Chapter 54: Evolution, the Second

Apocalypse Redux

Congratulations! You’ve managed to reach the second Evolution Threshold.

Based on your current achievements, Skill Levels, and Aspects, you have unlocked several new Classes. If these options do not satisfy you, you may choose to leave this screen and continue to rack up more prerequisites, but you cannot increase your Level beyond 25 until you evolve your Class.

Here are your possible Class Evolutions:

Prismatic Mage (epic)

Magic is the single most versatile tool in any human’s arsenal … and far too many just use it as what boils down to, in effect, a gun. Oh, and maybe a shield, too. Kinda sad, really.

But at the same time, there are also those whose first thought upon learning something new is “how can I weaponize this”? And, while that is probably an indictment of the human condition, it is also unquestioningly true, and rewards its users with this Class, which grants abilities focused on obtaining and using magic of as many types as possible, always using the perfect one for a given task.

Stellar Captain (legendary)

Stellar is a word with several meanings, all of which apply to the holder of this Class, describing not merely their area of operations but also their (perceived) brilliance as the commanding officer of their ship.

Though perhaps their most outstanding attribute is their ability to find trouble, should they feel life is too … unspectacular.

Space is big and mostly empty, even within a single star system, which will only be one of billions in a given galaxy, and only a fraction of the stars in the galaxy have anything even remotely interesting about them, all of which combine to form a recipe for long, boring, monotonous exploration, with excitement being a once a decade occurance with a lot of luck.

Of course, finding trouble is not the only power of import here, as the Stellar Captain’s craft will be made capable of surviving said trouble, assuming they are wise enough to wait a while before seeking it.

The Stellar Captain is, in the end, an adventurer, traveling across the stars to explore the weirdness of the universe, to seek new hornet’s nests to whack with sticks and boldly prove that there is nothing you can’t try at least once …

Naval Prodigy (rare)

There are many kinds of tactics.

Aggressive ones.

Defensive ones.

Tricksy bullshit that has the enemy looking in the complete opposite of where you’re punching them upside the head from.

And there are many ways to learn said tactics. Formal education, informal mentorship, learning by doing … instinct (something desperately grasping at straws during a sudden crisis and unexpectedly coming up with the right solution can often be mistaken for).

Ultimately, the exact source of brilliant tactics does not matter, so long as they are created in time, something the Naval Prodigy excels at, not only using the right tactics at the right time, but also coming up with new ones where the common doctrine falls short or is too predictable.

Studious Captain (epic)

“A nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and fighting done by fools."

— Thucydides

That is an issue the bearers of this Class seek to fix.

The Studious Captain spends their entire life learning.

Learning what?

Literally everything. Oh, sure, they might start with the important stuff, how to command, how the ship works, etc., but they quickly proceed to studying languages, foreign cultures, and eventually even begin to go after the ideas behind those things.

Until they are able to, in due time, handle any situation. And if there is any profession that requires such a complete grasp on the complexity of the universe, it is that of the starship captain braving the unknown.

Knowledge is your weapon, knowledge is your shield, knowledge is the hammer to forge your tools, and the oil you temper it all within.

Know all. Use all. Never make a mistake unless you face a true out-of-context problem.

Warp Mage (legendary)

Space should not twist like that. Yet, it does.

For all that magic can overrule the laws of physics in almost all respects, dominating reality where it is used, the overwhelming majority of “normal” uses leave the universe as a whole largely untouched.

But even that is not sacrosanct; space itself can be warped into just about any shape that is desired, yet at the same time, there are limits, starting with the fact that one typically cannot warp anything within objects, and overall, directly defeating one’s foes purely through manipulating the distances between objects can be hard.

Even so, is there anyone who’d actually be willing to fight an enemy that can get you entirely turned around in the opening microsecond, be anywhere at the drop of the hat, move you with equal ease, create a topsy-turvy mess of even the most flat and regular expanse … I mean, a sucker is born every minute, so probably. That does not take away from the sheer absurdity of spatial magic’s potential.

This Class not only grants powerful spells directly, but also grants enhanced control over spatial effects, vastly expanding both strength and versatility, as well as removing certain limitations ordinarily rendering spatial manipulation “safe.”

Alright. Several options, all good, but some were better.

[Prismatic Mage] was solid, but potentially underwhelming, considering that [Phantom Limb] helped with the multicasting, but overall, it being epic, rather than legendary, was the only real “blemish” on the face of an otherwise perfect [Class].

[Naval Prodigy] was flattering based on its name, but the fact that it was only rare let Derek know it wasn’t quite as good as it sounded, likely owing to the fact that most of his “tactics” had been abusing the fact that his opponent did not have magic.

Meanwhile, [Studious Captain] was cool but likely a variation on Derek’s first [Class], and it was equally likely that the gains from doubling down would be minimal.

So, surprise surprise, the only options he was seriously considering were the legendary ones.

[Stellar Captain] and [Warp Mage].

He wanted both.

He couldn’t.

Which was unfortunate.

One was a naval [Class] that would both guide him throughout the incomprehensible vastness of space and empower the ship that allowed him to do so.

The other would make him a true powerhouse. Spatial magic, as strong as it was, tended to have very few direct offensive applications. It was wonderful at allowing other kinds of magic to strike at ranges they normally couldn’t reach, or come from an unexpected angle, or simply throw the other guy into the sun, but for all the nasty tricks you could get up to with it, you typically needed something else to do the actual damage. Something it seemed like [Warp Mage] would fix. Also, the enhancements to space travel that the [Class] would be sure to give would be invaluable.

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It was certainly a personal upgrade of the highest Level.

Standing against it was something focused on his ship and travels. The guidance and vessel-upgrades were obviously the two Central [Skills], didn’t take much to deduce that. Beyond that … honestly, it could offer him just about anything, but it was sure to be good.

Hopefully.

Though a point in [Stellar Captain’s] favor, he was perhaps weighing a little more heavily than it really deserved was the fact that its nature as a space-based naval exploration [Class] would let him start earning XP from what he was doing out here.

Ultimately, what cinched it was the fact that this was only his 2nd Evolution. Both [Classes] would make him far stronger, but only one would help him keep getting stronger [Classes] in the subsequent Evolutions. Also, getting something like [Warp Mage] in the future seemed much more doable than earning himself a [Stellar Captain] equivalent for another damn fool stunt like the one he’d just barely survived.

So that was what he picked.

[Stellar Captain].

Stellar Captain

Central Skills

Call of Adventure

Vessel of Legend

Skills

Fractal Beams

Energy Screen

Defer Consequences

Starship Aspect

Perfect Self-Sufficiency

Flash Forward

Captain’s Claim

Danger Radar

Smuggler’s Pocket

Perfect Universe

Stellar Instinct

Personal Arsenal

…

All around, a solid selection of [Skills], even if it would take a while to be able to afford them, considering that during the 2nd Evolution, he’d only get two [Skill]points per Level, something that would then drop to one during the 3rd, with the fact that the Evolutions would cover more and more Levels not really helping all that much.

He wanted most of them, though thankfully, there were several he could rule out right away, making the choice somewhat easier.

For example, [Defer Consequences] allowed him to, well, defer the secondary effects of damage to the ship, up to and including preventing the entire ship from being destroyed by a ruptured reactor or holding in the atmosphere even with half the hull gone.

But those were things Mimi could do, and much better at that.

Or [Perfect Self-Sufficiency]. It did exactly what it said on the tin. It made them perfectly self-sufficient out here, and effectively turned the Dragonfly into a Van Neumann machine that could be rebuilt from scrap metal, or start an entire modern tech base if that was what it came to … which was stupidly overpowered, yes.

But also, if shit hit the fan that thoroughly, the likelihood that he’d still be alive to use this [Skill] was vanishingly slim. Furthermore, they’d be able to get shockingly far even on their present capabilities alone. Building something that could get them home, certainly.

It was perfect for colonizing and ship repair, yet overkill for anything he could realistically need, not to mention that, while dismissing the need for emergency [Skills] was a bonehead move, someone who assumed they’d fail probably would.

Furthermore, both [Perfect Universe] and [Stellar Instinct] were variations on things he already had. Better versions, no doubt, but still mostly superfluous.

[Perfect Universe] would have made the world around him perfect, effectively being the ultimate combination of all “endure elements” abilities, even taking on a personal gravity field that existed purely for comfort. Cool, but not something he needed anymore.

And [Stellar Instinct] was basically the [Stellar Mental Maths] he’d made with his first [Class], but operating on a subconscious level. Which had advantages, but not enough to spend five [Skill]points, especially given that [Stellar Mental Maths] had gained a threshold bonus that let him directly put the results of his calculations into the ship’s computers.

As for the ones that were left … he’d get the Central [Skills], obviously, everything else, he’d need to think on.

And now, it was time to pick his [Aura], a feature that everyone unlocked at the 2nd Evolution. Derek hadn’t known which one to grab, but he’d known what kind he wanted. Specifically, a sensory one.

[Auras], in general, had ranges that varied from two meters to twenty-five, with the shorter-ranged ones being much more powerful, but also inflexible in terms of their shape.

By comparison, as the range of an [Aura] increased, it could also be twisted into new forms, reshaped, and even projected beyond its normal limits, at the cost of [Aura] within its ordinary domain. And nothing could compare to the flexibility of sensory [Auras], like the one he was seeking to get.

Not only was a fairly long-range (if complicated) extrasensory ability an excellent supplementary power for the ranged combatant he was quickly becoming, it was also just about the only [Aura] that’d help while in a starship, even if actually making it provide this help would take a lot of work.

And off the ship … well, sensory [Auras] might only provide information, but the general absurdity of what Isaac had achieved with his was most certainly an excellent argument for its effectiveness.

So, what did he have available?

General Auras

Personality Aura: Aura of Ascendant Scion

Goal Aura: Aura of the Seeker

Achievement-based Auras

Aura of Age (epic)

Aura of Endless Growth (legendary)

Class-based Auras

Aura of the Knowledge Singularity (legendary)

Aura of Bestial Fury (legendary)

Aura of Reality’s Melody (legendary)

Aspect-based Auras

Aura of the Spectral Haunt (rare)

Aura of Eternal Renewal (rare)

Aura of Infernal Heat (legendary)

Aura of Twisted Reality (legendary)

Aura of Healing Light (rare)

Aura of Subjective Existence (rare)

Aura of Cosmic Rays (legendary)

Aura of Cosmic Force (legendary)

Aura of Magic Erasure (legendary)

Yeah, easy choice.

Oh, there were plenty of interesting ones, such as the [Aura of Endless Growth], which would have let him increase certain forces within its confines, fucking with things like gravity, friction, resistance/vulnerability to certain energies … very versatile, very abusable, and very, very short ranged.

As far as the sensory variety was concerned, there were several: [Aura of the Seeker] and [Aura of Reality’s Melody]. One was a mediocre, and surprisingly nonspecific option based on his “goal,” one he wasn’t even sure what it was about.

Seeker … of what, exactly?

And the other was based on his [Class], designed to synergize perfectly with it, etc. … What more could he ask for?

So Derek grabbed it, cashing in the “one free [Aura]” coupon everyone got upon hitting the 2nd Evolution.

Aura of Reality’s Melody (legendary)

There are many layers to reality, ranging from the purely physical, observable, to things that can only be seen indirectly via experiments or magic. Space, time, 11 different dimensions, the soul, the astral form, the eldritch, and things far beyond that. All mysteries awaiting those who wish to see and understand them.

This Aura allows its user to perceive all those things if they so wish, though it can be limited to the material plane to protect the user’s mind.

It is a sensory Aura that gives the user information about anything it touches, and can be focused to further enhance the amount of information it gives, including harder to touch and observe things such as spacetime or dimensions.

Cost: standard (10 mana per minute), can be enhanced by up to 100 points to expand exotic information gathering abilities

In an instant, Derek became aware of everything around him in a twenty-five-meter radius, every spec of dust, every detail he may or may not want within his range, including a crushed cockroach at the bottom of his backpack that had been there for God only knew how long.

Immediately, he cut the flow of mana and the new sensations vanished, leaving him feeling simultaneously blind and relieved, the surge and subsequent sudden loss of information leaving him stunned. For multiple reasons.

Just imagine if there’d been someone else there for him to accidentally “scan” in a way that completely bypassed the usual coverings …

Yeah. He’d have to train that far, far away from the others, lest he see something he did not want to. Though that was a known issue with sensory [Auras], with learning to avoid accidentally spying on people, let alone inadvertently seeing them nude, being something you seriously needed to work on if you wanted to maintain good relations with anyone.

And that’d be tricky to do in the cramped confines of the Dragonfly, but he’d manage. If nothing else, they were all adults capable of coming to arrangements.

He sighed.

For all that he liked to think of himself as accomplished, the fact that his brother was the expert in [Aura] use meant that, basically no matter what, Derek would fall short in comparison. Way short.

Yeah, yeah, comparison is the thief of joy and all that, and he could find excuses for being slower to advance overall, by literally any metric you cared to name, Isaac was a prodigy at [Aura] use, and had taught their twin sisters to reach the same level of mastery incredibly quickly.

So … maybe Isaac would soon be free to give some tips before they took off?