Hyperion Evergrowing

Chapter 11: The New and the Old

Snow fell in heaps around Leif, some landing on his head and shoulders, others impacting his legs and arms. He sat in a daze, blinking at the world of white in confusion.

Trembling hands were raised in front of his face. Four ivory white fingers tipped with sharp claw-like tips. A palm and wrist made of twisted wood, bumpy and with grey vines tipped with red leaves sprouting along the length.

He touched shaking fingers to his face. It felt smooth, hard with a firmness to the shape. And, for some reason, wet. Amber tears ran down his cheeks. Thin lines staining the white wood gold. Somewhere within him was the beating of a heart, its very presence unbelievably soothing.

Leif took in a deep calming breath. And his chest rose slightly. It took him several seconds to realise the significance of taking a breath in the first place. He shuddered involuntarily, part of it was the cold. Icy winds bit into his body in a way he had never felt in this life. In many ways he was lesser now, his form no longer a wellspring of vitality and growth.

And what more, he could smell the air. As though his body was covered in tiny noses, wherever scent came into contact with his exterior Leif could perceive a faint whiff of aroma. It felt off in a way he couldn’t quite put a finger on. Leif knew this wasn’t right, instinctually he could tell that but not why.

A familiar sense of unease flitted through his mind, but it was greatly diminished from when he had been a tree. This was better, but not perfect, far from it.

With an idle thought he ran his hands through the snow all around. And just as he could smell from his body, so too could he taste. The crispy texture of the icy substance trickled up his arms in a strangely enjoyable way. When he focused his awareness the taste and smell sharpened.

Leif looked to the sky, red cracks peeked through sparse cloud cover. And for several hours Leif just basked in the sensation of being.

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[Amber Blight Spriggan]

Tier: 2 (Monster)

Level: 10/20

Class Perk:

You naturally recover from wounds at an accelerated pace. The amber blood running through your veins has innate healing properties.

+100% To the effect of enhancement (Body) skills

+100% To the effect of blood aspected skills

Growths:

Free Points: +5

Might: C

Alacrity: D

Intelligence: D

Willpower: D+

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Spirit: D

Charisma: C

Base Stats: Might: +10, Alacrity +10, Intelligence +10, Willpower +10, Spirit: +10, Charisma +10.

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Leif read over the new class. He only briefly paused when he noticed he could now read. A plus ten to all stats… It seemed excessive somehow. I wonder what other monsters get? He idly thought.

He pulled up his [Noble] class to compare the two.

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[Noble]

Tier: Auxiliary (Inheritance)

Level: 9/10

Class Perk:

+100% To the effect of social skills

+50% To the effects of the charisma attribute

Growths:

Free Points: +2

Might: D

Alacrity: D

Intelligence: C

Willpower: C

Spirit: C

Charisma: C+

Base Stats: Might: +1 Alacrity: +1, Intelligence: +2, Willpower: +2, Spirit: +2, Charisma +2

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Since when did I have a 50% increase to the [Charisma] attribute? Wait… Can I…

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Attributes:

Free: 0

Might: 30

Alacrity: 30

Intelligence: 24

Willpower: 23

Spirit: 28

Charisma: 30 (+50%)

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Huh, I didn’t know I could add features to the system. I wonder what else I’m missing?

Looking at the bigger numbers made Leif feel tingly inside. A sense of pride and accomplishment welled up in his heart. But there was more to his evolution than just more attributes.

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[Savage Roots] → [Gilded Body]

Gilded Body:

Aspects: Technique,Enhancement (Body)*

Your physique becomes stronger and denser, you become harder to move against your will.

You may project ethereal golden copies of your limbs from your body, these limbs are affected by half of your physical attributes and can be manipulated and reshaped. The clearer the mental image the more stable the creations.

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[Predators Sense] → [Amber Awareness]

Amber Awareness:

Aspects: Perception (Time), Enhancement (Body)*

The amber can see further, more clearly, but they can also see deeper. Focus to gain a limited understanding of what transpired in the close past using your innate senses. The more personally significant the stimuli the clearer the echoes.

Passively sharpens your awareness of your surroundings and improves all existing senses.

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[Harvest's Due] → [Blight's Bounty]

Blight's Bounty:

Aspects: Enhancement (Body)*, Technique (Blood)*

Your attacks passively drain vitality from struck foes. You may actively syphon or bestow lifeforce via continuous touch.

Blood you absorb is converted into the amber sap that beats within your heart. This amber sap naturally becomes compatible with any target you bestow it upon.

After you have drained a being of vitality you gain up to +40% to all attributes for one hour. This bonus is lost incrementally over the hour-long duration.

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[Blight Heart I] → [The Well Within I]

The Well Within I:

Aspects: Cultivation (Blood)*, Empowerment (Body)

A near endless well of energy and potential rests inside your heart. As you absorb vitality a portion remains, filling and expanding a pool of energy that allows you to improve the output of skills.

As you heal and nurture this pool of energy is condensed, becoming more potent.

A portion of this energy is reserved to grant rapid recovery should you become critically injured.

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[Uproot] → [Settle]

Settle:

Aspects: Transformation, Enhancement (Body)*, Domain (Life)

You may put down roots, returning to your more traditional form. While transformed you enter a restful slumber, the passage of time easing deep wounds and mending scars.

The longer you remain transformed the more you affect the world around you, bestowing life and infusing the energy of amber into the very ground.

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Leif read over his newly upgraded or transformed skills. He wasn’t totally sure what to think. Were these skills powerful? In what ways could he use them? He had thought discarding his tree shell would have made him far more vulnerable to damage, but most of these skills involved healing in some way.

A [Scholar], or just a skill enthusiast would have described Leif’s [Amber Blight Spriggan] class as ‘highly synergistic.’