Meera almost blanched. "Then can I not do a class upgrade?"
"No."
"But I can't lose all these hard-earned skills?" Meera protested. "There is no guarantee I will ever get them back."
"That is correct." The god replied.
Meera waited for him to add more, but he remained silent. So, she used the same trick she was fond of—she waited and stared at him. Most people added stuff if you waited long enough. As it turned out, Darthin was not one of them. He sat silent as a statue on his rock and stared back at her.
Meera sighed. "Can you not do something, please? After all, you're in charge of all skills, are you not?"
"I am," he replied, then he grew silent again.
"Then please help me, my lord," Meera pleaded.
"Why?" Darthin asked.
“Well…uh, because…” Meera was at a loss. It was like being asked by an interviewer to explain her choices at a past job. "Because I need them." Was the best she came up with at the spot, and Darthin was not impressed with that answer. Since her need didn't work, she settled on honesty. "Can I say something honestly, sir, without reprisal?"
"You may."
"I was only given one class while everyone seems to have two, which means they have a total of twenty skills, while I was only given ten. Why is my system corrupted?"
"Because I don't like you," Darthin replied. I was always against my sister's decision to bring you here."
"Your sister is Midiea?" Meera almost forgot the first part of his answer.
He gave a single nod.
"But why don't you like me?"
"She picked the wrong person. She should've chosen someone else. I even stacked the system against you by not giving you a proper class and only the ability to steal skills to cause more confusion. I had hoped that would deter you, and I almost succeeded. Were it not for my sister's mechanisms and that mirror's guard dog, you would have returned to your world, and she would have been forced to pick someone else."
Meera listened to the god with an expressionless face and clenched fists. She had half a mind to take her chakrams off and leave a lasting mark on the behemoth of a man. He was the reason why she didn't have a proper class. Why she was walking around so confused in the beginning, but she couldn't be that mad at him. Thanks to him granting her the skill-stealing ability, she had such a variety of skills.
"In other words, someone more competent and personally not connected to Neel. Look how much death and chaos you've caused just by being here."
"How is this my fault?" Meera snapped, then immediately lowered her tone. "These cultists and sorceresses conspired to capture and use me for their nefarious goals—"
"They only had one goal, capturing the Champion through you. If only they knew what folly that was." He shook his head. "And they would've been right. Neel would have indeed come to save his dear sister, and the worlds would've fallen."
"I cannot just stop looking for my brother," Meera said.
"No, you cannot, especially now that the great prophecy is underway. The board is set, and the pieces are moving. Some think it is imperative that you find your brother."
"Then I need my skills," Meera quickly said. "All of them. I can't just give up a quarter of my skills. Skills I've worked so hard to level up."
Darthin stared at her for a long moment, then swiveled his eyes to look into the sky. Meera couldn't be sure, but she felt he was looking towards Mirithia. Is he talking to some other god?
"Fine," he finally said. "I will give you a choice. I can hold the skills in your Shadow skill slots aside and will return them to you after you've chosen your new class and give you five extra skill slots. Or I can give you a second class with ten skill slots, but you will lose your shadow skills and your ability to steal skills."
"If I choose the second option, will I keep the fifteen skills from my first class?" Meera asked.
"Yes. You paid dearly for those five skills slots."
He was right—sacrificing her friends was not easy. So, in essence, she would have twenty-five skill slots either way, but losing the ability to steal skills would be like a dagger to the heart. On the other hand, she would gain another class—something of her own. No more having to worry about if she got any new worthy skills, but that was half the fun of checking her notifications after every fight.
The thought of being unable to steal powerful skills would just kill her. She was dying to see what skill she had stolen from Veridiana, and she would have to forget about that. She could easily fill those five extra slots with all the skills she had stolen from the Frostweavers and Daughters of Aksha.
Giving away her skill stealing would also kill her versatility. This was how she was able to amass so many different skills and gain the two affinities that had become the basis of her class. The more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became.
"I'll keep my skills and the skill-stealing ability."
Darthin grunted. "Choose your class."
This one was easier. Since most of her skills were geared towards offense, she picked the Mirrorborn Slayer class, hoped the god kept his word, and returned the skills in her Shadow skill slots.
"Interesting," Darthin said.
*ding!*
[Congratulations. The Shadow Image has evolved to The Mirrorborn Slayer – Level 588]
[The Mirrorborn Slayer – You employ a mix of illusions and rapid, brutal attacks. Your arsenal is filled with deadly skills that, paired with your divine weapons, make you a menace on the battlefield. For devastation is your shadow and death in your hands.]
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*ding!*
[Class Ability Change. Hoarder has evolved to Replicator – Level 29. You can truly replicate the skills of your opponents. The stolen skills will be at the level of their master. You will continue to steal two skills from everyone but can only keep one.]
Meera's heart skipped a beat. She reread her new ability and would've danced around if the overbearing god wasn't looking at her with judging eyes. This new ability meant that if someone had the skill at level 200, she would also steal it at level 200. No more going back to level 1 and then leveling it up again. This was beyond overpowered.
She gasped when she realized that all the skills waiting for her would no longer be at level 1, not even Veridiana's. If she were an addict to stealing skills, she would be jittering with excitement at getting her next fix. She wasn't exactly jittering, but there was a slight tremble in her hands.
*ding!*
[Stat Points Awarded]
[Constitution: +60]
[Power: +30]
[Dexterity: +60]
[Endurance: +55]
[Focus: +80]
[Agility: +50]
[Perception: +45]
"I've returned your skills to you and given you the five extra skill slots." Darthin leaned in. It was like a bear was about to strike. "Let me make one thing clear—you will not get any more skills slots."
"Thank you, my lord," Meera said, backing up a step. "But not even through a class upgrade like The Shadow Image?"
"No, you will not be getting any more class upgrades like that because of your chosen path."
Then, a thought surfaced that had quieted in the excitement of the class upgrade. "My lord, if I may be so bold to ask, why did you find my class choice interesting?"
"Because you chose a destroyer's path, despite your nurturing nature."
"I picked it because I thought it would give me the most edge in battle," she replied.
"Your brother chose differently."
"I'm sorry, what? You mean, he's killed someone like Veridiana too?"
"It's not my place to talk about it. Now, you can view the skills you've gotten from those you've killed."
Reluctantly, she opened her notifications again and checked her skills. Though the excitement of her new skills had died down a little, the five brand new skills slots that said [Unlocked] revamped her excitement.
*ding!*
[Skill Change. Mirror Blast changes to Mirror's Wrath. Mirror's Wrath – Type: Active. You can detonate any number of mirror shards in brilliant and devastating explosions. Each shard acts as a tiny, unstable explosive, releasing a deadly burst of searing light and sharp mirror shards.]
Meera grinned. This means I can literally carpet-bomb the entire battlefield. She subdued the urge to squeal with joy. It also meant she no longer had to get close to her opponents. She could even shoot a Mirror Shard Fury and explode every single shard. Essentially, turning every shard into a Mirror Blast. This was a great skill upgrade.
She wondered if the brooding god lied about not liking her because he gave her many good things. She breathed a few deep breaths and moved on to her stolen skills. The first were the skills from the Frostweavers.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Icy Shield – Level 123. Icy Shield – Type: Active. You can create an intricate shield of ice of varying size and thickness that blocks incoming damage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Ice Ball – Level 110. Ice Ball – Type: Active. You can throw an ice ball, which immediately freezes the enemy on contact. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
Tears of joy lined her eyes when she saw the level of the skills. The level alone would help her make her decisions. She did not need another shield, so she chose the Ice Ball skill.
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Ice Ball – Level 110]
Most of the skills she had seen before, but since she had five new skill slots, she chose the following three skills from the Frostweavers.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Frigid Wave – Level 156. Frigid Wave – Type: Active. You can unleash a wave of icy energy surging forward, freezing everything in its path and slowing enemies caught in the blast. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Frigid Wave – Level 156]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Winter's Mark – Level 97. Winter's Mark – Type: Passive. You can mark an enemy, making them more susceptible to ice damage. Enemies with the mark also freeze faster. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Winter's Mark – Level 97]
Given that they were in a literal blizzard, and she would have to fight an enraged sorceress once her audience with the god was over, this was a perfect skill for the fight.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Arctic Cage – Level 171. Arctic Cage – Type: Passive. You can encase an enemy in a block of ice, freezing them in place. Your enemies will develop severe frostbite the longer they are in the cage. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Arctic Cage – Level 171]
Sidirian had encased her in this cage. It was a good thing she had escaped from it quickly because she did not fancy getting frostbite. Maybe I didn't need to worry about frostbite since I have Vitalize.
Next were the skills from the daughters of Aksha. Meera passed on all of them for one simple reason—they were all poison-based, and Aksha could neutralize them all. And she didn't see anything she wanted to keep for a long time.
The way she saw it, these five skill slots were precious, as they were the last skill slots she was ever going to get. Even these ice skills would eventually be replaced with better skills. If she gained a third affinity, she would pick up skills for that affinity. So, the ice skills were best for the upcoming fight, which could freeze Aksha's poison.
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Quaking Fist (IV) – Level 95. Quaking Fist – Type: Active. You release a shockwave from your fist that spreads outward in a violent wave that will crack the very air and deal immense physical damage to your foes. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
*ding!*
[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Eternal Petrification (V) – Level 87. Eternal Petrification – Type: Active. You can permanently petrify a single target when you are touching them, transforming them into a stone statue and remove them from the battle entirely. The petrification is irreversible. Would you like to acquire this skill?]
The first thing that stumped her was the numerals in the skill names. Then, the relatively low levels of the skills also didn't escape her notice. For someone with such a high level, her skills were pathetically low-leveled.
"What are these numerals in the skill names?" She asked.
He was quiet for a long moment as if pondering something. "You weren't supposed to see them yet."
"Okay and…"
"Choose your skill, and I will explain their nature."
Meera nodded but was more than curious now. She also didn't want to rush through choosing the skill because they were both awesome. She had seen Veridiana use the second skill to petrify Zerodra's arm and was sure she had seen the first in action as well, but she wasn't sure when.
They both seemed powerful, and she could see herself wreaking havoc on her opponents with them. Eternal Petrification seemed like a more powerful version of Petrifying Surge, which used to encase things in Bloodstone. Eternal Petrification, however, was permanent and impossible to break through unless one wanted to break apart their limbs.
There is one major drawback to this skill—I have to be touching my enemies for it to work.
She was more drawn towards Quaking Fist. It sounded more devasting and was at a higher level, even if its numeral was lower. She could teleport behind her enemies, and instead of cutting them open with her chakrams, she could use this skill.
In any case, Quaking Fist sounded more fun to her, so she accepted that skill.
*ding!*
[You have acquired the skill Quaking Fist (IV) – Level 95]
