Project Seraphina [LitRPG, Magitech, GL]
2.55 The Seventh Option & Seraphina’s Decision

Just when I think I have my options narrowed down, a seventh hologramatic image of myself appears in front of me. But unlike all of the others, this hologram is fuzzy, indistinct, and flickering, as though the System itself used a bunch of cheap, third-rate tech and now is facing the inevitable consequences of that decision. Well, I am, at least.

Of course, there is one huge question. Why and how did some artificial superintelligence from I don’t think even the goddesses know where manage to screw up the technology in some psychic plane of its own creation? Does it not have a damn debugger for times like this?

And then it hits me. I know exactly what this class represents. And those strange distorted brackets and weird glitchy text confirm my suspicions:

「C̷l̵a̷s̴s̸:̷ ̷A̶n̷o̵m̸a̷l̶o̵u̴s̴ ̶G̵l̵y̸p̷h̵c̶a̷s̴t̶e̷r̴」

I pull up the class’s description. I get nothing. I try a couple more times. Nothing. I try to tap into the power of Manifestation and force my will into the System to override whatever failsafes are in place. And all I get is a damned error message!

[Error: No Class Description exists for the chosen selection.]

Very helpful. I guess the System doesn’t want me choosing the class. Then again, it’s probably unique to me as the inheritor of the power of 「The Anomaly」. Reasonable chance that no such description even could or should exist!

Okay, no description. Can I at least see what the stat gains will be? To my surprise, I can, but they’re not the greatest.

[7 Free Stat Points when choosing this class. Maximum [Health] +200, Maximum [Ether] +200 when choosing this class. 7 Free Stat Points per level.]

The stat gains are definitely tapping into the flexibility aspect of 「The Anomaly」. No assigned stat points, full freedom both with the class-up and the level gains. This much I like.

The problem is that I don’t have any indication of what sort of Skills I’ll get. And that lack of information is a strong, strong mark against the class. I do maintain, as always, that not taking a risk is, itself, a risk. But there’s a difference between a measurable, calculated risk and one based in fundamental uncertainty that can’t be measured or evaluated. And with no knowledge about the Skill potentials or how that class might evolve, it’s dangerous to take it.

On the one hand, it could be full of phenomenal cosmic power. It probably is related to my hidden power, and just might give me some sort of benefit as I learn to harness the power of 「The Anomaly」. Even better, it might also help me in doing so. On the other hand, it could be the class equivalent of a red herring, set there to deliberately entice me into choosing a class with no potential.

Ultimately, if I had two or three classes, spending one on this class would be a defensible gamble. The System did say ‘first’ class, so it’s certainly not beyond the pale to assume we might be able to hold multiple classes simultaneously. Without the fallback of another class and its abilities, I just can’t take the risk. Maybe at some future point, once I get a second class, I’ll have a chance to revisit this decision. And perhaps if I go down this path then, I’ll realize I was an idiot for not choosing to become an 「Anomalous Glyphcaster」today. But for now, I value the certainty of my other options a little too much.

This leaves [Spell Researcher] and [Mechanical Angel] as my two frontrunners, with [Valkyrie] as a somewhat distant third. [Spell Researcher] is closer to what I currently have. I’ll get to keep my class’s focus rooted in magical knowledge and get further Skills that will assist me in unlocking the secrets of [Glyphcasting]. Moving [Glyphcasting] and [Intermediate Ether Manipulation] to class Skills will greatly help improve what new pursuits I want to take up, and the twenty percent increase in [Ether] regeneration is nothing to scoff at either.

If it were just a matter of raw utility, I think that would be enough to edge out the benefits of [Mechanical Angel]. [Angelic Insight] seems like it’ll be a phenomenal Skill. And being able to cast a boosting spell on Chloe promises some nice benefits as well. Losing [Mass Production] is not nothing, but I haven’t gotten a ton of benefit from it either. But being stuck with my [Glyphcasting] eating one of my six general Skills for the foreseeable future is… Unpleasant. I can drop [Etheric Armor] and [Ether Strain Immunity]— probably— but even that means I’ve still got three largely irreplaceable General Skills. Really a matter of six Skill slot syndrome.

The problem is that [Mechanical Angel] speaks to me. It speaks to that part of the old Seraphina that still lives within me. And, though this part is purely speculative and probably irrational, I think it’ll lead me down a better path toward unlocking the mysteries of [Seraphina Overlimit] and 「The Anomaly」more generally. Ironic, considering the other class is literally a researcher class.

Too bad it doesn’t come with a [Caffeine Wellspring] Skill for those late night, last minute cram sessions before exams and paper deadlines. That might almost make it worth it.

I take one last moment within the center of my mind to make sure that I’m completely at peace with my decision. I think of myself as a [Spell Researcher] and imagine losing all of the benefits of a [Mechanical Angel]. And then I repeat the thought exercise in reverse, envisioning myself actualizing the [Mechanical Angel] class and then transitioning to being a [Spell Researcher].

And I think that only solidifies my decision. Not because I am a hyperrational, calculating machine. But because the idea of remaining trapped within a fully organic shell and the limitations thereof just… isn’t what I want to be. I have enough experience with my [Mechanical Arm Cannon] and enough bodily memory inherited from my former self to know that this is who and what I was supposed to be.

Maybe that’s not quite right. Whether or not I’m supposed to be, by my creator, by my memory, or some other power, the truth remains that this is also a decision I am making for myself. I see myself as a [Mechanical Angel] flying over a battlefield far more than I do a [Spell researcher] sitting in a laboratory from behind the vanguard, researching in safety while others fight along the front lines.

I… I know it’s maybe reckless and selfish of me. I hope Chloe will forgive me for my decision, but it’s the one thing that I think has to be selfish, or at least, the one thing I can be fully selfish about without regrets.

My mind now decided, I walk back over to the [Mechanical Angel] hologram. I’m not quite sure what I need to do to select the class. After an embarrassingly long time, I figure out that I simply need to stand in the center of the hologram and will the contents into my own body. Once I do, I see the System notification appear.

[Would you like to select [Mechanical Angel] as your new first class? Warning: Choosing a class will have major implications. This decision is final and cannot be easily changed or reversed.]

‘New first class’? That pretty much confirms that we’ll be able to have a second class once we get to a higher level. And with that, my remaining doubts vanish.

I select ‘Yes’.

The sights and sounds of Chloe’s room vanish, replaced by the endless black void. And then, light and sound and smell and all the sensations of the outside world slowly return. The sun is now about halfway down the western horizon, suggesting it’s mid-afternoon. So I’ve been away in my mind for about five hours, give or take.

Chloe is still embracing me, though her phone is closed beside me. I take her hands, coiled around my waist, and caress them gently. She gasps before sighing full of contentment and nuzzling my upper back with her cheek.

“Did everything turn out okay?” she asks.

“I think so,” I say. My head rings with dizziness and my vision blurs, the sensation of my sight expanding once more. For now, all I can focus upon are the array of System notifications which have appeared one after another.

[Seraphina Mortensen has now become a [Mechanical Angel]. Stats modified accordingly.]

[[Strength] +2, [Speed] +2, [Vitality] +2, [Mind] +2, Maximum [Health] +100, Maximum [Ether] +100.]

[You have received enough Experience to reach Level 32. [Strength] +1, [Speed] +1, [Vitality] +1, [Mind] +1, Please assign free Stat Points (4 Remaining).]

I assign two points each to [Vitality] and [Mind] in keeping with my general build to this point. Being stuck with a [Mind] x10 Ether regeneration rate means I need that much more [Mind] to properly function as a combatant.

[Level: 32; Experience: 326,245; To Next: 37,305]

[Class: [Mechanical Angel]]

[Maximum Health increases by [Vitality] x2 + Current Level + Rand[1, 3] = 179]

[Maximum Ether increases by [Mind] + Current Level + Rand[0, 2] = 142]

[Current Stats: [Health]: 3,528 / 3,528; [Ether]: 2,406 / 2,406]

[Current Stats: [Strength]: 30; [Speed]: 28; [Vitality]: 72; [Mind]: 108]

Now for my Skills! I am excited!

[[Mechanist’s Eye] and [Tinkerer] have fused to form [Angelic Insight]. [Angelic Insight] has been added as a class Skill.]

[[Angelic Insight]: Access the outer periphery of the wisdom of the gods! Sharply increases the ability to see and perceive glyphs, Ether, and magic use. Visual acuity substantially increased. Gain intuitive insight into the functioning of Ethertech devices. In combat, provides a preternatural danger sense against incoming attacks, enabling you to better dodge even when not consciously aware of the attack. [Agility] increases by [Level x (1 + (20 + Skill Rank)/100)]% (Bonus applies after [Speed] modifications but before equipment modifications.) Attacks directed at you are less likely to strike a vital area.]

[[Angelic Insight] has been set to (Rank II).]

Hot damn indeed. A Skill that boosts my dodging capability, and which scales with both my Skill Rank and my Level? Pretty much got everything I would have wanted from [Ranger-Technician] in a single Skill.

[[Flash of Insight] has been lost.]

[You have gained the class Skill [Angel’s Grace (Rank I)]]

[[Angel’s Grace]: A [Mechanical Angel] has the power to bestow her boons upon her allies. A person affected by [Angel’s Grace] has all stats increased by (15 + [Skill Rank])% for (Level x 2) minutes. (Fractions round up or down as appropriate.) Spell cannot target self. [Ether] Cost: (520 - 20 x [Skill Rank])]

So, I have a bona fide System-granted spell in my repertoire, and the knowledge to cast it as though it were… well, an instinct, no different than moving a part of my body. Strange how this works; it’s so different than [Glyphcasting]. I do wonder if I could reverse-engineer and improve the spell. Perhaps a bit of arrogance on my part, considering how complex this… formation, I guess, really is. It’s a far larger complex than the [Glyphcasting] arrays I currently Manifest with my limited power.

[You have lost the class Skill [Mass Production (Rank II)]]

[You have gained the class Skill [Cybernetic Body]]

[[Cybernetic Body]: A [Mechanical Angel] walks the path of self-improvement in every aspect of her life. From training and sparring to research and experimentation, from the battlefield to the laboratory, she seeks to be more. Faster, stronger, better, more resilient. Even the limitations of mortal flesh are but an obstacle to the [Mechanical Angel], who is prepared to build— and rebuild— herself to become her optimal self. All cybernetic modifications are considered part of the [Mechanical Angel]’s body, affording them the full benefit of her [Vitality] and [Defense] when determining the damage they take from attacks. Cybernetic modifications are immune to oxidation, erosion, and degradation due to normal wear and tear. Cybernetic modifications will not trigger inflammation or immune response.]

Okay, this had originally seemed like a throwaway Skill when I was analyzing the class, but I can now see how this Skill has some incredible benefits. Even though there are now existing blueprints that would allow me to rebuild my arm, it would still take a lot of effort, resources, and manpower to do so. Giving it a bunch of resilience to damage and degradation will definitely be useful. Especially as I continue down this path, constructing even better, more complex and intricate models to improve myself.

[Would you like to move [Etheric Armor (Rank II)] from a General Skill to a Class Skill? (General Skill slots remaining: 1/6; Class Skill slots remaining: 2/6)]

Unexpected, but not unwelcome. I agree to do so.

My body aches a bit as it adjusts to all the changes. But those aches and pains are dulled away in short order, Chloe’s healing working its magic upon me before I even think to ask.

“You feel a lot stronger, Sera,” she says. “What class did you end up choosing?”

“[Mechanical Angel],” I respond. “It just spoke to the very core of my being.”

“That is just like you. Now, I do seem to recall that you didn’t eat lunch, pointing out that it ‘wouldn’t take that long’ to handle the class change. And it’s getting pretty late in the afternoon. Want to see about an early dinner?”

My stomach growls, answering before I can say another word. Because of course it does.