CHAPTER 331: UNCHARTED PATH [1]

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[DASHBOARD]

◈ Personal Info

◈ Stories

◈ Messages (1 Unread)

◈ Inventory

◈ Achievements

◈ Funds

◈ Scenario Points

◈ Shop

◈ Pathways [NEW]

◈ Resonant Relics

◈ Techniques/Styles/Arts

◈ Bonds

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Hmmm. It’s been a while since I checked personal info, let’s take a look then, shall we?

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[Personal Info]

Name: Amaniel Von Luthaire

Age: 17

Rank: Path Seeker (2nd Tier)

Locus Types: Body, Energy, Mind

Affinities: Ice(Water), Fire, Darkness, Void

Resonance Gift: ???

Path: ? (*)

◈ Titles / Achievments

◈ Role / Affiliation(s)

◈ Abilities / Skills

◈ Blessing

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Hmm...

There were almost no changes in here, except for the addition of the affinities and his locus. And it seems like they will only be shown after he discovers them. Unlike most systems that immediately showed their hosts their hidden traits and abilities.

But since it has been generous and helpful till now, I decided not to question it. It wouldn’t talk no matter what I said anyway.

And Path had changed from ’None’ to ’? (*)’. I mentally tapped on the asterisk and received a message telling me to check the Pathways tab.

Alright, Pathways it is then.

I mentally tapped the [Pathways] tab.

The screen dimmed into a velvet black, and the little HUD elements retreated like constellations blinking out. Then the interface began to speak in light.

[Initializing Pathways Interface...]

Lines of silver light sketched themselves into existence across the dark void of the screen. They spread outward in arcs and lattices, like veins of lightning frozen in glass.

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[Welcome, Amaniel Von Luthaire.]

[Designation: Path Seeker.]

[Compiling resonance trajectories...]

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One by one, glowing motes bloomed along the lines, swelling into nodes that pulsed with quiet power. The entire structure shivered, then expanded outward in a breathtaking ripple, like a star map being revealed.

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[Your experiences define the routes of your Pathway.]

[Every step carved, every bond forged, every trial overcome — woven into branches of possibility.]

[Here lies the record of your becoming.]

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The words faded, and the dark emptied again. For a single breath, I thought the show was over until the screen started convulsing again with soundless motion.

A single point of brilliant azure light appeared at the center.

Then it exploded and started expanding, like a universe being born, stretching into a complex, three-dimensional lattice of interconnected lines.

It looked like a tree, but also a nervous system, a galaxy, and a tapestry all at once.

Countless threads of light—sapphire, emerald, crimson, and amethyst—wove through its structure in a mesmerizing, infinite dance, representing possibilities yet unclaimed.

The breathtaking animation slowly stilled, the ethereal threads settling into a stable, glowing form.

What remained was a magnificent, spectral tree. Its trunk was a pillar of solid moonlight, and from it, four distinct growths sprang.

It reminds me of a Skill Tree that appears in games. But more detailed and creative. The animation was cool too.

While admiring, I observed more closely.

The first branch was the largest and most robust, its structure thick and resilient. It forked into several smaller, sturdy limbs that spoke of physical power and unwavering defense.

This has to be the Warrior’s path.

The second branch was almost as large, but its nature was different. It shimmered with a more volatile energy, splitting into limbs that crackled with elemental fury and others that flowed with the steady current of pure aura.

Probably the Channeler’s path.

The third growth was noticeably smaller, about half the size of the first two. It was less solid, more ethereal, woven from light and thought. It split into three delicate, intricate branches that seemed to trace complex patterns in the air.

Must be the Mystic’s path.

The fourth was the smallest, a mere sapling compared to the others. But it was perhaps the most fascinating. One half of the sapling pulsed with a vibrant, healing green light that seemed to promote growth and vitality just by being near it. The other half shimmered with a profound, dark blue that of the deep, cold abyss of the ocean depths, and from this blue flickered faint, chilling flames that seemed to steal warmth and light from the air around them.

Are they the Specialist’s Path branches? If so, the green one must be related to Mender’s Paradox, while the flames to the Exorcist’s Gaze.

And at the very base of the trunk, almost hidden, was a fifth presence... a tiny, faint sprout of pure white light, so small it was easy to miss. It had no branches, only the potential for one.

So, is it the Artificier’s path then? Or entirely another?

I wasn’t entirely sure, but what I was sure of was that I was close to unlocking this branch as well.

As I focused on the tree as a whole, drinking in its impossible beauty and complexity, a new notification materialized at the edge of my perception, its data stark and simple against the vibrant display.

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PATH ANALYSIS: COMPLETE

Designation: [N/A]

Rank: [N/A]

Type: [Uncategorized]

Current Composition:

- Integrated Nodes: 2

- Manifesting Nodes: 2

- Dormant Sprouts: 1

Node Summary:

- Node: Warrior - [Integrated] | Stability: High | Synergy: Low

- Node: Channeler - [Integrated] | Stability: High | Synergy: Low

- Node: Mystic - [Manifesting] | Stability: Forming | Synergy: Pending

- Node: Specialist (Dual-Aspect) - [Manifesting] | Stability: Volatile | Synergy: Pending

- Sprout: [Unidentified] - [Dormant] | Stability: Null | Synergy: Null

Pathway Cohesion: 8%

Your gathered experiences have begun to resonate. Cohesion will increase through practice, integration of new nodes, and synthesis of existing aspects.

Next Cohesion Threshold: 10%

Predicted Outcome: Unlock foundational Path ability. Reveal latent synergies between Nodes.

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Well... This looks... difficult.

I stared at the analysis, my mind trying to wrap itself around the concepts. Nodes. Manifesting. Cohesion. It was like reading a foreign language where I only knew every third word.

Two nodes were "integrated." Okay, that probably meant the Warrior and Channeler stuff. They felt solid, like they were a real part of me now. However, the Channeler was a bit questionable since I recently started learning affinities.

The other two were "manifesting," which sounded fancier than it probably was. It just meant I’d poked at the Mystic and Specialist things enough for the system to notice, but they were still new and developing.

And a "dormant sprout." I still had no idea what that could be. Some hidden talent, maybe? Or just a placeholder for something I hadn’t stumbled into yet.

But the real kicker was obviously the [Pathway Cohesion: 8%].

Hmm..