The First Archmage

(Gavin)

"Okay," Twist says. "What is your decision?"

"That Nies should probably be here for me to decide."

Twist laughs, and a moment later, Nies appears on the table, lying down, propping his head up on his hands, staring at Twist.

"Whaddayawant?" He asks. "And why did ya pull my Hero into yer Realm?"

And why are you talking like that?

"And why did my Hotness just go up to Level 10?" I ask.

"I'm not entirely sure," Twist shrugs. "One of the library's residents probably saw you. Just be glad you aren't pooping, like when those goddesses noticed you."

It was goddesses that caused that to happen? And they seriously thought I was attractive as I was shitting?

How many goddesses?

"Why did you summon me?" Nies asks. "I'm cranky right now, because you pulled my Hero into your realm. Don't think I won't slap you through your Realm."

"I'd rather not destroy my Realm with us fighting again," Twist says, then looks at me. "Nies is more powerful than me physically, but I'm more powerful than him magically. However, when compared against each other, we're roughly equal in power. Nies has a tendency to vent his anger on me."

"You should probably answer his question."

"Yeah," Nies kicks his feet a little. "Answer the question, Twist."

"Gavin has crafted two Tier VII Spells by himself," Twist says. "That is enough balancing to negate the need for him to no longer receive Species Experience until the period is up. Not enough for Bloodline or Class, but definitely for Species."

I'd still qualify for Bloodline, though, because of the Dekami thing, you said.

"So you're asking me if it's okay?" Nies asks. "You know I don't really care, since it's balanced. I didn't want to just go and trample on your domain by acknowledging it. You can adjust it."

"Actually," I say. "He asked me if I would accept it, or if I would rather keep to the agreement we made. I told him that I wanted you here. As it is an agreement between the two of us, both are needed to make the decision."

"Oh," Nies says. "Well, it doesn't bother me. It's all about the balance. I never changed it because I didn't want to trample on Twist's domain."

"Are you sure you weren't just being lazy?" I ask, and my patron tenses up.

"Looks like it," Twist smiles at me, then looks to Nies. "So you have no issue with it?"

"Nah," Nies says. "How many people do you know who can craft a new Skill on their own? Gavin's done it twice, and a Tier VII one both times. That's a perfectly acceptable exchange to be able to advance his Species again. You do know that one of his options is the Ascended Human, right? He's become the first person to ever have that as an option. Period. That's what, four Titles he'll get, should he decide to actually Advance his Species, even without gaining Expereince. Just imagine how quickly he'd reach the next Tier. I wonder what his options would be. Do you think he'd have Eternal as a Tier III Option?"

Eternal?

"He does already," Twist says. "And he has you-know-what as a Tier IV Option."

He does, but I don't.

"He does?" Nies says, then turns his head and scrutinizes me for a moment, before widening his eyes. "Whoa. Already. Huh. He can actually complete the Advancement Quest to Ascended Human. How come you didn't do it already, Gavin?"

"What would be the point of Advancing something," I ask. "When you can't Level the new form?"

"Well," he says. "You do gain 5 LIF for every Class Advancement, and 20 LIF when you move your Species to Tier II."

"I… what?" I ask. "I gain 20 LIF for Advancing my Species?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Stem thought it'd be a nice boost to any Human who manages to. Not that anyone's managed before. Of any humanoid Species. I finally figured out how you know that language."

"What language?"

"Oo-oo huku mutata."

New Skill!

Hoihoi Common Language 1: The language of the Hoihoi, an evolved form of honey badger

Due to prior knowledge, the Level of this Skill has been adjusted to reflect reality

Hoihoi Common Language is now Level 10!

"That was rude, Nies," I say. "Are you sure you want to call your Hero a stupid fuck, noku-ah?"

"Asshole," I grin at him. "So did you just not Advance your Species and Classes because you didn't want to be reminded of the fact that you can't gain Experience, even though you'd gain LIF from it?"

"Yeah."

"Ah," he says. "Well, like I said, I don't have an issue with the tradeoff. You'd be able to gain Subspecies Experience as well, once you bring whatever you pick-"

"Do you really think I'd be so stupid as to not do Ascended Human?" I ask. "That's a shitton of power I wouldn't have, it's worth losing the other bonuses to learning and stuff. What are Elder and the other option?"

"Not saying the other," Nies says, then gives Twist a stern look.

"Elder," Twist says. "Is currently double Ascended Human's bonus. And I wasn't going to tell him that, Nies, especially since you know that the Fourth Tier Species is a single option, always. It's currently that option. It might not be in the future."

"There's nothing higher than that," Nies snorts. "He'd have to literally become a Divine to become higher than that, and the System is locked against that happening as a Species Advancement. It's a total morphing. That's why we're not sure if it's possible or not to become a Divine. Weren't sure before Stem made the System, we're certainly not now."

"Indeed," Twist looks at me. "So, your patron – and the god with whom the agreement was with, has said he doesn't care. Would you like for the change to happen?"

"It sounds to me," I say. "Like you two just needed to chat to know for sure what to do with the whole thing. With how many Divine talk with Nies… how come you two never discussed it?"

"I don't have any sweets, so Nies never stops by unless I actually call him here."

"You just don't want me visiting," Nies pouts.

"I told you you're free to visit and chat," Twist says. "But you still never visit."

"You never have anything for me to snack on or nap on," Nies huffs. "That means you don't want me to visit. Even Ekre keeps stuff around for me, as much as he wants to say he doesn't want me around."

"Pretty sure Ekre likes his older brother," I say. "Even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"Likes me?" Nies looks at me. "He's always so mean to me."

"Yet he keeps snacks around," I say. "Knowing you'd come over to steal them. He probably just doesn't want to admit that he likes having you around. It's one of those sibling things.

"Anyway," I stand and stretch. "I should probably be returning, even if time isn't passing in the mortal realms for me."

"How did you-"

"I'm me," I say. "Nies, are you sure you're okay with it?"

"Positive," he nods. "It's all about balance. It's balanced."

"Then I accept it," I say.

Quests Modified:

Species Experience May be Acquired Once More

"Thank you," I say. "I'm taking it on before I leave. Is there anything I should know?"

"It'll morph your body a little," Twist nods. "Ascended have feathery wings."

"So I should remove my tunic, then," I pull my robe and tunic off and set them on the table. "Will I be able to 'remove' the wings? Or will they be permanent?"

"You can," he nods. "It isn't a Skill, but an innate ability. I will warn you, though, that as the wings are part of your nature, if you take on Ascended Human, that you'll feel a bit weird without them. Not sure if you'll ever get used to that feeling, since no one's, you know, hit Tier II of an Enlightened Species."

"A what?"

"The humanoid ones," Nies says. "Beastborn, Beastkin, Humans, Elves, Fairies, Dwarves, and such. Plenty of Monsters have done it, as it's part of their natural life cycle. Dragons are a prime example of this – Baby Dragon, Adolescent Dragon, Adult Dragon, Elder Dragon are their Species, not their Classes."

"Oh," I say. "I wasn't aware of that. Can I see your real forms?"

"No," they say in unison.

"Why not?"

"Why did you randomly ask that?" Nies asks.

Because my form changing has made me realize that I've still yet to see yours.

"I want to see them."

"They're hideous," he pouts. "At least, to mortal standards. We formed long before things such as monsters and people existed. If you saw our true form, you'd probably shit yourself."

"Nies," Twist says.

"True," Nies nods. "This is Gavin. He'd probably just freeze up, instead of freezing up, shitting himself, pissing himself, and passing out, all at once."

"Point is, Gavin," Twist looks at me. "Our true forms, as original Divine Beings, means that you'd be heavily affected by our Divine Power, regardless of your Skills and resistances. It's best you don't encounter it. Even if you reached Tier IV Species, you'd be heavily affected by it."

"Alright," I nod, stretching. "Taking it on. Species Advancement: Ascended Human. Accept. Confirm."

Power begins to flow through my body, and I feel something forming out of my back, a sensation of two new limbs, feeling natural, as if they have always been there. My body continues to flow with this new power, and after several minutes, it fades away.

Your Species has Advanced to Tier II!

You are now an Ascended Human!

+5 to all Attributes, LIF per Level

You Have Successfully Advanced Your Species to Tier II!

+20 LIF!

+100 OFV!

New Title!

First Greater Enlightened: The first Enlightened to have successfully Advanced to the Second Tier of their Species.

New Title!

Greater Enlightened: An Enlightened who has Advanced their Species to the Second Tier

New Title!

First Ascended Human: The first Human to become an Ascended

New Title!

Ascended Human: A Human who Advanced their Species to Ascended, the most powerful Tier II Species of them all

New Title!

First Ascended: The first of any Enlightened Species to become an Ascended

New Title!

Ascended: An Enlightened who has Advanced their Species to the most powerful of all Tier II Species

I'm at twenty Titles, now… just one more, and I'll get the next Title for collecting Titles, as that means I'll have surpassed twenty Titles. At least, if I'm right that it's for surpassing more than twenty Titles.

It looks like Advancing one's Species to the Second Tier is an automatic gain of three Tier II Titles. Greater Enlightened, whatever the new Species is, and the form it takes. At least, that's if I'm right, and it isn't just for Ascended.

At least I know I managed to take the most powerful one there is.

Looks like Nies probably forgot two of the Titles, when he said I'd gain four.

"Thank you, Nies, Twist," I say, then look around. "Do you have a mirror anywhere, so I can see my new form?"

"I can manifest one," Twist says, reminding me that I could do the same. "But before you do, know that there were only two changes to your physical body. The rest of it was already like that."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"The wings appeared," he says. "And your eyes turned fully violet. That's it. The rest of your body was already like that."

"Oh," I say, and he gestures in front of me, a tall mirror appearing before me, reflecting the library behind me, as well as myself. "Whoa…"

I wasn't aware that my body had that much muscle definition to it, even with me being this slender. I never really paid much attention, but… I'm solid, even if I'm not big or bulky. My body has a light tan on the hands, fading around my wrists, where my sleeves normally cover. There's also a tan on my face, stopping just below my neck.

Warren and Michael don't have tan lines, now that I think about it. I should probably work on clearing mine up at some point. I do find it somewhat amusing that me turning into a whole new Species didn't 'erase' my tan or smooth it out or something.

Speaking of the changes… my eyes really are a pure violet, now a rich, vibrant violet that nearly glows from its brilliancy. My wings match my eyes for color, with a hint of golden flecks here and there, each wing nearly ten feet in length.

I can sense the inherent power within the wings which will allow me to fly. No Resource required, just stamina, which I already have plenty of.

I want to try them out.

"Would you like to try them out?" Twist asks.

"Yes," I nod. "Though I should be getting back."

"Sometimes," Nies mutters. "You can be a real idiot."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"You mentioned," Twist snorts. "About time not passing in the mortal realms while you're here, Gavin. There's no rush to return. You were actually only partly-right, but it doesn't matter either way."

Our surroundings change, putting us in a field near the edge of a cliff, three chairs around the table Nies is still lying on, Twist remaining seated.

I look around, then flap my wings once, twice, and then am up in the air. This feels so natural, like it's something I've always done. I fly around for a bit, not confident enough to do any form of tricks, then allow myself to fall into a dive down the cliff, tucking my wings in against my body.

The cliff is at least a mile tall, and when I'm near the bottom, I unfold my wings, transitioning into a glide and soaring over the grass.

Had I waited half a second longer, I would've crashed into the ground. So glad I didn't.

The wind seems to part around me as I fly, giving me only a gentle breeze on my body. It feels amazing.

I flap my wings, ascending into the sky to well above the top of the cliff, then soar down to the Divine Beings chatting at the table, landing in a slight walk-run thing, slowing myself down for a few steps before turning and walking towards the Divine Beings, tucking my wings in.

"That feels amazing," I tell them. "Way more so than just using my magic to fly. It felt so natural."

"I was hoping your landing would fail," Twist says.

"That's mean," Nies says.

"Why?" I ask.

"First time trying," he answers. "Flying might feel natural, but even a bird might still crash its first landing attempt. Many do, actually. Oh, well."

"I stumbled a little," I tell him. "But I caught myself. This feels so amazing."

"Congratulations on your Advancement," Twist says. "What will you do now? Work on bringing your Species up to maximum? With your bonuses from Dekami Bloodline, and how all-encompassing Human is when it comes to acquiring Experience, I'm sure it won't be too hard for you."

"Not for now," I tell him. "I'd rather finish the Blood Quest, first. I'll gain Experience naturally over time, and once I'm working on taking down that damn Boundary of Sages, as well as establishing my Headquarters for my Order, then I'll work on gaining Experience again. I'm working on increasing my Affinities again, well, started that yesterday, and want to focus on that before dealing with whatever potential issues arise from increasing my regular Attributes."

"Oh, there isn't any," Nies says. "It's only your Resources that cause the Fog of Power."

"Also," Twist adds. "Each Species Tier increases the threshold needed to hit the Fog of Power. It doubles whatever it was."

"And adds to my OFV?"

"Yeah," he nods. "100 at Tier II, 200 at Tier III, and 300 at Tier IV, gaining another 400 when you max it out."

"Damn," I say. "That's a nice bonus."

"It is," Twist nods. "Especially for someone like you. Your RRN will have gone up as well, though the System doesn't usually log those boosts, since it's even rarer for the stat to be visible than OFV."

I check it, and sure enough, it's gone up by a hundred.

"Do you know how much faster I'll gain Resources, now?"

"Roughly eleven seconds faster," he nods.

"So about thirty-nine seconds for a point?" I ask, and he nods. "Thanks, Twist."

"You're welcome," he responds.

"Mind if I fly around a bit more?" I ask. "And play around with my powers? I feel more powerful."

"That's because you are," Nies looks at me, kicking his feet. "Ascended Humans are naturally more powerful, so even though your stats didn't change, your base power did, which means that, due to the amplification properties of the stats, you're even more powerful."

"Alright," I say. "Do you mind if I do?"

"We have time," Nies says. "Go play with yourself."

I unfold my wings, then take off again, flying out over the valley. Once I'm a fair distance away from the Divine, I look around, then lift a hand into the air.

"Spear of Frozen Lightning," I say.

Instantaneous creation. I'm so much more powerful that the spell formed instantly. I let it drop to the ground, and it spreads for a quarter of a mile.

Much, much more powerful than it was before. More than a thousand feet, rather than about a hundred and fifty. Almost ten times as expansive, just from that.

How does a Dragon compare to me?

Unless… that Dragon I fought before was only a Baby Dragon. How much more powerful do Dragons become with every Species Advancement? What was its Level?

How powerful of a Dragon will I be facing, when I die?

An Elder Dragon, no doubt.

Then again, I got lucky with the first Dragon and nearly died against the second, doing nothing to it. So maybe my gauge is slightly off at the moment. I just feel so powerful.

"Summon Void!" I hold out my hands, a Void a hundred feet across consuming the center of the previous Skill's impact. "Damn! That's awesome!"

I inhale, then let out a roar that thunders through the air, vibrating it and shattering the powerful ice below.

After playing around with my magic and new strength, leaving several scars and craters across the valley, I fly back to the two Divine. Nies is eating cake, and Twist is building a tower of cards.

"That was fun," I tell them as I land, tucking my wings back across my back. "I think it's time I go back, unless there's more you two have for me."

"Actually, yes," Twist says. "Nies here is just too lazy to tell you. I'd like to note that all Tier I Enlightened will feel a sense of power coming from you. Not on the level that they typically feel around Divine, since you seem to ignore it entirely, but enough that they'll know you're not a regular person. This is even when your wings are gone."

"Alright," I say. "Good to know that I'll be stared at even more for my unusual eyes and hair. Anything else?"

"One last thing," he nods, and I unmanifest my wings and begin to pull my shirt back on. "We can get Stem to leave you alone… but in his place, would you be willing to take on a student?"