Arther had given him the rundown on skill upgrades, but it still felt a little like sitting down on Christmas morning, staring at the presents laid out under the tree.

  Upgrades were impacted by multiple factors: from a Warrior’s patron, to their class, to their other skills. Given that Sam had no patron or class, he was curious about how the Arbiter would handle his unique situation.

  He once again checked his tafla, marvelling at his newly replenished bank account.

  [Spira - 3,580]

  He didn't try to stop the shit eating grin that crept across his face. He was only three days into the War, and he was going to pass the 10k threshold—the first major hurdle that Warriors struggled to overcome.

  Arther had said that something like twenty percent of Warriors didn't live long enough to spend ten thousand spira. Making it past that breakpoint was the first real test of a Warrior’s prowess. The fact that he’d done it solo was a cherry on top.

  He took a second look at his stat sheet and let out a low whistle as he tallied his progress.

  Name: Samuel Lin

  Race: Human

  Patron: N/A

  Class: N/A

  Rank: Iron

  Titles

  [Child of Babel]

  [Deific Mark]

  [Rodent’s Resilience - Tier 3]

  [Apostate - Tier 3]

  Achievements

  [First Blood]

  [Frugal Beastslayer]

  [Frugal Usurper]

  Enhancement Skills

  [Basic Constitution - Tier 3]

  [Basic Regeneration - Tier 2]

  [Basic Stamina - Tier 3]

  [Basic Strength - Tier 3]

  [Basic Perception - Tier 5]

  Martial Skills

  [Basic Shield Proficiency]

  [Simple Melee Weapon Proficiency]

  [Spear Mastery - Tier 3]

  He’d gained levels in nearly all of his skills, with [Basic Perception] rising all the way to Tier 5. Given that he was constantly using his senses in combat, it made sense that he levelled it the fastest. He was a little disappointed to see that [Basic Regeneration] hadn't budged, though he supposed that it was fighting with [Rodent’s Resilience] to heal his ever-refreshing catalogue of injuries.

  He opened up the [Enhancement Skill] tab and navigated the constellations until he found the one for [Basic Perception]. It pulsed faintly, and he selected it, heart racing. The star expanded into three new branches, each one glowing with its own distinct hue. He tapped all three, bringing up their descriptions.

  [Enhanced Perception - Iron - Common - Upgradeable]

  Significantly increases all sensory perception, including taste and touch. Allows for the detection of basic poisons.

  Cost: 1,000

  [Sensory Shroud - Iron - Uncommon - Upgradeable]

  Allows complete inhibition of a single sensory system. A significantly powerful effect may overcome inhibition.

  Cost: 1,500

  [Mana Sight - Iron - Rare - Upgradeable]

  Allows for the visual perception of mana. This skill enables the Warrior to detect and interpret the flow of mana in the environment and other beings. Skill may be blocked by those with suitably high magical defences.

  Cost: 2,000

  Sam felt a warm rush as he reviewed his choices. When he’d asked Arther about skill upgrades, the Warden had said that two options were standard, but three weren't out of the realm of possibility. [Common] skills could upgrade into [Uncommon], [Uncommon] into [Rare], etc. He hadn't mentioned anything about bypassing a tier completely.

  Sam rested his head against the cold stone, reading and re-reading his potential routes. Unlike base skill purchases—of which theoretically there were no limits—upgrades were a one-off choice. While he could continue to further upgrade along his chosen branch, he couldn't go back and pick an earlier option he’d rejected. These upgrades were the core of building the foundation of a Class.

  Classes weren't offered until a Warrior hit Bronze Rank, and were partially determined by a Warrior’s deity, their fighting style, weapon choice, and skill selection. It meant that two warriors could both worship the same god and end up having completely different Classes. Different gods excelled at different things, so it was up to the Warrior to build towards a class that benefited from their particular flavour of [Divine Skills].

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Sam didn't have to worry about that, but he still had to be mindful of what kind of Class he wanted to strive for. Given his fighting style and lack of magic, he was obviously going to have to be some kind of melee frontliner. He knew those with dedicated tanking skills would eventually surpass him, but if he could remain flexible, it would allow him to be easily slotted into any party composition.

  [Enhanced Perception] seemed like a straight upgrade to the current skill. It expanded to encapsulate all five senses and provided some defence against subterfuge. Being able to smell or taste poison immediately could be make or break if he found himself needing to group with people he didn’t trust. It was the safe, albeit boring, option.

  [Sensory Shroud] was much more interesting. He’d dismissed it at first glance; why would he possibly want to inhibit one of his senses? It seemed completely counterintuitive. It was only the trailing screech of a [Nightseeker] that opened his eyes to the possibilities. Certain [Divine Skills] seemed to rely on a physical element to deliver the magic. The [Nightseeker] cries were only effective if their victim could hear them. He imagined there were other skills, ones that relied on smell or sight, that operated in a similar manner. In a way, it was the ultimate magic resistance. Why rebuff a spell when you could ignore it completely?

  Unfortunately, it was still far too situational. While he was sure there’d be a time he’d be traipsing through a swamp wishing he could turn off his nose, the reality was, there just weren’t that many real applications.

  That left [Mana Sight]. He’d played enough games to know that you always picked the [Rare] skill if it was offered. While it was by far the most expensive of the bunch, it seemed like the one that would provide the most immediate benefit. Being able to see how an opponent used magic could be critical in a fight. He could see ranged spells coming before they were cast, and maybe even glean some insight on how to disrupt magical defences.

  He minimized the screen and pushed himself back to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back and shoulder. While he wanted to purchase the skills immediately, he knew that it would be idiotic to do so out in the open. His current path was taking him in a rough diagonal; still into Ghul territory, but more towards the fringes. The towering cavern walls were getting steadily closer, and he figured he’d have a higher likelihood of finding a suitable shelter.

  His planning was rewarded a few hours later when he stumbled across the remains of a ruined courtyard. In contrast to the Var territory, this one felt alive. A large tree grew at its center, its wide, pale branches covered in deep red leaves. Its roots had burrowed through the stone, causing the nearby crypts to collapse. The tree exuded a subtle red glow, and Sam wondered if it acted in a similar fashion to the pillar the Var had been defending.

  The vines—roots, he now realized—had been growing steadily thicker underfoot. He’d given up his attempt to avoid them as it had steadily become impossible not to step on the leafy growths. To his relief, they didn’t appear to act as some kind of massive spiderweb or neural network. No swarm of ghouls had descended on him, and there weren't any indicators that he was being watched.

  He took a small sip from his canteen, aware that he needed to ration his water. He made a mental note to purchase a barrel. His shopping list was rapidly expanding, but the longer he spent in the dungeon, the more he appreciated the idea of being thoroughly, disgustingly, overprepared.

  He skirted the edge of the square and chose a building that was mostly intact. Its interior was completely dark, so he grabbed the [Mooneye Gem] from where it floated above his head and tossed it inside. To his surprise, it remained floating. On a whim, he sent a mental command for it to move farther in. The stone politely obliged, revealing a similar layout to the mausoleums he’d seen previously.

  To his relief, it was empty. Most of the vertical stone coffins were broken, their contents discarded. The floor was completely covered with a layer of bones. It seemed the Ghūl had used this as a rest stop at some point, as Sam saw [Nightseeker] carapaces interspersed among the blocky var remains.

  Sam didn't know much about tracking, but by his best guess, the place hadn’t been disturbed in quite a while. The smell wasn't any worse than anywhere else in the Crypts, and there was a thin layer of undisturbed dust by the entrance.

  While camping in a mass grave wasn't exactly his ideal venue, he couldn't deny it had its advantages. There was only one main entrance, and anything venturing inside would almost certainly disturb the field of debris.

  He took his time as he navigated the mottled grey piles, making his way towards the back of the structure. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't avoid stepping on the odd bone. Each time he’d freeze, wincing, waiting for a sound to indicate that he’d been discovered. After the third time, he figured it was probably safe enough. The Crypts were massive, and vast portions of them were likely unoccupied.

  He made a welcome discovery near the back of the room. One of the coffins had been knocked over, creating a small alcove beneath. Above it, a lone window brought in a trickle of marginally fresher air.

  He spent a few minutes sweeping aside bones with his foot before laying down his ground sheet and blanket. He recalled the [Mooneye Gem] with a thought, grinning at how easy it was to control. It was an odd sensation to direct a thought at something and have it actually respond. He felt like a Jedi as he bundled up in his cloak and reopened his tafla.

  [Mana Sight] still hovered from where he’d had it selected. On a whim, he paged back over to the [Enhancement Skills] tab, reviewing the choices he’d been debating earlier. He didn't have enough spira for either [Basic Mental Resistance] or [Light Armour Mastery], but he did have enough for [Appraisal].

  He considered that for a moment. While it would be ideal to start training his mental resistance as soon as possible, he couldn't deny the benefit of having more information going into a fight. It wasn't strictly the most optimal decision, but something about it just felt right. He selected the two vision-focused skills, dying a little inside as he did the math on how much spira he’d have remaining.

  [Confirm Skill Purchase: 3,500 Spira]

  He gritted his teeth and hit confirm. A soft chime echoed in his ears, and he waited for the inevitable influx of pain.

  He wasn’t disappointed.

  His eyes burned. The fire originated in the center of his forehead and continued through the optic nerves into his brain. It didn't stop there. The fire coursed down his spine and out through his limbs, creating a crackling circuit of electricity that left him hanging on the edge of consciousness.

  He had the wherewithal to bite down on the edge of his cloak, but a few muted screams still escaped the fabric. Once again, he was back in the bath house—a piece of iron in the forge. Worth it, if it meant he’d come out stronger.

  Eventually, the pain subsided into a dull throb. His eyes had it the worst, but his whole body was shaking from the impact of the skill. A notification appeared in the center of his vision, and it took his scorched eyes a few seconds to parse it.

  [Skill Morph Available: Arcane Eyes]

  What the fuck is a Skill Morph?

  The term was completely foreign, but he could infer its meaning. It seemed as though the Arbiter was giving him the option to fuse his skills. There didn't appear to be any description for the skill, but if it took elements from both and combined them, then it seemed like an obvious choice. He wondered why Arther hadn't mentioned it.

  He hit confirm on the tafla and let out a deep sigh as a soothing wave flowed through his body. It felt as though every vein, every minuscule scrap of nerve and muscle was being gently massaged back into place. The sense of wrongness in his body dissipated, leaving him with a profound calm.

  [Skill Acquired: Arcane Eyes]

  [Achievement Unlocked: Skill Morph]

  [Achievement Unlocked: Mana Network]

  He blinked, then blinked again, his head swimming as a wash of colours overlaid the notifications. The air around him churned with waves of reds, pinks and greens. He found himself struggling to focus on the text as a new layer of reality was superimposed onto his vision.

  He looked around the room, awed by the sudden influx of information. The [Nightseeker] carapaces gave off a dark purple aura, a stunning contrast to the rich orange of the var remains. The [Mooneye Gem] was tinted with a hint of green, but the light remained a stark white. He could make out the subtle cloud of aura beneath it, keeping it aloft.

  Refocusing, he pulled up the tafla and scrolled to the skill screen, not surprised to see that the two constellations had merged. He opened the window for [Arcane Eyes], jaw going slack as he read the description.

  He’d wanted an upgrade, alright. And it seemed like he got his wish.