Felix gritted his teeth and let the Skill Tier up without Tempering it. He'd considered this, and it hurt to do it. But he felt like it was the right choice.
You Have Unlocked A New Feature!
Etheric Concordance (Legendary), Level 62!
You have deepened the connection between you and your Companion, forming a concordance that will have echoing consequences for you both. The grandest heights and crushing depths lie in store, though what shape the future holds is up to you both. All previous abilities of Companion Pact are retained.
Upon reaching level 25, you have gained the ability Convergence - Merge with your Companion for 1 minute x Skill level, gaining additive bonus to Harmonic Stats. Companion is released at end of effect.
Upon reaching level 50, you have gained the ability to share physical characteristics such as Sight, Smell, Touch, Hearing, Taste, or even discreet body parts. Sharing will last for 1 minute x Skill level and consume Mana to activate and maintain.
Sorry bud. Our bond is powerful, but I need to chase down the strength we both need to survive. Perhaps next time he could Temper with Etheric Concordance again, but for now Felix was going to focus on directly enhancing his strengths and shoring up his weaknesses.
In his periphery, Felix sensed more Essences drifting toward his hungry core. He'd never make it if he had to wade through miscellaneous Skill ups; he needed to burn through those he needed to Temper. Taking inspiration from his wild experiments with sigaldry, Felix focused his Willpower and Alacrity, narrowing his Intent until he could visualize what he wanted.
Show me my Spirit Skills that have Tiered. He knew there were at least two more. Enough to fully Temper his Spirit.
The notifications before him shuddered, weirdly misaligned in his vision for the barest of seconds. Then a single, almost acquiescent chime.
Theurgist of the Rise is level 55!
Congratulations! You Have Reached Journeyman Tier with Theurgist of the Rise!
You Gain:
+5% INE
+5% AFI
...
Swallowing nervously, Felix grabbed at the one that burned brightly in his nebula. Cloudy power swirled around it like tiny rings, and as he seized the Essence it sent waves of intense energy into his everything. It hurt.
Rare Essence Detected During Formation!
[Essence of Primal Fury]
If the [Essence of Diamond Eyes] had felt serene, this felt jagged and raw, like the shaking extremis of adrenaline fueled rage. There was no question where this Essence had come from.
Broken Path and Fatebreaker Titles Found! Journeyman Tier Bonus Added!
Calculating Effects...
Choose A Feature:
Wroth - Ire Without End
Genesis - Origin of All
Dominion - Right to Rule
Wroth was...that had to be the anger inherent in the Profane Sigaldry, the messed up magic script the Envoy and Archon used. It was clear that wroth was monopolizing this Essence. Felix could feel it jolting through him, sparks of fury that made his insides twist. It was not something he wanted as part of his Spirit, he was certain about that.
Genesis was the same Feature he'd used to Temper his Body, back when he'd eaten the Larval Ravager. Should he use it again? Would that be a good thing?
Dominion was clearly control. If he was to focus on the way forward, then what Felix needed above all else was control. He fought like brawler, and only his powerful stats had carried him through many of his battles. If he'd had more control over all that, then perhaps he wouldn't find himself pressed against situation after situation, unable to escape the hardest choices.
And if that control was to be applied to his new, Legendary sigaldry Skill? There was no further debate needed.
He chose Dominion.
Congratulations!
You Have Absorbed The Essence Of [Dominion]!
Yet another chunk of his essence cloud vanished as a second halo of thunderflame lit atop the Theurgist of the Rise Skill. A sucking emptiness opened up in Felix's gut, but it was swiftly replaced by the bloom of blue-gold System energy that radiated from his flickering ring, and another ribbon of light flared into life between it and the blazing Skill.
Two down...
Reign of Vellus is level 50!
Hell yes!
Congratulations! You Have Reached Journeyman Tier with Reign of Vellus!
You Gain:
+5% WIL
+5% RES
...
Felix was about to grab the Essence of Sage, the only other Spirit based Essence, when he felt it. The Tempering of two Skills had sucked away much of his stockpile, and now the bright, concentrated ingots of swirling potency were easier than ever to detect. What had once been hidden among the cloudy nebula was plain as day, and a new Essence joined the others. It shimmered more than pulsed in his dwindling nebula, colorless yet also possessed of the faintest tinge of something. A color he'd never seen before and couldn't put to words. Perhaps he would have missed it, even in the quickly emptying core space, had he not just tempered his Fire Within; his senses felt raw and incredibly acute in that moment. He used his Voracious Eye, and thankfully felt no more twinges of pain.
Name: Essence of the Unseen Tide
Type: Essence Mote
Lore: Essence Motes are rarely used treasures, harvested directly from prey and used to Temper one's Aspects. Used upon achievement of a Tier, they help to expel impurities and refine the vessel. This Essence is infused with the variable Essences of the Unseen Tide.
Rarity: Transcendent
A Transcendent Essence, Felix boggled. And variable means...it can be used for any Aspect?
There was no question.
Transcendent Essence Detected During Formation!