As Mike confirmed his choices, he felt dizziness and nausea wash over him. Hair stood on the back of his hands and his skin tingled all over. He took some deep breaths and tried to relax and after a few minutes these feelings subsided.
"OK, at least I didn't faint this time.â He muttered to himself.â Let's go with skills, I guess?"
"Very well.â The voice responded. â Like before, you may choose 10 skills out of this list:"
1. Enhanced Perception (Passive)
Your senses become more acute and precise. See finer details, hear subtler sounds, detect smaller changes, measure environmental variables.
2. Adaptive Resonance (Passive)
Your body gradually adapts to environments through exposure. Gain increasing physical bonuses (up to 15%) when remaining in similar conditions.
3. Pattern Prediction (Passive)
15% base chance to predict and dodge attacks based on conscious pattern recognition. Increases by 1% per Perception point above 20. Depends on your knowledge of the target.
4. Counter-Pattern (Passive)
When hit, your mind rapidly analyzes the attack. 10% chance this analysis produces a defensive insight that reduces the next similar attack by 30%. Knowledge gained through experience and reasoning.
5. Out of Chaos Comes Order (Passive)
Your patterns contain traces of primordial chaos. 10% of damage taken is converted to temporary stat bonuses lasting 30 seconds up to a ceiling determined by your focus.
6. Weakness Threading (Passive)
Critical hit chance increased by 10%. Critical hits provide clear feedback about effective techniques and may reveal additional weak points you can target.
7. Analytical Focus (Passive)
When concentrating on a single target or problem for more than 10 seconds, gain increasing mental clarity bonuses. +5% effectiveness of reasoning-based abilities per 10 seconds of focus, up to +25%.
8. Muscle Memory (Passive)
Your body remembers and optimizes repeated actions through practice. Performing the same technique 3+ times grants temporary efficiency increases.
9. Cellular Memory (Passive)
Regenerate 2% of missing health per minute. Healing effects are 10% more effective.
10. Durability Weave (Passive)
Equipment slowly self-repairs through pattern reinforcement at 1% per hour. You can observe and understand this process, learning about material properties through direct experience.
11. Pattern Optimization (Passive)
35% reduced failure chance on pattern creation through improved technique and understanding. 15% chance that successful creation exceeds parameters as you discover better methods.
12. Efficient Weaving (Passive)
All abilities cost 10% less mana through improved technique and understanding of natural mechanisms.
13. Quick Weaving (Passive)
25% reduced casting time through practiced efficiency. Instant abilities have 10% chance to not trigger cooldown as you learn optimal timing.
14. Behavioral Mapping (Passive)
As battles continue, your deliberate observation of enemy patterns improves your ability to predict their actions. Provides increasing tactical advantages through accumulated knowledge.
15. Combat Flow (Passive)
Your mind's processing speed increases with danger level, slowing your perception of time up to 20% in high-threat situations.
16. Metabolic Efficiency (Passive)
Require 50% less food and water through optimized biological processes. Immune to normal diseases. Your body becomes more efficient through enhanced patterns.
17. Pattern Mastery (Passive)
All pattern effects are 15% stronger and last 20% longer through improved understanding and technique. Mastery comes from practice and comprehension.
18. Resonance (Passive)
Healing and buffs you cast on others are 25% more effective as you better understand how to work with their natural patterns. Affected allies gain benefits from your expertise.
19. Stability Anchor (Passive)
Immune to unwanted teleportation and forced movement through reinforced personal patterns. Can extend this protection to one designated ally within 30 feet through conscious effort.
20. Logical Processing (Passive)
Your mind processes information 25% faster and with greater clarity. Improved memory retention and logical analysis. Reduces mental fatigue from complex reasoning tasks.
21. Empirical Learning (Passive)
Experience can be gained from failures. Each mistake provides clearer understanding of what went wrong and how to improve. Learning through direct observation and analysis.
Mike studied the list "These are all passive abilities," he noted. "Always-on effects."
"That is correct. These skills will function continuously."
"Right, so I need to think about constant advantages versus situational benefits." Mike began categorizing them mentally:
Essential survivability: Enhanced Perception for awareness, Counter-Pattern for defense, and Cellular Memory for sustain.
Combat enhancement: Weakness Threading for damage, Pattern Prediction for avoidance, Behavioral Mapping for long-term power growth.
Efficiency multipliers: Efficient Weaving and Quick Weaving would make all his active abilities better. Logical Processing could enhance his tactical thinking.
"I'm building for solo play," Mike reminded himself. "Can't count on allies for a while."
He immediately crossed off Resonanceâgreat for team play, useless alone. Adaptive Resonance seemed too situational. Durability Weave was nice but not essential if he was careful with gear. "Enhanced Perception is mandatoryâinformation wins fights. Weakness Threading synergizes perfectly with Pattern Analysis and Recursive Strike."
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
That was two.
"Pattern Prediction and Counter-Pattern for defense. Can't rely just on Pattern Shield." Four.
"Efficient Weaving and Quick Weaving are force multipliers for everything else I do." Six.
"Behavioral Mapping rewards prolonged fights and makes me stronger over time.â He paused, then added, âLogical Processing will enhance my analytical abilities." Eight.
"God, I'm really doing this," Mike whispered, the weight of his choices suddenly crushing. He wasn't just picking skills in a game. He was redesigning himself, becoming something that might not even be human anymore. But then again, staying human meant staying weak. And weakness meant extinction.
For the last two slots, Mike wavered between Cellular Memory for sustain, Combat Flow for danger response, and Pattern Mastery for overall power. "Cellular Memory and Combat Flow," he decided. "Regeneration keeps me in fights longer, and slowed time perception in combat is invaluable for survival."
He paused mid-thought.
Wait a minute, I think I might be going about this the wrong way. Maybe Iâm missing something important here. Let me rank these skills and think about them one at a time. Iâll give each one a number from 1 to 10.
Enhanced Perception (Passive) -
Your senses become more acute and precise. See finer details, hear subtler sounds, detect smaller changes, measure environmental variables.
This should be a no brainer, it will benefit a lot of my abilities. This is a 10 for sure.
2. Adaptive Resonance (Passive) -
Your body gradually adapts to environments through exposure. Gain increasing physical bonuses (up to 15%) when remaining in similar conditions.
This seems nice, but Iâm not sure what is meant by âthe same environmentâ. Itâs hard to assess how beneficial it would be. Letâs give it a 5 for now.
3. Pattern Prediction (Passive) -
15% base chance to predict and dodge attacks based on conscious pattern recognition. Increases by 1% per Perception point above 20. Depends on your knowledge of the target.
This seems like a good skill for combat. But mainly for combat I am prepared for. Letâs give it a 7.
4. Counter-Pattern (Passive) -
When hit, your mind rapidly analyzes the attack. 10% chance this analysis produces a defensive insight that reduces the next similar attack by 30%. Knowledge gained through experience and reasoning.
This seems like a nice defensive ability. But I have other means of defence, Iâm not sure if this would be overkill. Letâs give it a 6.
5. Out of Chaos Comes Order (Passive) -
Your patterns contain traces of primordial chaos. 10% of damage taken is converted to temporary stat bonuses lasting 30 seconds up to a ceiling determined by your focus.
This seems insane. This would be extremely good when Iâm hit hard which will probably happen since Iâm soloing. I will give it a 9. Good think Iâm reconsidering this, I think I totally missed that earlier.
6. Weakness Threading (Passive) -
Critical hit chance increased by 10%. Critical hits provide clear feedback about effective techniques and may reveal additional weak points you can target.
This seems decent, and it also increases my knowledge during combat which can help with surprises. Letâs give it a 7.
7. Analytical Focus (Passive) -
When concentrating on a single target or problem for more than 10 seconds, gain increasing mental clarity bonuses. +5% effectiveness of reasoning-based abilities per 10 seconds of focus, up to +25%.
This is not for combat but seems to gel really well with the theme of this class. Iâll give it a 7 as well.
8. Muscle Memory (Passive) -
Your body remembers and optimizes repeated actions through practice. Performing the same technique 3+ times grants temporary efficiency increases.
Decent, but I think I can practice either way and gain permanent increases. Letâs give it a 5.
9. Cellular Memory (Passive) -
Regenerate 2% of missing health per minute. Healing effects are 10% more effective.
Nice, but it would be useless during combat and I have an active healing ability for out of combat as well, so a 5, I think, maybe even a 4.
10. Durability Weave (Passive) -
Equipment slowly self-repairs through pattern reinforcement at 1% per hour. You can observe and understand this process, learning about material properties through direct experience.
Seems nice, but I may be changing gear often, and there are alternative ways of fixing gear. I hope. Letâs give it a 6.
11. Pattern Optimization (Passive) -
35% reduced failure chance on pattern creation through improved technique and understanding. 15% chance that successful creation exceeds parameters as you discover better methods.
Iâm all about patterns, right? This seems like a must. It also implies some failure rate, and if thatâs a thing it would be good to counter it. An 8 I think.
12. Efficient Weaving (Passive) -
All abilities cost 10% less mana through improved technique and understanding of natural mechanisms.
Some games have mana restrictions being meaningful only at the lower levels. Other games have multiple ways to restore mana. Iâm not sure how much a passive like this would benefit me at level 100. Letâs give it a 4, maybe a 5.
13. Quick Weaving (Passive) -
25% reduced casting time through practiced efficiency. Instant abilities have 10% chance to not trigger cooldown as you learn optimal timing.
My abilities seem to be quite diverse in terms of casting time. I have channeled abilities and some where I even decide the duration of the channeling. This seems like it wouldnât benefit those. A 4 then, I think.
14. Behavioral Mapping (Passive) -
As battles continue, your deliberate observation of enemy patterns improves your ability to predict their actions. Provides increasing tactical advantages through accumulated knowledge.
This seems nice, but donât I have enough of those? I wish I had more information to base my decisions on. Hmm, letâs go with 6.
15. Combat Flow (Passive) -
Your mind's processing speed increases with danger level, slowing your perception of time up to 20% in high-threat situations.
This sounds cool, like bullet time. It could give me more time to think on my feet. Letâs go with 7.
16. Metabolic Efficiency (Passive) -
Require 50% less food and water through optimized biological processes. Immune to normal diseases. Your body becomes more efficient through enhanced patterns.
Nice, but very situational. Letâs hope food wouldnât be much of an issue. A 6.
17. Pattern Mastery (Passive) -
All pattern effects are 15% stronger and last 20% longer through improved understanding and technique. Mastery comes from practice and comprehension.
Again, all about patterns. Letâs go with an 8.
18. Resonance (Passive) -
Healing and buffs you cast on others are 25% more effective as you better understand how to work with their natural patterns. Affected allies gain benefits from your expertise.
Hmm, team synergy, which would be useless, at least to begin with. A 4.
19. Stability Anchor (Passive) -
Immune to unwanted teleportation and forced movement through reinforced personal patterns. Can extend this protection to one designated ally within 30 feet through conscious effort.
It has a supportive aspect as well, which would be useless for now. Iâm not sure how common âunwanted teleportationâ would be. Iâll give it a 6.
20. Logical Processing (Passive) -
Your mind processes information 25% faster and with greater clarity. Improved memory retention and logical analysis. Reduces mental fatigue from complex reasoning tasks.
Again, gels really well with what I understand the class to be. Iâll give it an 8.
21. Empirical Learning (Passive) -
Experience can be gained from failures. Each mistake provides clearer understanding of what went wrong and how to improve. Learning through direct observation and analysis.
Experience gained from failures. Thatâs very interesting. Usually in RPG games you gain experience mainly from success, like killing mobs, finishing quests successfully, etc. This can be huge for my advancement, as long as the failure isnât fatal. An 8.
Ok, thatâs the last one. Let me list the top ranking skills:
1. Enhanced Perception (Passive) - 10
2. Out of Chaos Comes Order (Passive) - 9
3. Pattern Optimization (Passive) â 8
4. Pattern Mastery (Passive) - 8
5. Logical Processing (Passive) - 8
6. Empirical Learning (Passive) - 8
7. Combat Flow (Passive) - 7
8. Analytical Focus (Passive) - 7
9. Weakness Threading (Passive) - 7
10. Pattern Prediction (Passive) -7
He nodded to himself. Nice, the next skill is ranked at 6. Itâs not completely different from my previous choices, but it is meaningfully so. I think Iâll go with this list. I hope Iâm not making a mistake.
"Confirm these ten skills," Mike said, bracing himself for another wave of integration.