I managed to settle my companions down, though with the expansion of our group, we needed a few extra rooms. I decided not to share with anyone—partly to avoid sparking another battle, and partly to take a moment of respite. Truly, it was incredibly difficult for me to rein in my impulses like that.
But the most important reason, of course, was to check the Soul Records of my newest companions. That included Pyra as well, since I hadn't had a single moment to rest and plan for the future. That changed now.
I called upon her Soul Record first.
Name: Pyra
Race: Ifrit [Awakened]
Age: 56
Origin: Aetherflame Alchemist [Transcendent]
Rank: ???
Attributes
Strength: 205Agility: 295Vitality: 587Intelligence: 1540Perception: 775
Talents
[Essence Infusion - S][Alchemical Growth - S][Molecular Reconstitution - A][Potion of Immortality - A][Alchemical Restoration - B][Ashen Cloud - B]
Pyra's Soul Record manifested before me in a shimmer of electric glow. I disregarded her race and age, focusing instead on her Origin: Aetherflame Alchemist.
She was similar to Tania in that regard, being more focused on creation than battle. Her talents were primarily geared toward alchemical creation, if their names were anything to go by. I decided to examine them one by one.
The reason, of course, was to find a suitable talent for myself. I had made two mistakes in the past—one by choosing Blood Monarch over Immortal, and the other by selecting Runic Enhancement over Flame of Creation. I had no intention of making another.
Essence Infusion, one of her two S-Rank talents, allowed Pyra to channel Mana into her products to enhance their potency or grant them new properties. Alchemical Growth, on the other hand, accelerated the growth of any plant, mineral, or living organism to an astonishing degree. The only limitation of this otherwise broken ability was the need for constant contact and an immense supply of Mana.
Molecular Reconstitution gave Pyra the ability to break down materials at a molecular level—whatever that meant—and reconstruct them into entirely different substances. From what I could infer, it enabled a form of matter transmutation, but within strict limits. She couldn't simply turn dirt into Mana Stones, for example. There were rules governing the talent, though I lacked the expertise to discern them completely.
Her next talent was what truly caught my attention—Potion of Immortality. It was a rare and unique ability, making Pyra my most valuable companion by far. If word of it were to spread, her mere existence would incite chaos. If there had been beauties in history for whom men waged wars, then this talent was certainly worthy of the same.
The key difference between it and the Immortal talent was that the latter only applied to its user, while the former extended its effects to anyone beneath the same sky. Essentially, everyone.
In comparison, her B-Rank talents were underwhelming. Alchemical Restoration allowed her to partially or complete repair of broken or damaged items, while Ashen Cloud served as her sole combat talent.
The latter was somewhat interesting. It enabled her to summon a smoke screen capable of confusing and disorienting her enemies. Additionally, it doubled as a protective barrier, shielding her from unwanted or hazardous substances produced during alchemical operations.
I had to admit, none of the options appeared particularly enticing me. They were excellent in their own right, but to me, they seemed somewhat out of sync. I decided to set my dilemma aside and check the other two Soul Records first.
First was Luna's.
Name: Luna
Race: Wolfkin [Awakened]
Age: 106
Origin: Twilight Stalker [Mythic]
Rank: ???
Attributes
Strength: 314Agility: 1165Vitality: 472Intelligence: 178Perception: 774
Talents
[Hunter's Mark - S][Night's Embrace - A][Ghost Walk - A][Shadow Veil - B]
Luna's Soul Record appeared just as I had anticipated—at least up til her attributes. I immediately noticed two differences. First, her Origin level was only Mythic, a rarity lower than Transcendent. Second, she possessed a pitifully small number of talents.
Hunter's Mark, her sole S-Rank talent, was an offensive ability that allowed her to mark a single target, reducing their defense by half. However, it could be dispelled by a powerful mage or if the difference in strength was simply too vast.
Night's Embrace was another offense-focused talent, increasing her attack power by an additional 30%.
Ghost Walk was perhaps her most intriguing talent. It granted her the ability to phase through solid objects, achieving a state of temporary intangibility for five seconds. The drawback, however, was its immense Mana consumption.
Shadow Veil was her only defensive talent, enabling her to summon a wall of shadows that could absorb both physical and magical attacks. In rare instances, it could even reflect a portion of the attack back at her opponent.
Despite the lack of versatility in her talents, I found myself facing an even greater dilemma than when I had examined Pyra's Soul Record. Luna's abilities simply seemed far better suited for me.
I finally called up Cassia's Soul Record.
Name: Cassia
Race: Foxkin [Ascended]
Age: 392
Origin: Phantom Sorcerer [Transcendent]
Rank: ???
Attributes
Strength: 314Agility: 1165Vitality: 779Intelligence: 1849Perception: 277
Talents
[Void Mirage - S][Phantasmal Array - S][Mirror of the Abyss - S][Dark Rift - A][Shadeform - A][Spectral Touch - B][Shadowflare - B]
I had to admit, Cassia's Soul Record was the complete opposite of Luna's. For one, she was a Foxkin. But beyond her race, her Origin was rarer, and she possessed more talents than anyone else I had encountered. Not even Amara had this many.
And three of them were S-Rank.
I focused on the first—Void Mirage. With this talent, Cassia could weave nearly impenetrable illusions, distorting her surroundings so completely that her targets would be drawn in without even realizing it. They wouldn't know how or when they had died.
Utterly dreadful.
Phantasmal Array, being her second S-Rank talent, summoned illusory soldiers no different from real ones in appearance. Though they were unable to inflict any harm, they were also impervious to damage. They were useful for confusing the enemy—an excellent crowd-control talent.
Her last S-Rank talent was called Mirror of the Abyss, and it was by far the most dreadful talent in her repertoire. In essence, it could summon a mirror capable of imitating the targeted individual to a perfect degree. Anything the target did, the mirror could do as well. Every attack, posture, and even their very presence—the mirror could replicate it flawlessly.
The only downside of this ability was that it depended on the Intelligence attribute and the difference in it between the user and the target. Not to mention, it drained Mana as quickly as a sieve at the bottom of a bucket.
Dark Rift was the talent Cassia had displayed when she was wary of us. It allowed her to open a rift in space-time, summoning a vortex of shadow and distortion. She had held back in the room, mostly because she couldn't afford to escalate, but also because the attack was tremendously vicious.
Compared to that, her other A-Rank talent—Shadeform—allowed her to become intangible and invisible. She could move through solid objects in this state. However, unlike Luna's Ghost Walk, Cassia could still be harmed if struck by a sufficiently powerful magic attack.
Of her last two talents, one was called Spectral Touch, which allowed her to partially become intangible. The true strength of this talent, however, lay in its ability to siphon life force or corrupt the target's mental state.
Shadowflare, on the other hand, caused a burst of shadow energy capable of blinding, disorienting, and even temporarily paralyzing the enemy. It was a powerful talent, especially useful in situations where escape was necessary.
Having scrolled to the bottom, I was overcome by indecisiveness. They were excellent talents, indeed, but that only made it all the harder. I had so many options and so few choices—only three.
In the end, I decided to put off selecting one and lay on the bed. The day was nearing its end, the sun cleaving toward the horizon. So much had changed, so many things had happened, and yet I had very little knowledge of the world beyond my own little pond. I didn't want to keep it that way.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly.
Soon, I promised myself. Soon, I would find the answer to my questions.
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