Azimuth: The Elden Throne (New Version)

Chapter 293 What is the Status?

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After reading through and replying to Ermin's message, he went back to reading his notifications while the latter went on a shopping spree.

Although he knew his friend wasn't going to spend his Favor on miscellaneous things, he also did not stop him from doing so if he wished so, after all, everyone had the right to have fun once in a while.

Him included.

[DING]

[Through the coalescence of your experiences, your understanding of your Class Deepens considerably]

[Your Vision has begun to take shape]

[Can you hear the whispers? Don't let them consume you]

[As your Mind opens to the World, your Soul expands beyond your body]

[Your Class Potential unfolds further]

[Alma Conqueror: 4.9% -> 19.9%]

[Skill, Spear Technique 5.5-Star has Leveled up to 6-Star]

[Skill, Close Quarters Combat 4-Star has Leveled up to 5-Star]

[Skill, Confluence 0.5-Star has Leveled up to 3-Star]

[Skill, Soul Core 2-Star manifests]

[Your Vision has taken a rough shape]

[Your Soul becomes more defined]

[Maximum Skill Slots have been increased]

"Hum…"

Reading through his notifications two more times, Dale eventually stopped, thinking deeply.

'I can't quite explain how I felt when this happened, nor the consequences of such an Event, because right now, I don't feel any different.'

'This is more than just a progression bar sliding to the side, that much is obvious, I can even say this is more than a simple Enlightenment.'

'However, looking at it from that perspective… It's as if something's missing.'

'I... I feel as if I've been robbed of something.'

'Could this be the consequence of achieving something not really through my own hands but from that of 'someone' else?'

'Perhaps the changes are already here, it's just that I don't meet the requirements to visualize them yet due to not properly realizing it all… Or in this case, forgetting it?'

'It's as if I have the answer at the tip of my tongue but no matter what I do it refuses to come and it's driving me mad.'

'The only explanation for this is that I lack the proper context and understanding of it all, something the Reflection does not…'

Dale had difficulty putting into words how he felt right now.

Still, without the shadow of a doubt, his current progress wasn't completely his, and only through self reflection and by broadening his knowledge would he be able to fully understand what had changed.

Wasn't that something he could achieve and more simply through successive uses of his Self Reflection Skill?

'As always, it'll all fit nicely in place with time once I train… It always goes down to that...'

Following that, Dale opened his next set of Notifications, the last one:

[DING]

[To commemorate your newfound self, you shattered the fragile Ego of those forgotten by time, proving your will to be forever unbound and to reach the end of your journey. Like many before, you commit heresy against creation in search of the Nature of Man]

[You have Attained a new Tale! Magnified Soul]

[DING]

[The Gods of Old look upon you… And you ignore them]

…

"... That's the end." Dale said with a light exhale as he turned his head to the side, looking at the colorful fish on the fountain behind him

/Splash!/

Letting his own intrusive thoughts run wild, he grabbed one of the fish before chuckling and putting it back in the water, feeling refreshed.

"..."

'Hum… I'm getting closer to Level 100, soon enough these Tales are going to have a purpose.' Dale thought as he looked at his Attainments 

'I wonder if by now I have done everything I'm meant to do or if I still lack the requirements...'

'Regardless, in the end, my Reflection let loose a tad too much, though I'm equally impressed nothing happened regarding my thorough destruction of the Arena, it seems only shattering the protective dome counts as a Tale.'

'I feel a bit sorry for the players watching the match though, they were all vaporized, my friends included...'

'Bless all of the HardCore players, hopefully they were sent by without pain…'

'With that, it seems the actions caused by my Reflection have resulted in quite the consequences this time.'

'The Mind Gate which I knew close to nothing about was somehow stimulated into partially opening… My Class advanced considerably, though it was stuck for quite a while, so it's more precise to say I unlogged myself from the basics…'

'Or I've just met the requirements to understand it.'

'And finally, using all of that combined, I completely destroyed the dome and vaporized the Arena… Together with my opponent.'

'Great.'

'I'll have to think twice before using the Reflection in such situations again…' He thought with a smirk as he shook his head lightly

'Well… It's not right to place all the blame on it when in truth, the Reflection is just… Myself, though a bit unhinged.'

'If I had all that power… Which I already have… If I just had the means to enforce it…'

'Would things have changed?... Likely not. The day I can apply all of it efficiently while also making proper judgments, then I'll be the Reflection, albeit a weaker version of it.'

'The Reflection has a thinking process that is just too Machine-Like for me to grow into or replicate, if that makes any sense.'

'Maybe I'll grow enough to be able to create diverging solutions from it, answers only I, Dale can.'

'Anyway, I think I know the words for this feeling… Is it Suffering from Success?'

Dale had no complaints about his situation, he just felt a bit overwhelmed by it all.

It's not like that was new, things progressed too fast sometimes.

With that, thinking about his notifications, Dale decided to open his Status and take a good look at everything that changed all at once:

[Player: DareDevil (Dale Houston)

Attainments: Body Reformation; Eclipsed; Massacre of 100; Culling Blade; Forged Heart amidst desperation; Minor Enlightenment; Heart Gate Open; Great Warrior; Dragon Slayer; Point Critical; Overlimit Fighter; Small time Hero; Flesh Rebirth; The Fear of the Devil; Vital Unleashed; Forest Silencer; Star Gazer; The World Beyond Golden Thunderstorms; Magnified Soul

Level:69 (48.1%) 

Class: Alma Conqueror 19.9%

Character Status:

Strength: 208(556 -> 612); Constitution: 208(556 -> 612); Dexterity: 208(616); Mental Power: 183(463); Reflexes: 183(463); Mana: 208(453 -> 906)

Soul Power: 10 (110 -> 220)

Prime Origin: 250 (355 -> 690)

Spiritual Body: 220

Skills:

Slot 1-> Spear Technique 6-Star (Neutral)/ Mana Conduction 6.5-Star(Neutral)

Slot 2-> Close Quarters Combat 5-Star (Neutral)

Slot 3-> Stable Emotions 4-Star (Passive)

Slot 4-> Spatial Awareness 2.5-Star (Passive)

Slot 5-> Fighting Spirit 5-Star (Active)

Slot 6-> Anomalous Status Resistance 2-Star (Passive)

Slot 7-> 

Slot 8-> Confluence 3-Star (Neutral)

Slot 9-> Prime Source 3-Star (Neutral)

Slot 10-> Land Raptor 3.5-Star (Passive)

Slot 11-> Soul Core 2-Star (Neutral)

Slot 12->

Extra Skills -> Self Reflection ???-Star

Temporary Skills: Manifestation of the Perfect Self 1-???

Current Effects:

Aspect of Might -> All Stats +25

Stat Potions -> All Base Stats +25 [1]

Physical Training -> Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity +3

Blast Chamber -> Mana & Prime Origin Ratios = 2 

Soul Expansion -> Soul Power Ratio = 2

Heart Gate -> Mana +50 (Added onto the base value)

Vermin's Pot Ritual -> Prime Origin +50 (Added onto the base value)

Mind Gate -> Mental Power and Reflexes +25 (Added onto the base value)

Fused Tripodial Mark -> Strengthening of the Fallen (Major) All Stats +20*2=40

Flesh Rebirth -> Bodily constitution has been altered and reinforced, providing extensive benefits.

Natural Healing and Stamina Recovery Speed have been massively increased.

Constitution and Strength Ratios = 1.1

Equipment:...[2]

Gaze of the Spirits -> The presence of the Spirits looms over you.

Soul Dissociation -> Experience gain -100% until your Soul and Body are back in harmony (5 days, 15H, 8 minutes...)

Tired…

Hungry…

Blessed by Ju-Arkesios -> Constitution +20 while within a 25 Km radius of any of her Temples. (Inactive)

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"..."

'My Stats are getting a bit too big, not that it's hard to follow them.'

/Whistle.../

'When everything is put together, my Armor Set, my Accessories, and my Stats, things are thrown out of proportion.'

'In fact... I'm almost going beyond 1000 in Mana, isn't it great I can barely use it?' He thought with some irony as he flicked the System Window, causing it to glister a bit

'At this rate, I'll soon accumulate enough Stats to wield Caladgolg, which leads me to my next inquiry.'

'Legendary Grade... What spectrum of Level is one supposed to have to properly wield it?'

'I've been gathering a lot of Extra Stats through opportunities, Potions, Training, and the like, but in that regard, am I an overachiever, or am I just average?'

'I don't quite know the Stats of the other top 10 Duelists, nor do I know the Stats of other "NPCs" within the same Level Gap as me or the Stats of those that can effectively wield it.'

'According to Caladgolg's description, I'm already physically strong enough to wield it, which is true, it's still heavy but not as unbearable as before.'

'But I cannot properly project its power... I mean... "I" cannot.'

'The Reflection can pull forth more than me and by far, but that's not surprising.'

'The same can be said for Galatine, in fact, both had very similar Requirements for their use...'

'It makes me think if their Requirements are even meaningful if it all.'

'In fact... This makes me remember what happened when I became Level 100.'

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[You have Leveled Up!]

[Current Level 100]

[The first chain has been broken through by accumulation and hard work]

[Your Status is changing]

[Your Class is changing]

[Your Skills are changing]

[You did not achieve a Status Evolution nor did you achieve enlightenment]

[Status Ratio has changed from 1:1 to 1:5]

...

'A massive Ratio change, so overwhelming it's scary.'

'That is the world beyond Level 100...'

'Thus my question, is Legendary Grade meant for users before Level 100, or after?'

'Technically speaking, the original holder of Caladgolg was someone like that, so would it be right for me to believe Caladgolg is meant for those types of individuals?'

"Hum..."

'I feel like these questions are unnecessary, since in the end, I'll just repeat what I've been doing, though I wouldn't refuse a model...'

'Though that could prove damaging rather than beneficial.'

"As for the rest... What can I say?"

'My Skills improved a bit and I got a new one, on that regard, I already have an idea what it must be.'

'Considering I've progressed in my Class, following what I read, this must be the representation of what was written in it.'

'To Meditate and achieve harmony... What comes after? What lies at the center of one's body and respectively, what is the Soul?'

'The most surprising thing, however, is the increase in the number of Skill Slots.'

'The first time this happened was when my body changed considerably during the Vermin's Pot Ritual, this is the second time.'

'This is pretty much a confirmation that a Skill Slot is more than just a System limitation, it's directly tied to my Physical and Immaterial bodies.'

'Either directly or not as it could just be a reward for progressing past a certain stage.'

'Whatever it may be...'

/Growl.../

"... I'm hungry."

Taking one last look at his massive Status sheet, Dale got up from his seat, moving to the center of the Plaza once more.

He still had over half of the Event left to go, it was time to let loose.

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Notes

[1] +5 from Yumi's Potion, the one's he got from the Loot Boxes add to +20 to all Stats, which is massive.

It took over 100 Chests to gather enough of the right variant of potions for only Dale to be able to max their benefits without the chance of losing some of their effects.

Dale still has the potions from the Tutorial so it's likely this will increase even further

[2] There's simply too much to put here so I just simplified.

In case you want to know:

Wyverian Ignition Constitution and Strength +100

2 Rings -> +60 to all Basic Stats; +30 to Soul Power and Prime Origin

2 Bracelets -> +45 to all Basic Stats; Dexterity Ratio = 1.35

2 Earrings -> +40 to all Basic Stats

1 Colar -> +10 to Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Reflexes, and Mana; +20 to Mental Power

+5 Soul power