New Race
FOREWORD: Check author's note! and, know, it's not me raging nor being... me... kinda... maybe? anyway, just do it!
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"Shit! That's it!" I cry out as I awaken from a dead sleep thanks to the violent striking of inspiration. The others were all already around and hard at work simply practicing their skills and training with their familiars- probably also inspired by waking up to see the newly outfitted Cweeper, Hermes, and Duck.
Sitting up, I hurry over to where Hermes and Cweeper were training by themselves off to one side of the camp. At my hurried arrival, both familiars simply stop everything they were doing and await my approach. Then, before anybody can say anything, I open Hermes' information and shove of Captain's Silk Upper Standard on over his head and raiment.
Once Hermes pulled his arms through, his stats updated with the new equipment. "Fuck, yes!" I call out before cheering loudly and obnoxiously. Hermes' Huntsman's Raiment was a costume type of armor just like my uniform!
"Put these on," I finish at last, simply tossing Hermes the rest of the quasi-legendary suit of armor before walking off to let them return to training. Whatever they had been doing together, it had taught both of them more magic skills as well as independently raised their stats to surprising levels.
As it turned out, the others had all reached the level fifty mark and were somewhere between there and fifty-one in experience after crafting accessories and equipment for their familiars. Unlike me who made a simple 'Standard' into near legendary grade, these guys had to make new silk soldier suits with the addition of a single outer layer of kobold leather and parts with chitin augments.
Their names were also silvery purple but were marked as Night Hunter's Standards with reasonably higher ratings and Night Slayer set effects. This forced me to spend an hour transmuting a set of the same equipment for Cweeper and Hermes with the addition of stat enchantments on each piece of armor and inheritances.
Unlike the previous quasi-legendary editions, I finally managed to shit legendary with the golden name Night Hunter Captain's Standard on the suit of armor. The set bonuses were the same, as well, but these captain suits increased Night Hunter set bonuses by an extra five-percent similar to the mobile fortress suit. Unlike the regular hunter's sets, the others did not have any cores or mana crystals to use so their armors did not yet have the extra stats.
Even after using cores and crystals I provided, their equipment had no choice but to remain silvery purple. But, now, at least, we had an advanced line of quasi- and complete legendary armor we could make in bulk for the clan as well as selling silk standards since we had better options. This changed things a great deal, leading me to ask for a quick vote before proudly announcing, "Melpomene, please send out the original world announcement for tragedy's mobile fortress suit."
[World Announcement: The first ever player-made divine blessed and graded Legendary/Mythic artifact/S were created this in-game calendar day by the Party: Tragedy's Travelers. For creating the Legendary/Mythic Artifact/S: Ancient Night Tragedy's Mobile Fortress Suit, the individual players of Tragedy's Travelers: Life Hack, Go-Croak, IvanaWin, PapiChurro, LilChurro, Oleander, Merch, Stonewall, I Got Skooma, Agnes, and Conansson have all been recognized as the Divine Designer and his Divine Assistants. More information can be found on the official forums or through other official channels]
"That's not as impressive as I thought it would be…" I say honestly, knowing we had already received all of our rewards previously so there would not be any accompanying notifications but still disappointed by the presence of just a single message. Then again, I WAS already in possession of the means to perpetuate legendary equipment. "Well, what can I expect? This, basically, means I officially broke the game."
[There can be a total of three Divine Designers and their ensuing assistants and acolytes per continent in Bygone Era. Don't worry, little hack, you will have plenty of competition to keep yourself occupied.]
Three per continent? There were like ten official continents in this game, which meant thirty Divine Designers. Then multiply that by ten for either assistants and acolytes individually. Three hundred assistant designers really would give the game a broken economy, and I still had no idea what acolytes were.
[Acolytes are your guardians and cannot be your assistants]
"Oh, shit," I realize with an awed expression, wondering what kinds of benefits being one of my acolytes might give somebody. The crafting assistant positions already gave them full-day benefits form four hours of work that could increase combat efficiency by as much as half where magic is concerned. Being the guardian of a Divine Designer must be… absolutely divine!
[You cannot be your own Acolyte]
"Then, I choose to make Cweeper and Hermes my first and second Acolytes," I reply in defiance, still wanting to see what the effects of being an acolyte were.
[Familiar: Cweeper has been made a Divine Acolyte]
[Cweeper Acquired Unique Title: 1st Divine Acolyte]
[You have been awarded +100 Imperial Reputation]
[Cweeper will now undergo evolution due to exposure to divine power]
[Cweeper Evolve Time: 6hrs]
[Familiar: Hermes has been made into a Divine Acolyte]
[Hermes Acquired Unique Title: 2nd Divine Acolyte]
[You have been awarded +100 Imperial Reputation]
[Hermes will now undergo evolution due to exposure to divine power]
[Hermes Evolution Time: 6hrs]
[Hack, dear, this is what happens when you make a FAMILIAR into an acolyte. Try again~]
"You make a valid point," I grumble in defeat while running back to where I had only just left my two strongest familiar. The midnight blue skinned imp and dark green redcap goblin were now blobs of fleshy clothes on the ground. It was not just their bodies, though, but the armors themselves were now stretched and adhering to their blob-like puddles beside dropped weapons.
Apparently, a complete inward break down of the monster's body constituted the beginning of evolution in this game.
Wondering what would happen if I were to tamper with the process, I access my cordycep skills and inspect the remains of my familiars. There was no Assimilate options in their basic 'Evolving...' descriptions. Regardless of this, though, I used Corrupt and Shapeshift to liquefy and replace the fingers of either hand before pouring the cordycep concoction on my familiars.
Without a command, the liquefied cordycep material would not act in any way so I was assured of the safety of my familiars. Add to this the fact that their evolutions were caused by divine power, I watched and waited for a few moments as the already liquefying armors soaked in the cordycep material. Then, I softly whispered, "Help me, Melpomene, you're my only hope."
Then, like a tidal wave of headache-inducing noise and visuals, notifications and windows began appearing in droves.
[Evolution Material: Night Hunter Captain's Standard has become Infected]
[Evolution Result will come out as a newly created Infected variation]
[Acquired Skill: Infection]
[+100XP]
[Infection LVMAX: Your bodily fluids can be used to infect other mortal races with Plaguedman genes, creating a lesser subspecies of Infected Mortal. Infection can only be performed willingly through exchange of fluids of any kind.]
[Created Starting Race: Infected Mortal]
[+10000XP]
[Leveled Up]
[All stats raised by 1]
[+1000 Reputation]
[Acquired Gold x10000]
[Starting Race: Infected Mortal is currently locked by Bygone Era Development Department, see E-Mail in reality for more information]
[Acquired Unique Title: 1st Starter Progenitor]
[+1000XP]
[1st Starter Progenitor: Legendary. Passive. As the first player to add a new starting race to the game's potential options, you are hereby recognized as the 1st Progenitor. Because your player-made starting race adds +10 to the starting stats of all the other races at the cost of certain racial abilities, you gain +10 to all stats and -10% appreciation from non-human races for causing the potential disinheritance of their attributes from future generations. As a Starter Progenitor of any kind, you are awarded +5% EXP/Loot/PATK/PDEF/MATK/MDEF/MVSPD bonuses as well as +100 HP/MP. +100 Imperial Reputation]
[Strength has reached 200]
[Acquired Strength Perk: Herculean Strength]
[+200XP]
[Herculean Strength: After achieving 200 points in Strength, the world suddenly feels like a much smaller place. +10% to carrying capacity, natural PATK, and +10% active weight reduction to Character Inventory. +20 Imperial Reputation]
[Luck has reached 200]
[Acquired Luck Perk: Winning Streak]
[+200XP]
[Winning Streak: After reaching 200 points in Luck, all in-game RNG chances are increased by 10%]
[Acquired Unique State Perk: Risky Parameter Synergy]
[+500XP]
[Risky Parameter Synergy: LUCK/Strength/Intelligence/Endurance/Willpower/Agility Perk. After reaching 200 points in all of your permanent stats while each stat was under 250 in value, your physical and magical parameters will now be boosted on a basis of 200 points. Any PATK/PDEF/MATK/MDEF parameter below 200 will be raised by 100. If only one parameter needs to be raised by one hundred, the other three parameters will be raised by 50. If two parameters need to be raised to two hundred, both parameters will only be set to two hundred. If three parameters need to be changed, ALL four parameters will be set to 200. OUTCOME: +100 MATK, +50 PATK, +50 PDEF, +50 MDEF. +200 Imperial Reputation]
[Acquired Unique Title: Monarch of Plague]
[+1000XP]
[Monarch of Plague: Legendary. Passive. After the founding of a lesser species, Plaguedman has been recognized as a noble race so rare and few in number that they are each seen as otherworldly ambassadors in any country. As the first (currently only) Plaguedman, you are recognized as the monarch of your noble race. As the monarch of your people, you receive +10 to all stats for the sake of your people as well as +50 HP/MP and +5% XP/Loot that extends to all members of your party, clan, race, and country. The Monarch of Plague is now granted the right to maintain a Plagued Army. +100 Imperial Reputation]
[Acquired Perk: Plagued Army General]
[Plagued Army General: You have the right to own and maintain a small army of 1000 mercenaries or loyal soldiers who share in the shared benefits of your monarchy and imperial titles. Plagued Army: 0/1000. Plagued Commander: 0/10. Plagued Captain: 0/100. Plagued Soldier: 0/890]
[Acquired Unique Title: Infected Emperor]
[+1000XP]
[Infected Emperor: Legendary. Passive. The second role of a noble race's monarch is the lordship of the noble race's lesser race, making you the emperor of the Infected Mortals. To help ensure the accommodation and safety of your newly created subspecies, the Infect Emperor is granted the Imperial Protection buff that raises physical and magical parameters by 10% any time the emperor enters combat. Permanent +10 to all stats and permanent party buff of +10% XP/Loot/CritDMG. The Infected Emperor is now granted the right to maintain an Infect Legion upon swearing allegiance to current Mortal Emperor. Can conscript any member of the Infected Mortal subspecies. +100 Imperial Reputation]
[Acquired Perk: Infected Legion]
[Infected Legion: Locked. The secondary role of the Infected Emperor is to lead the Infected Legion. Upon swearing your service to the current Mortal Emperor, you will have the right to own and maintain a legions of 10000 soldiers. The Infected Legion count as soldiers of your own country, allowing them to share in the racial buffs of both Plague and Infected leadership titles. Infected General: 0/10. Infected Commander: 0/100. Infected Captain: 0/890. Infected Soldier: 0/9000]
The first thing I did after digesting the new information before me was to open my character menus and view my physical and magical combat parameters. The lowest among them was my magic attack rating at two-sixty-one. I probably had the highest parameters of anyone on the team besides Stonewall even without his mobile fortress suit.
The mobile fortress shield alone made him almost invulnerable to physical damage.
Next I swept through my skills and perks in search of Plagued Army General where I found more detailed information such as how to enlist people into my armor. All someone had to do was accept and they would be granted honorary membership or citizenship as a Plaguedman. This did not, however, make them actual Plaguedman.
IT DID, HOWEVER, MAKE THEM SUITABLE FOR HYBRIDIZING WITH WILD CORDYCEP ANIMATUM.
The first thing I did was present Go with the opportunity to enlist as my first Plagued Commander. As soon as he said yes a stack of notifications appeared in front of us both, stating he had become a Plagued Commander as well as the benefits both of us received. We did not exchange stats like a blood binding, but we did receive titles, reputation, and the appropriate buffs granted by my titles as well as ten free stat points for enlisting as a commander as well as ten more points for every Plagued Captain that enlists under him.
Next I enlisted everybody, granting them the same commander positions and rights as well as receiving the same plus-one to all of my stats that Go had granted me. Their captains, though, would not grant me any stat points while I only received one point for every ten regular soldiers recruited. However, once again raising all of my stats by ten was nothing short of a godsend.
It had only been two or three in-game days since my first stat reached two hundred and now my Intelligence was two-sixty! There was no doubt about it, this game was simply designed to be broken. How else could you explain how easily my team has reached level fifty?!
After consolidating the rest of Tragedy's Travelers as my Plagued Commanders, I continued sifting through the new details and information before leaving everybody with the orders to continue their Agility training. Then, I promptly went to sleep to log out.
*