Jonah frowned as he read the system notifications.
The warnings from Poliva's Touch
The System wasn't rejecting his impossible actions. As though it had seen it before but locked it off from humanity.
Jonah wondered if this was a type of knowledge other races had that humanity lacked.
Attribute allocation first, I can figure out how to give my party better classes after.
Jonah pulled up the interface, studying his current stats and the sixteen points waiting to be assigned.
[Current Attributes]
Strength (STR): 14 (+3 from achievements)
Dexterity (DEX): 20 (+3 from achievements)
Constitution (CON): 20 (+3 from achievements)
Intelligence (INT): 29 (+3 from achievements, +5 from Beyond Limitations)
Wisdom (WIS): 17 (+3 from achievements)
Perception (PER): 15 (+3 from achievements)
He had clean priorities already set. Intelligence first, always. Every point expanded his mana capacity, improved spell processing, brought him closer to the power he'd once wielded, improved the efficiency of his spell matrixes, and a dozen other things he needed if he planned to cast more high tier spells without dying.
Jonah put six points into INT, pushing it to 35.
Constitution second.
The lesson of his death was burned into memory. Glass cannons died. Plus he needed a powerful body to survive the blowback of trying to use Poliva's Touchor any other spell like that again.
Four points went into CON, raising it to 24.
Dexterity third. Speed and precision kept him alive when power failed. Four points into DEX, bringing it to 24.
The remaining two points split between Wisdom and Perception, one each, pushing WIS to 18 and PER to 16. Minor investments, but the compounding bonuses from higher attributes made even small gains valuable.
[Attributes Updated]
Strength (STR): 14
Dexterity (DEX): 24
Constitution (CON): 24
Intelligence (INT): 35
Wisdom (WIS): 18
Perception (PER): 16
[Attribute Points Remaining: 0]
Skill points were next.
Twelve points to allocate. The System had granted him new skill options, mage-locked foundations that normally required dedicated caster classes to access. His violation of class restrictions had opened doors that should have remained closed.
[New Skills Available]
Mana Channeling (Novice) - Control the flow and direction of mana through external pathways
Spell Construction (Novice) - Build spell frameworks from fundamental components
[Existing Skills Available for Advancement]
Mana Circulation (Advanced) - 2 points to Master rank
Mana Manipulation (Intermediate) - 2 points to Advanced rank
Tactical Assessment (Expert) - 3 points to Master rank
...
...
...
The new skills were the foundation of everything he'd been in his previous life. Mana Channeling determined how efficiently he could direct power into spells, while Spell Construction let him modify and optimize magical techniques. Both were essential for mitigating the self-damage from casting above his tier.
Two points into Mana Channeling pushed it to Basic rank.
Two points into Spell Construction, same advancement.
Two points into Mana Circulation, achieving Master rank. The pathway development at that level would accelerate his recovery and expand his capacity for future growth.
Two points into Mana Manipulation, reaching Advanced. Better control meant less waste, less strain, more precision.
Three points into Tactical Assessment, pushing it to Master rank. Leadership required information, and master-rank assessment would give him strategic pattern recognition that could predict enemy movements before they happened.
One point remaining. He invested it in Mana Channeling again, pushing it toward Intermediate.
They were all still under tier I skills and cost very little overall.
Soon enough, he would reach the higher tiers of skills and need to spend dozens of points just to move from novice to basic. Until then, he would take advantage of the easy upgrades without wasting points elsewhere.
[Skills Updated]
Mana Channeling (Basic → Intermediate in progress)
Spell Construction (Basic)
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Mana Circulation (Master)
Mana Manipulation (Advanced)
Tactical Assessment (Master)
[Skill Points Remaining: 0]
The evolution prompt pulsed at the edge of his vision once more.
[Class Evolution Available]
[Spellsword (Tier 1) → Multiple Options]
[Select to view available evolution paths]
Jonah focused on the notification.
The screen expanded, revealing the standard evolution options first—the paths that any Spellsword who'd reached Level 10 with decent performance would receive.
[Standard Evolution Paths]
Spellsword → Arcblade (Tier 2)
Specialization: Enhanced mana blade techniques, weapon-focused casting
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Dexterity
Growth: Superior blade magic, moderate spell variety
Rarity: Common
Spellsword → Ward Knight (Tier 2)
Specialization: Defensive magic, protective barriers, control effects
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution
Growth: High durability, support-focused combat magic
Rarity: Common
Spellsword → Battle Mage (Tier 2)
Specialization: Combat magic, medium-range engagement
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution
Growth: Balanced magic and durability
Rarity: Common
Spellsword → Mystic Blade (Tier 2)
Specialization: Elemental weapon infusion, environmental adaptation
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom
Growth: Versatile elemental combat, situational advantages
Rarity: Uncommon
Spellsword → War Caster (Tier 2)
Specialization: Military magic, formation support, area denial
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Wisdom
Growth: Group enhancement, tactical casting
Rarity: Uncommon
Jonah dismissed each option as he read it.
Arcblade was the default evolution, good for people who wanted to be slightly better at what they already did. It would plateau around Level 30, the blade techniques hitting a ceiling that pure weapon focus couldn't overcome.
Ward Knight was defensive, useful, necessary even, but not what he needed. He couldn't protect humanity by hiding behind barriers.
Battle Mage was the trap he'd identified during the tutorial—the balance point between magic and physical capability that created limitations instead of transcending them.
Mystic Blade had potential, but elemental specialization meant giving up flexibility. The Tower threw too many situations where a single element became useless unless he was a support member of a larger party.
War Caster was close to what he needed. The leadership aspects aligned with his role, but it was still Tier 2, still limited by the assumptions built into its framework.
None of them would let him become what humanity needed.
A new section appeared at the bottom of the evolution screen, separate from the standard options, bordered in gold that pulsed with contained power.
[Exceptional Evolution Paths]
[Note: These options are available due to demonstrated mastery exceeding class parameters]
Spellsword → Spellbreaker Sovereign (Tier 2)
Specialization: Hybrid archetype with class restriction flexibility
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution, Wisdom
Growth: Adaptive casting, technique mastery, rule transcendence
Rarity: Legendary
Core Passive: Class Restriction Flexibility (Minor)
Reduce penalties for using techniques outside class specialization
Effect scales with demonstrated mastery
Signature Ability: Proof of Mastery
Successfully performing a restricted technique under strain grants retroactive foundation
The System recognizes what you have already achieved
Signature Ability: Overchannel Protocol
Limited resource allowing above-tier casting
Cost: Self-damage, cooldown period, mana debt
Reward: Access to power beyond current limitations
Trait Synergy Detected:
- Regressor's Instinct (Pattern Recognition, Danger Sense)
- Beyond Limitations (Spell Flexibility, Mana Capacity)
- Overachiever's Constitution (Backlash Reduction)
- Death's Familiar (Death Magic Affinity)
[Warning: This evolution path has no documented progression ceiling]
[Warning: System monitoring will be enhanced for anomalous development]
[Warning: Other factions may take interest in unprecedented class holders]
Jonah studied the exceptional options, his tactical mind already dissecting the implications.
Two more evolution paths sat beneath the Spellbreaker Sovereign, their borders gleaming with the deep purple that marked Epic rarity.
Spellsword → Arcane Executioner (Tier 2)
Specialization: Assassination magic, precision strikes, mana efficiency
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Dexterity
Growth: Lethal single-target damage, stealth casting, critical enhancement
Rarity: Epic
Core Passive: Killing Intent
First strike against unaware targets deals 200% damage
Signature Ability: Deathmark
Tag an enemy for elimination. All attacks against marked target ignore 15% resistance
Spellsword → Vanguard Magus (Tier 2)
Specialization: Frontline combat magic, breakthrough tactics, sustained engagement
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Constitution, Strength
Growth: Durable battlemage, charge abilities, formation breaking
Rarity: Epic
Core Passive: Unstoppable Advance
Movement speed increases when moving toward enemies
Signature Ability: Shattering Rush
Mana-enhanced charge that disrupts enemy formations and barriers
Jonah stared at the screen.
Legendary rarity. He'd seen Legendary classes before, in his previous life, held by beings that had climbed to heights humanity could barely imagine. The Void Striders who operated at sixteenth-tier baseline for their magic had been fueled by these grand classes that provided them with the opportunities necessary to accomplish them. Then there were the Celestials who supposedly worked at twenty-seventh tier.
The System was offering him a path that could reach those heights.
One he could mold into what he wanted.
Only one human had ever received a title like that. An Emperor of Humanity class that could have made them an elevated race, but the price was too great. They'd made an attempt to change humanity into something unrecognizable. Dark.
Of grim future and of the stars as well.
Maybe it would have given them a longer lifespan as a race, but at what cost?
I need to make sure to find that kid before he fully unlocks his third evolution. I got until he reaches level 99 before I have to kill him instead.
He turned his focus back onto the system screen.
Both Epic classes were impressive. The Arcane Executioner would make him a nightmare for enemy leaders. The Vanguard Magus addressed his close-combat weakness directly.
Neither compared to the Legendary option. That one promised him the ability to retroactively use all his knowledge to create a base that was unfounded. Everything he needed to keep humanity alive. Though it did rest on the assumption that there were obvious pitfalls he had yet to discover near the peak of his power.
Jonah shook his head.
The Spellbreaker Sovereign didn't just offer power. It offered transcendence.
The ability to break class restrictions and cast above his tier. Everything he needed to become more than humanity's greatest mage.
He studied the rarity markers across all evolution options: common, common, common, uncommon, uncommon. Standard progressions for standard climbers. Safe choices that led to predictable outcomes. And then legendary, epic, epic.
The legendary class was built around his extraordinary knowledge and regressor abilities.
The warnings were clear: enhanced monitoring. That was a strange one. The system was watching? Why? Who was watching exactly? What was the point of their watching?
No documented ceiling meant no documented safety limits either. He would have to tread carefully instead of jumping off the deep end.
Jonah selected Spellbreaker Sovereign.
The System's response was immediate and violent.
Power flooded through him in a torrent that made Poliva's Touch feel like a gentle breeze. His mana core shattered into a thousand pieces. Time seemed to stop as they stayed still within him, and then they rocketed back toward the center, reforming into something new entirely.
The fractures he once had filled with something denser than ordinary mana.
His pathways, already damaged from the battle, burned as they expanded to accommodate capabilities they'd never been designed to hold.
Blue light erupted from his skin.
The light intensified with every second as Jonah tried to keep the shout bubbling in his throat from escaping.
Jonah's body twisted and arched against his will as pain beyond what he could endure for long savaged him. The system shrieked within his mind until it was all over, and he dropped in a puddle of his own sweat, soaking the bed underneath him.
A notification appeared in his blurry vision as clear as water to the melding background of light.
New skills appeared before him.
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