Watcher of Fate

Elara’s gaze remained fixed on Lily as she emerged from the ruins' central courtyard. The information box appeared, detailing Lily’s new class and level:

[Lvl 14 Kitsune Exiled Puppeteer (Rare: 833)]

The rising sun framed Lily’s form, casting a warm glow over her as she walked out of the dome of illusions that had safeguarded her during the ritual. The once-darkened room now appeared as it had before, the protective illusions still shimmering faintly around the ruined courtyard.

With a relieved smile, Lily approached Elara. “How are you holding up?” she asked, her voice carrying a note of concern.

Elara stretched and yawned, her exhaustion evident. “I require some sleep,” she admitted, her voice a bit weary. “Guarding the perimeter while you worked was... a bit much. I’m ready for a rest.”

Lily nodded in understanding. “Rest is important. I’ll wake you when the sun begins to set. We still need to finalize our plans and ensure everything is in place. You can get some well-deserved sleep now.”

Elara gave a grateful nod, feeling the weight of fatigue begin to settle in, but before she could fall asleep, she pulled up the notification associated quest completion chime she heard when Lily exited the ritual.

Quest Kidnap a Noble has been completed.

You have gained 4000 experience.

Malakar releases his contract with Quill.

Elara’s eyes widened as she read the last line of the notification, her breath catching in her throat. "Malakar releases his contract with Quill." A rush of emotions surged through her, relief, joy, and a sense of victory unlike any she’d felt in a long time. Her heart pounded as the whole meaning sank in. She turned to Lily, who was now watching her with a bemused expression and then looked down at her sword where Quill’s spirit resided.

“We did it,” she whispered, her voice excitedly trembling. "Quill, you’re free. The contract with Malakar is finally over." She could hardly believe the words as they left her lips. All the battles, the risks, and the relentless struggles through Tartarus had finally led to this moment. The burden that had weighed on them for so long was gone. A wide grin spread across her face, her eyes sparkling with delight. "I can't wait to see what we can do now that we’re not bound by that devil anymore."

---

As the sun descended toward the horizon, the sky transformed into a canvas of breathtaking colors. Brilliant shades of orange and pink spread across the heavens, casting a warm, golden glow over the arid landscape. Once stark and blinding under the midday sun, the desert sands were now bathed in a softer light that danced across the ripples and dunes. Shadows stretched long and languid, creating a surreal contrast against the vibrant sky. The fading light painted the ruins in deep, dramatic hues, accentuating their ancient, weathered features.

Lily gently shook Elara awake as the sun’s last rays painted the world in a final burst of brilliance. The cooling evening air was a welcome relief from the day's heat. As Elara stirred, she blinked away the remnants of sleep, taking in the breathtaking view of the desert at twilight.

“Time to get up,” Lily said softly, her voice carrying a note of encouragement. “We need to get moving.”

Elara nodded groggily, pushing herself to her feet. The desert's cool evening breeze was refreshing against her skin. They began their trek through the desert, the colors of dusk casting a serene ambiance around them. As they walked, Lily turned to Elara with a thoughtful expression.

“How do you want to start your training?” Lily asked, her tone curious.

Elara hesitated, glancing around at the sprawling desert. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

Lily nodded. “Alright, then, I need to know more about you before we start. You mentioned before about racial slots. Do you have any?”

Elara shook her head. “No, I don’t. But my status screen says I have three free slots.”

Lily’s eyes lit up with interest. “Is your sight skill a class skill or a racial skill?”

Elara responded, “It’s a class skill.”

Lily nodded thoughtfully. “In that case, you should consider assigning all three free slots to racial skills. They’re generally twice as effective as class skills if you have skills that fit into that category. It could provide a significant boost.”

Elara frowned slightly, mulling over Lily’s suggestion. “Do you think it’s worth it?”

Lily continued, “Also, do you have any spellcasting abilities in your class?”

Elara shook her head again. “No, I don’t.”

“Alright,” Lily said, making a mental note. “If we move your vision into one of those racial slots, you can accept one of the skills offered there. Then we can hold the last skill until we’ve fixed your core and integrated spellcasting into your class or racial skills.”

Just then, Quill, silently observing, fluffed his feathers and cawed from his perch. *“Well, Elara, you’re about to make some smart choices. I have to say, turning those slots into racial skills is about as clever as using a shadow for a cloak! And don’t worry about the spellcasting thing. Every hero has to start somewhere. Look at me. I’m an adviser with a very fine feathered reputation and still haven’t learned how to cast spells!”*

Elara smiled at Quill’s humor, feeling a bit more at ease. “Thanks, Quill. I guess we’ll go with that plan then.”

Elara reviewed the newly available skills carefully, her mind weighing the benefits and limitations of each. She could only select one of the three Norn racial skills, and the choice was not easy.

Weight of Fate (Rare): This passive skill reduces the mana cost, cooldown, and increases the effectiveness of all fate-related skills. It lightens the burden of using predictive abilities, making them more efficient and powerful. The weight of destiny becomes less of a constraint, allowing for more frequent and impactful use of foresight, fate manipulation, and related abilities.

Self Prophecy (Rare): This skill enhances the accuracy of prophetic insights related to the caster themselves. It provides clearer and more precise visions of their own potential futures, offering a better understanding of personal outcomes and choices. However, it does not stack with other cost-saving skills like [Weight of Fate], ensuring that its benefits are distinct and precise.

Find Loot (Uncommon): This passive ability enhances the caster’s ability to locate hidden treasures and valuable items. It increases the chances of discovering concealed objects, hidden caches, and valuable loot during exploration. The skill makes it easier to find and identify items that might otherwise be overlooked, adding a significant advantage in scavenging and treasure hunting.

This passive skill [Weight of Fate] promised to reduce the mana cost, cooldown, and increase the effectiveness of all fate-related skills. The prospect of making her predictive and fate-manipulating abilities more efficient was highly appealing. In particular, the reduced cooldown and increased effectiveness could significantly enhance her use of [Moment in Time], allowing her to alter or freeze time more frequently and for longer durations. This skill would not only provide strategic advantages in combat but also improve her ability to navigate and manipulate crucial moments.

[Self Prophecy] skill provided an enhancement to prophetic insights specifically related to herself. It promised clearer and more accurate visions of her own future, offering precise predictions about her personal outcomes. While useful for making informed decisions, its limitation was that it did not stack with other cost-saving skills like [Weight of Fate]. This made it a more specialized tool, offering significant personal insight but lacking the broad utility of the other skill.

This skill [Find Loot] ability made it easier to locate hidden treasures and valuable items. While practical and useful for exploration and scavenging, it did not have the same immediate strategic impact as the other two skills. Its benefits were more geared towards improving her chances of finding valuable items rather than enhancing her abilities in crucial moments or battles.

Elara deliberated over each option, considering how they aligned with her current needs and future goals. [Weight of Fate] stood out because it offered a comprehensive enhancement to all her fate-related abilities. The prospect of reducing cooldowns and increasing effectiveness would make her predictive skills, like [Moment in Time], far more powerful. This skill’s ability to make such abilities more frequent and impactful was a compelling advantage.

[Self Prophecy], while useful, seemed more limited in its scope. Its focus on personal insights did not provide the broad utility that [Weight of Fate] offered. Although it would improve her understanding of her own future, it would not enhance her overall capability in the same way.

[Find Loot] was valuable for its practicality, but Elara felt that enhancing her fate-related skills had a greater potential for strategic advantage. The increased effectiveness of [Moment in Time] and similar abilities outweighed the benefits of easier treasure hunting, especially considering her immediate needs.

After much consideration, Elara decided to choose [Weight of Fate]. The skill’s ability to reduce cooldowns and enhance the effectiveness of her fate-related abilities offered a significant strategic advantage. The potential for more frequent and impactful use of skills like [Moment in Time] was too valuable to pass up.

As Elara integrated [Weight of Fate] into her racial skills, she felt a sudden, powerful tug on her spirit, as if the very threads of her essence were being realigned. The sensation was intense, a pulling force that seemed to stretch her very being. It felt like an invisible hand was wrenching at her core, causing her to gasp in discomfort.

When she moved [Cognizance] from her class skills to her racial skills, the impact was immediate and severe. A sharp, searing pain surged through her eyes, a hot, burning sensation that felt as though molten metal was being poured directly into her eye sockets. The pain was accompanied by a blinding pressure, as if her skull were being compressed by a vise.

Elara doubled over, clutching her head as waves of excruciating pain washed over her. Her vision blurred, and her legs threatened to give way beneath her. The agony was so intense that she struggled to breathe, each inhale feeling like it was pulling more fire into her already tortured senses. It was as though every nerve in her body was on fire, sending ripples of torment through her entire being.

Lily rushed to her side, her face etched with alarm. “Elara, are you okay? What’s happening?” she asked urgently, her voice trembling with concern.

Quill fluttered anxiously nearby, his usually composed demeanor cracked with worry. “Hang in there, Elara. This must be a side effect of shifting your skills around. It’s going to be alright,” he croaked, trying to offer comfort through his own anxiety.

Lily gently placed a hand on Elara’s shoulder, her touch barely noticeable against the overwhelming pain. She spoke soothingly, trying to ground Elara amidst the chaos of her senses. “Just breathe through it, Elara. The pain should pass soon,” she said, her voice a calming anchor in the storm of Elara’s suffering.

Despite their efforts to console her, the intense pain seemed to stretch on endlessly. Elara felt as though she was trapped in a relentless wave of torment, unable to escape the crushing pressure and searing heat that seemed to consume her entire being. The world around her swirled in and out of focus, each pulse of pain blurring her sense of reality.

Gradually, the intensity of the agony began to wane. The searing heat receded, and the vise-like pressure on her skull loosened. Elara took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to steady herself as the pain finally subsided. Her body felt exhausted, as though she had been through a fierce battle, but she could sense the adjustments to her racial skills had been made.

As Elara's vision slowly returned to normal, she noticed a remarkable change. Her ability to see had vastly improved; she could now perceive details that had previously eluded her. The world around her appeared more vivid, with colors more saturated and edges sharper. She marveled at the clarity with which she could see the threads of Fate weaving through the air, their golden and white strands shimmering with intricate patterns. It was as if the veil that had previously obscured her view of the mystical fabric of reality had been lifted.

Elara's eyes felt itchy from the strain, and she instinctively reached up to remove her [Mask of Shifting Moods]. As she pulled it away, her fingers brushed against her eyes, which felt both sore and sensitive. She rubbed her eyes gently, trying to ease the irritation.

Quill, perched nearby, watched with a mix of curiosity and concern. His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the change. “Elara, your eyes, they’re different!” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with astonishment.

Elara blinked, feeling the new sensation of her enhanced vision. “I’m not sure what they look like,” she said aloud, glancing around for a way to see her reflection. “What do they look like?”

Lily, always quick to respond, raised her hand and cast a spell using her [Foxfire] ability. A shimmering, translucent mirror materialized in front of Elara, framed by delicate tendrils of golden flame. The illusion’s surface rippled gently, reflecting a flawless image of Elara’s face.

Elara stepped closer to the mirror, her eyes widening as she saw her reflection. Her eyes had transformed into striking eagle-like orbs, with irises that glowed with a blend of gold and white. The change was subtle but profound, giving her a penetrating, almost predatory gaze that seemed to capture and analyze every detail with exceptional precision.

She turned to Lily, who was also observing her with a look of amazement. “I didn’t expect this,” Elara said, her voice filled with wonder. “My eyes… they’re different. It’s like I can see everything so much clearer now.”

Lily nodded, her expression a mixture of awe and approval. “It seems the changes you’ve made have given you an even greater edge. This will be incredibly useful, especially when combined with your new abilities.”

Elara felt a renewed sense of empowerment. Despite the pain she had endured, the enhancements to her sight and skills made it all worthwhile. She was eager to put her new abilities to use and see how they would impact their journey ahead. She brought up her status screen to see the difference.

---

Name: Elara Crowhurst

Race: Human(Norn)

Class: The Watcher of Fate

Level: (290,128 of 313,000) 33

Quenya: (250,004 of 253,000) 31

Resources:

HP: 8,702 of 8,702 (15.1/min)

Energy: 18,364 of 18,364 (4.6/sec)

Attributes:

Armor Class: 113

Strength: 61

Dexterity: 223 (245)

Constitution: 119

Perception: 223 (367)

Intelligence: 100 (110)

Resolve: 180 (261)

Free Points: 17

Class Skills:

Sanctuary of Learning (Legendary): 14

Skein of Destiny (Mythic): 11

Ephemeral (Legendary): 16

Crimson Quill Dance (Unique): 21 PERMANENT

Unified Presence (Legendary): 25

Moment in Time (Mythic): 2

Racial Skills:

[Weight of Fate]: 1

Cognizance (Mythic): 25

Quenya Skills:

Crimson Quill Dance (Unique): 21 PERMANENT