Aurelius took a moment to reflect on the other options he had seen, but his mind was made up. The Fractured Chosen evolution resonated with him on a deep level, and he felt a sense of determination and purpose he hadn't experienced before. With a firm nod, Aurelius selected "Yes."

  As soon as Aurelius made his choice, a wave of energy washed over him, and the figure before him dissolved into sparkling motes of light that merged with his form. He felt a surge of power, and his connection to the world around him seemed to intensify. The sensation was overwhelming yet strangely invigorating.

  When the light subsided, Aurelius found himself back in the study room, surrounded by the familiar bookshelves and the lingering scent of parchment. The figures representing the various evolutions were gone, but the sense of empowerment remained. He felt different, changed, but in a way that filled him with excitement for what lay ahead.

  A new prompt appeared before him, this one returning to the normal soft blue hue Aurelius was used to.

  With the evolution complete, Aurelius' mind now buzzed with the possibilities of his newfound abilities. First, he checked his status screen, looking at the changes with a satisfied smile on his face.

  ==========Stat Screen==========

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Aurelius couldn't help but grin as he admired the changes in his stat screen. The boost from his chosen evolution, The Fractured Chosen, was evident in the increased attributes and the new skill he acquired. He felt like he had unlocked a door to a realm of new possibilities and already loved the benefits it was providing.

  With his newfound power, Aurelius knew that he had to continue honing his existing classes and mastering the abilities they offered. Aurelius knew that the seamless synergy between these disciplines had proven, and would remain, the ultimate key to his very survival.

  Observing his overall level, Aurelius realized he was still at level 12. While he considered his progress decent, the burning desire to quickly level up and attain level 15, unlocking the full potential of his chosen evolution, consumed him.

  Leveling up was now easier than ever with his new Adaptive Resilience skill, which might have been the best benefit from the Fractured Chosen evolution. The permanent 50% increase in essence gain, combined with multiple wins in the Tournament of Elites, could potentially enable him to grow a level each day.

  Ever since becoming the Chosen, Aurelius had felt that he was far behind the other Chosen and needed to catch up to his peers. With Adaptive Resilience, Aurelius believed he could eventually bridge the gap.

  Taking a deep breath, Aurelius redirected his focus to the present and the room surrounding him. His first task was to test his newfound Spatial storage ability and become accustomed to its limitations and controls.

  Expending 30 mana, Aurelius activated the spatial storage ability for the first time.

  Out of nowhere, a black cubby box materialized in the air, suspended right in front of Aurelius like one of his status screens. While he wasn't certain what he had expected, this box seemed fitting. Still, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would stick around. Should he wait for it to vanish on its own or try to make it disappear with a mental command? The last thing he wanted was to get his hand stuck inside the box when it decided to disappear.

  Putting it to the test, Aurelius mentally commanded the spatial storage to disappear. The box disappeared.

  "Huh, that was simple enough," Aurelius mumbled to himself. Reopening the Spatial storage, Aurelius began by placing the mana bomb he had just created inside. Then he unloaded the rest of the runes from his bag, which he had been carrying around until now.

  Once all 17 runes were safely inside, he took a step back and closed the Spatial Storage. Aurelius paused, considering if there might be an easier way to place and retrieve items from the storage without having to open the whole thing up.

  "Testing out your new abilities?" came a voice from behind him.

  Despite the intrusion into his private study room, Aurelius wasn't freaked out. He had been expecting this.

  "Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to place and receive items from my new spatial storage without having to open the whole thing every time," Aurelius explained without turning around.

  "So you picked that ability, huh? You just have to focus on the item and will it to disappear or to reappear," Augustus replied.

  "That sounds simple enough," Aurelius realized, berating himself for not thinking of it sooner. Testing the idea, he focused his will on summoning the mana bomb into his hand. It materialized instantly. Impressed with the newfound efficiency, he then commanded the mana bomb to disappear, and just as swiftly, it vanished into thin air.

  Aurelius noticed that this time it had cost him 30 mana, both when he took the item out of the spatial storage and when he placed it back in. It made sense on reflection; he was technically opening the spatial storage multiple times.

  "Thanks," Aurelius responded, finally turning around to face Augustus, who had transformed back into his crow form. "How did you know about this skill? Have you seen it before?"

  "Of course," Augustus replied with a hint of a scoff. "Many of my past Chosen have walked down similar paths. After all, that class is specific to who I am as a god and only my Chosen have access to it. Remember?"

  Aurelius did remember. He recalled that when he had first been Chosen, he noticed that both the Arcane Artificer and Chronomage classes were unique to Chosen of the god Augustus. It was one of the reasons he chose those classes, hoping it would provide him with a uniqueness that could be advantageous.

  "Why are the classes specific to you? Are you some sort of time god?" Aurelius inquired, squinting slightly at the crow.

  The crow shifted his head left and right, as if weighing his options. "Not exactly. Although some people call me such. But why does it always seem when I am around, you ask me a bunch of questions? I came here once again to congratulate you. And, I am actually here to ask you a question. What Evolution did you get?"

  Aurelius was about to respond to the first question, but a hint of personal pride intermingled with his thoughts. Moreover, he couldn't deny his curiosity about whether Augustus had any information about his evolution, or evolutions in general.

  "The evolution I got is called The Fractured Chosen," Aurelius answered.

  The god's gaze snapped up, his demeanor uncharacteristically serious. "I don't think I have heard that one before..." The god's voice trailed off, as if lost in contemplation. "The Fractured Chosen," he repeated, almost savoring the name as it rolled off his tongue.

  "Interesting, I don't think I've heard that one before," the god repeated, a sense of wonder creeping into his expression.