.”

“And the General?  Has he or anyone else been around since I started my ascension?”

“No one has been here to check on us since we were thrown in here.”

I pull away from our hug.  “Are you ready?”

“Ready to get out of here?  I was ready a minute after we got here.  The hospitality is absolutely horrendous.”

I tap Chloe with [Limiter Removal], then immediately anchor her current state with [Rewrite Fate], setting a trigger condition of her falling below twenty percent of her maximum [Health].  She infuses me with the power of [Saintess’s Blessing], then shields me within [Saintess’s Cloister], after which I anchor my own state in the same manner that I did hers.

“What…  What is this?”

“A new Skill.”  I coat my body in the shell of [Cyber-Sentinel’s Form].  “Another Skill I gained.  And don’t worry, I can dismiss this shell at will as long as it doesn’t get too heavily damaged.  It won’t interfere with anything we might try to do later.”

“Thank goodness.  So, um, where exactly are we going?”

I look around.  There’s a confluence of strong individuals located one floor beneath us.  Strange that they are congregating in the basement.  I would have expected that they’d all be scrambling to defend against whatever force is here.  Unless they’ve been sabotaged by this Apeiron group.  I shake my head.  There’s no sense in panicking about my imagination.

“Do you object to my teleporting down there?  I suspect it will be far faster and less destructive than either finding the path through this labyrinth.

“Oh really?”  Chloe rolls her eyes.  “And are you sure that it’s purely a matter of logistics?  You don’t want to make some big scene and announce your ascension in the most dramatic way possible?”

I just sigh with a smile.  “Okay, fine, Chloe.  You got me.  I totally have a flair for the dramatic in situations like these.  And you love me for it.”

“I love you in spite of it, Sera.”

“Ouch!  That was a low blow.”

“You’re right, and I apologize, my love.  But you’re not wrong either.  It will be a lot easier to figure out what’s going on with one flashy display of power than it will to keep negotiating with the low-level guards until we finally find someone with enough authority to properly fill us in.”

[Veilsight] allows me to optimize my path through subspace.  Then, holding Chloe and activating [Subspace Manipulation], the two of us jump.