Chương 65: Focusing

You have accomplished the grand milestone of making it halfway to the first star. Thus, your corestone is now sufficiently powerful enough to tap into bits of latent power that reside within itself. However, gaining further power has now become vastly more difficult, experience wise. Focuses, also known as specializations, are drawn from a summary of your recent exploits, as well as your knowledge, hopes, dreams and a bit of ginger root for flavor. Please select a focus to awaken.

Do take your time, this action is irreversible and may drastically alter your future path. I stare at the message for several seconds. Guess this whole specialization thing is a bit bigger of a deal than I thought. How many humans even make it to level fifty anyways? It seems like a fair few people can do it in decades of just slowly gaining experience. Especially if they focus heavily on crafting and whatnot and aren't constantly risking their lives fighting. Yet here I am, just a random smith from another world.

Anyways, I look over all the awesome options, and boy are they awesome. [Focus of The Lesser Generalist (Rare)] While not quite a true generalist, you definitely embody the spirit of a generalist. You maintain a relatively balanced style, not leaning too much towards offense, defense, support or civilian work. Thus a path towards becoming more well-rounded could be quite well suited towards you. Effects: +10% to all stats when they are within 50 points of each other.

Also, upon choosing this focus, you may unallocate up to half of your stat points and reassign the points elsewhere, this will only happen a single time. Picking this focus will also naturally draw your fate closer towards becoming a true generalist. [Focus of The Cowardly Wall (Epic)] You are an immovable wall that stands against even the scariest foes. Well, actually, not quite. You do run away from the scariest stuff, but you definitely stand strong against most things.

Thus, a path towards becoming more defensive yet still mobile enough to flee might be of benefit to you. Effects: Grants skill [Emergency Warp], +10% to vitality, x1. 15 to all defenses (including armor). Picking this focus will also naturally guide you down a more defensive path. [Focus of The Magic Warrior-Smith (Legendary)] You are a smith quite unlike most. A Magic Smith, but one that uses their own equipment with great efficiency.

You smite any enemy that stands before you, using none other than the knowledge honed by toiling at the anvil. A truly noble path, and one that can be quite powerful once refined even further. A path that many would instantly accept, mind you. Effects: Special class evolution, [Magic Smith] becomes [Magic Warrior-Smith]. Do note that special class evolutions can be quite strange. Also, all stat points gained from the prior class will be removed, and reassigned based on the specifications of the new class.

Do be warned that this can result in disaster. Picking this focus will also naturally draw you further down the path of a Magic Warrior-Smith. … Expand for details on [Magic Warrior-Smith]… [Focus of The Friend of Calamities (Unique)] You have seen that which should have killed you. Multiple times, even. Furthermore, despite seeing sights that would cripple most minds, you did not run away. While you may not have fought either, you retained composure.

In fact, you even befriended one such calamity, and got them to do several favors for you. Heck, you even forged a bond with a nascent one, not that you were aware of that fact at that moment. Your path is one that has already been shaped by powers beyond your understanding. Be they divine, elemental, or in the form of fluffballs. It is almost as if such events are naturally drawn towards you. Thus, it only makes sense that you embrace this fact and walk down a path that few have tread ever before.

This path will either bring madness or enlightenment, but it's up to you to reach out and choose which one. Effects: Grants title {Friend of Calamities}. Directing the fate of a user treading such a path is beyond the scope of a focus. But, you likely don't need such guidance anyways, you seem like one to tread where they really shouldn't already. … Expand for information on {Friend of Calamities}... Now those are really fucking interesting. Every single one of them fits me so well, which is the point I guess.

But damn, does it make it hard to choose. Like, how does one decide to focus on a single thing? Then again, I guess that would be the generalist in me speaking… But are generalists even powerful? Sure, they are well-rounded and flexible. Yet my understanding is that generalists spread themselves too thin, never reaching the peak of any one thing. The Cowardly Wall one is cool, but I am definitely not picking that one. The name is uh, quite embarrassing.

Plus I really don't want to become a pure tank that just runs away when the going gets tough. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Magic Warrior-Smith sounds fucking awesome though. Plus it gives me a special class evolution. While I am no expert in this world, that is clearly a ridiculously rare thing to get. I expand the description for the class a bit, and it seems to just be a direct upgrade of Magic Smith.

It even gives a few more stat points, and I can imagine it would eventually make me a lot stronger in combat. However, I do remember what Ari said. To go with my gut, and the vibes. As I look over the last focus, I am not sure why, but I think it just has those vibes. Not only is the description the longest by far, it is also the most complicated. Also it says I have bonded with a nascent calamity?

Along with the mention of a fluffball, I can only take that to mean Luma is going to get far more powerful than I originally thought. The friend it is referencing is obviously Claire. It is intriguing to see how meeting her has such an impact on me. When I actually think about it, she really has taught me quite a lot, and also shown me what the heights of power actually are. I wonder how she is doing, the incursion thing must be over by now, right? Oh, and the focus also mentions my connection to the goddess.

Which seems strange, I barely hear anything in this world mentioning her other than in prayer. But I guess the system is her creation or whatever, it is only natural that it is aware of the connection. I do resist my gut a bit, and check out the title that the focus gives me. {Friend of Calamities} The bearer of this title is a truly insane individual. Not only have they survived meetings with beings of power far surpassing their own, but they actively seek out more.

Where most would balk and run away, they rush in, enticed only by the prospect of gaining yet more knowledge and power. While some may see this as foolish, others respect the bravery of one willing to do what it takes to get stronger. Effects: Total immunity to all negative aura based effects, mind control, suppression and various other status effects typically imposed by interacting with those far above themselves.

However, the bearer shall be marked, making it aware to all those of such power that they have such an immunity. Additionally, for every calamity that they have become 'friends' with, they will gain an insight into whatever field that calamity most specializes in. Oh, and the bearer can officially call themselves a lunatic, cause that is what they are. Hahaha, real funny, system. I can't believe it just found so many ways to call me insane. Somehow, I don't think I hate it though.

The rational part of me surely does not believe what I am doing when I select the friend of calamities focus. I did tell Ari that I would try going with my guts on this. While the other options are definitely better mathematically and logically. There is just something about meeting more calamities that appeals to me. Plus, the bonuses are ridiculously good on their own. Like seriously, total immunity to that many things is insane. Do I even know what a calamity is defined as? Not a fucking clue.

I can guess they are powerful beings, perhaps it just means ones that are far more powerful than myself? Though in a way, that is just one more reason to pick it. What better way to figure it out than to meet a bunch of them? After selecting the focus, I feel something rumble deep within me. Energy, a type that I have never felt before. It rushes through my body, and I can feel it changing things, making me stronger and who knows what else. The feeling lasts only a few seconds before I hear a ding in my mind.

'Ding', You have awakened a new core ability, [Focus of The Friend of Calamities (Unique)]'Ding', New title awarded, {Friend of Calamities} I sigh and relax back into the waiting room chair. I am the only one here, and the room is quite big. I guess adventurers get injured quite often, so most people probably just go home or get back to the grind. Oh well, I don't mind waiting for Ari to get better. Plus, she has Luma, and I have no way of contacting Ari to get her back.

My body is quite exhausted from recent events, so I let myself slowly drift off. But not before checking out my stat sheet, it has been quite a while since I last took a full look, after all.

Name: Orn Spiritus, Hero of Spirit Corestone: Hero of Spirit Grade: 0 Stars Race: Human Class 1: Spirit Mage - Level 48 Skills: [Fundamental Spirit Sight (Rare)], [Form Spirit Contract (Common)], [Spirit Actualization (Rare)], [Spiritual Resonance (Uncommon)], [Plane Step (Common)], [Spirit Phylactery (Unique)] Class 2: Magic Smith - Level 50 Skills: [Initiate Inspect (Common)], [Initiate Forging (Common)], [Initiate Mana Imbuement (Uncommon)], [Fundamental Metallurgy (Common)], [Initiate Hammer Wielding (Common)], [Steel Form (Common)] General Skills: [Fundamental Identify (Inferior)], [Initiate Energy Sense (Uncommon)], [Storage (Unique)], [5 Initiate Domain Skills] Frequently Used Spells/Techniques: <Anvil Strike>, <Spark Drill>, <Ice Blast>, <Stabalization> Traits: {Restricted Spirit Nexus}, {Competent Adventurer}, {Spirit Summoner}, {Spirit Contract: Luma}, {Initiate Water Mage}, {Initiate Metalsmith}, {Initiate Light Mage}, {Spirit Bond: Dovey}, {Reckless Combatant} Titles: {Hero of Spirit}, {Spirit Contractor}, {Great Spirit Contractor}, {Major Spirit Contractor}, {Friend of Calamities} Core Abilities: [Spirit Hero's Divine Aura (Divine)], [Spirit Hero's Divine Command (Divine)], [Focus of The Friend of Calamities (Unique)] Contracted Spirits (27/30): Luma - Level 49, Dovey - Level 48 Stats (base stats only, gear and such not included) Vitality: 402 Endurance: 178 Strength: 184 Agility: 186 Intelligence: 170 Wisdom: 180 Spirit: 303 Unallocated Points: 0 Resources Health: 4020/4020 Stamina: 1780/1780 Mana: 1800/1800 Spirit: 3030/3030