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Planets within the Milky Way have now been enveloped within the ever expanding territory of the Ether Cycle.
All planets will now become influenced by the phenomenon named Ether and will be forced to undergo the basic evolution. This evolution will also affect most species within the planets. Humans who fail to evolve will mutate into Aberrations.
Humans will be given an Ether system that allow them to see their bodily statistics. One can grow stronger by killing an opponent, whether human, beast or Aberration and plundering the Ether within their body, this Ether will be distributed amongst your attributes depending on the Class you will choose.
The power system of The Ether Cycle is in the stages of Stratum. From the 1st Stratum up to the 9th, featuring Lower, Middle and Late Stages in between. One's cumulative Attribute points will determine their level in the Stratum scale.
This then leads to the choice of Classes. Your Class determines the powers you shall obtain after your first evolution and the distribution of Ether to your attribute whenever you absorb the energy.
You can select a Class and its skills with Etheric Karma. This is the calculation of the amount of deeds done towards you or what you've done to others. This will be calculated based on how much influence your deed affected the world. This Karma can be calculated into Positive Karma and Negative Karma. Which type of Karma would you like to calculate your Ether Karma with?
Note that the Classes obtained with Positive Etheric Karma are geared towards normal morality while Classes obtained with Negative Etheric Karma tend to give their holders mentalities that move away from morals.
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Orion nodded as he read the words before him. Everything was the same as it had been. Back then he had chosen to obtain a class with Positive Etheric Karma and had chosen a B graded Class that granted him the power to manifest and control lightning. He was about to do the same when the golden colored holographic panel suddenly flickered, producing sentences that confused him.
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Error! Error!
Forced Recalibration… Upgrade sequence has been launched by UNKNOWN.
System Reboot… 1%... 5%... 16%.... 48%... 71%... 93%... 100%
Reboot successful!
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Orion watched with shock as the panel disappeared before reappearing with a different color, depicting a bright crimson color that displayed itself to his widened eyes.
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True Ether System launched!
Class has been predetermined!
Congratulations, Host has gained an X Grade Class, Void Lycanthrope!
Host has gained two active skills: Werewolf Transformation and Dark Manipulation.
Host has gained two passive skills: Transcendent Regeneration and Void Sight.
Note: Host can only gain one more active skill and two more passive skills unless manually awakened.
Note: With the True Ether System, Host has the ability to store Ether points which is the tabulation of the Ether gained from your opponent, also giving you the ability to distribute them among your attribute however you like. Ten Ether points will increase an attribute by one point.
Begin Evolution?
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Orion's eyes widened to the absolute extreme has he saw this. This was mind breaking! The implications of this True Ether System meant that his path towards power would be even easier than he thought.
This was because normal humans only had the ability to gain attributes by plundering the Ether of other beings, and this was done in a manner heavily reliant on the Class one had chosen. Which meant if a person had chosen a battle related class, he would receive more of an increase in his Strength attribute than in the rest and if he had a mage related class he would receive an increase in his Ether attribute.
But Orion had the ability to decide where to place his power! He had the ability to be a battle oriented warrior while also having the same amount of Ether as a mage oriented one! He would need to absorb much more Ether than the normal person did but the payout was absolutely worth it!
"Huuu." He exhaled and reread the screen before him then focused on his class. Orion wasn't an idiot. He could guess that whatever was happening to him had to do with the mysterious but powerful wolf like being he had met before his death.
His eyes flickered for a while before finally settling on the System panel again with a cold gaze. "It doesn't matter. Whatever comes at me, I'll take it head on. Begin Evolution!"
Orion's breath hitched as a sudden pain dug deep into his soul. He had experienced this once before, but even if this was the second time the teenager felt the pain was just as bad as the first time, if not worse. Thankfully, his experience allowed him to grit his teeth and not release a sound as his body changed from the inside.
It felt as though someone had opened up his body and begun pouring lava into his heart, allowing it move all around his body. Yet, Orion simply took all this in and simply let out occasional grunts as he knew the consequences. Letting out a loud noise right now would really be detrimental due to the upcoming appearances of Aberrations.
Finally, after what seemed like years, Orion felt the pain stop, allowing him to let out a held breath. Calming himself down, he glanced around to make sure he was still safe before speaking out. "System Window."
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Name: Orion Russell
Age: 17
Class: Lower Stage, 1st Stratum Void Lycanthrope
Ether Points: 0
Health: 100%
Ether: 100%
Strength: 30
Constitution: 50
Agility: 40
Etheric Power: 35
Intelligence: 40
Perception: 50
Skills:
Werewolf Transformation (Active) – Level 1
Grants host the ability to transform parts of his body into that of a werewolf. Can only transform 20% of Host's body. Drains Ether depending on the usage.
Dark Manipulation (Active) – Level 1
Grants Host the ability to create and control darkness as a weapon. Can be reshaped at Host's will. Drains Ether depending on the usage.
Transcendent Regeneration (Passive) – Level 1
Host's regeneration factor has increased to a new level, ordinary injuries will be healed immediately while Ether caused injuries can be healed at a moderate pace. Drains excess nutrients within the body before Ether consumption begins.
Void Sight (Passive) – Level 1
Grants Host the ability to see through the materials of the world through the void. Allows Host to see the system statuses of other beings. Added abilities include night vision and far sight. No Ether consumption.
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Orion read through all this before clenching and unclenching his hand, feeling the new found strength filling him from within. He then glanced at the exit of the building while his enhanced hearing picked up on screams coming from the other side. "Let's begin shall we?"
*****
Orion stepped out of the building, he had suffered under the relentless attacks of the rats within this building before and he had no intention of doing it again due to how troublesome it was.
Looking at the weird looking humans before him, obviously these people had failed their evolution and became Aberrations. Basically, they had all transformed into mindless humans with only the intent of killing filling their minds.
He was on guard immediately because he knew what was coming, it was either kill or be killed and he wasn't going to lose any chances.
At the same time, another set of humans appeared within his vicinity, two guys and a lady, though these three seemed normal. From their expressions it appeared they had already adapted to the quick changes occurring around them.
This surprised Orion as it usually took a while for this to happen, which meant they had to have an above average will.
He was about to leave the area to them when the lady amongst them revealed a gun and accurately shot the two Aberrants. The mutated beings fell to the ground as though their strings had been cut and a weird golden energy flowed out of their body and was sucked in by the woman.
She revealed an ecstatic expression as she felt the influx of energy empower her. Only after a few seconds did she finally calm herself, staring at the rest of the Aberrants with a greedy glint in her eyes.
Orion immediately raised his guard as he watched this happen. That precise shot wasn't something a normal civilian should have been capable of, and she didn't look to be a cop or the like.
Anyways, he didn't hope to find out whether his guess was right or not. But just as he was about to leave, a loud squeak resounded from behind him. 'The fucking rats!'
Unfortunately, Orion wasn't given time to think much as a resounding gun fire echoed in the street. The teenager quickly reacted by bringing his arm to his face to shield it and immediately after, a sense of pain invaded his brain as a bullet sunk into his skin, thankfully stopping at his bone.
'Not even gonna talk huh.' Orion grit his teeth. He was now sure that the group before him were definitely not saints even before the world had changed which would explain their fast adaption to such a brutal environment. 'And her aim is frightening, her Class must focus on Perception.'
His thoughts were cut short as the two men ran towards him with ferocious smiles plastered across their faces, a knife coated with a weird purple energy in the hands of the guy on the right while the guy on the left had a khaki colored energy engulf his fists.
With bloodlust coursing through his veins, Orion activated his Werewolf Transformation skill. His pupils suddenly shifted, turning into wolf-like slits while his fingernails extended to become sharp claws, his compact muscles underneath his arm also tensing with newfound strength.
Just this simple act seemed to drain about 60% of his Ether but Orion gazed at his three foes with a calm and collected gaze. He was ready.
He was ready for his first fight after his regression.