Chrysalis

We stand now on the brink of the final ascension. There is tremendous fear amongst the people now, but also great anticipation. Such a momentous moment in history, the ambition of it still takes my breath away.

Who else but we would ever dream of something like this? None of the other peoples would have the mettle, the commitment, to see such a project through to the end. In my eyes, it is yet another example of our superiority. The others don't see it as I do, they are filled with remorse. I care nothing of the fates of those beneath us, or for myself. Only the completion of our work can move me.

She is sleeping now. Deep, restful slumber, I hope. It is my fervent wish that she does not wake until we are done. To see the look in her eyes would break me. It would break us all.

But we wouldn't stop.

Excerpt from a private journal, page 344, Author unknown.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[So the way the System works for humans and monsters has quite significant differences, huh?]

[From what you've told me and the limited information that the Church of the Path has collected over the centuries, there are similarities but also differences, most of them due to unlock requirements].

[I still can't believe that there are no prompts for unlocking skills].

Beyn chuckles ruefully.

[I've read copies of the journals the early researches of the church have kept. The frustration that they experienced trying to track down the exact requirements to unlock advancements nearly drove them mad. Some of them are quite exacting, I assure you].

[Give me an example]

[Very well Great One, may your carapace be ever shiny. As we discussed, the surface races do not 'evolve' and gain strength but instead have 'classes'. Gaining levels in a class provides stat growth and every class give different stats at different rates].

[That still seems unfair to me. Why do most classes have such low growth?]

finger of his one

appalling stat growth. Take this village for example. Most of the people here have the 'farmer' or 'grower' classes. The stat growth on these jobs is poor, 0.2 Toughness a level and 0.1 for the other stats. Without transitioning to a more advanced class they'll be stuck with mediocre stats their whole

updates, better

I frown.

why don't they

Beyn shook his head.

and although a farmer can gain experience through growing and selling produce, the xp gain is pitiful

to fight monsters without decent stats?!] I

Beyn nods.

advance in class any other way is hard. It can take decades for a moderately successful trader to

about it. Why would the System be built in such a way to punish non-combat oriented classes? IT doesn't really

[There must be shortcuts.]

those with resources. For example, a wealthy merchant can take their child with the trader class into the Dungeon and pay for mercenaries to feed them the xp from kills in order to advance their level rapidly. Such practices are common in the upper echelons of society and…] he sighed heavily, [the Church of the Path is also a major player in such trade. Knowledge of powerful, advanced classes, escorts to take people on 'pilgrimages' into the Dungeon, all of it is for

a bit grubby]

He nods.

accepted since meeting you, O Great One. The light

out for a few minutes. Every now and again he launches into a sermon and rather than keep yelling at him I've just been letting him go until he runs out of steam or catches himself

priest, for some time now and the crowd around us doesn't show any signs of

haven't had any issues with the crowd so far. The kids have all been intercepted by wary parents and

has had a lot to say. All sorts of new ideas have been imparted to me, skill fusion, spell tier progression and the mana type matrix. It's going to take a long time

been able to study the sorts of skills that monsters have access to in any depth, but he's been able to give me a few ideas. Enough to go on for now,

how to

shakes his

energy for the people here to try and advance their classes and gain levels. We are barely

be trying to advance their classes. I don't want to have to protect this village forever and the sooner you can do it

goes