Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube

Flashing through his enchantments as fast as he could, trying to give the impression he was practicing and nothing more, he discreetly passed through them all in the hopes he wouldn’t draw any wandering eyes until he finally changed to the one he’d wanted, fully intending on taking multiversal material mage even if it wasn’t going to be the easiest option for him to finish because of what seemed to be its intended way of gaining experience. It would at least give him bonuses to his mana, the priority for the time regardless of how annoying that might make things for him in the future.

In principle, it might not have even been a bad choice. If the job really was one that would gain experience from creating things across the multiverse then creating one of the few things he knew existed just as broadly had to have had potential, but all of his plans had stopped mattering when he’d actually activated the crystal and seen the option sitting there, waiting at the very bottom.

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Soul mage, a job that until that point had been the sole domain of those who’d reached the pinnacle of life or death magic. Even among the few demidemons who possessed minor soul magic, none of them had received it as an option. Much in the same way that Thera had her charm-specialized job that was a branch of the dark one, they’d been given the options to take jobs that were specialized forms of either life or death magic depending on what particular branch the power seemed to feed off of, with two among them getting both options.

What he was seeing was different though. Nothing on it to hint it was just a branch of some other job and as far as he knew, the system didn’t typically give something the same name twice. That pointed to one particular conclusion, a massively powerful job with all of the benefits such a thing would imply.

It had shocked him so much when he’d seen it that he had no choice but to break down the job enchantment again if he was trying not to look suspicious, but by the time he felt comfortable making it again his choice was made, undeniable in its appeal.

Give me soul mage.

Massive bonuses and all those levels, holy crap this really is a third-tier job. That’s-

Name: Ben Heph

Race: Human

Titles: Apostle of Myriad, The Forgotten One, Miracle Maker, Skill learner, Enemy of Eneth, Trial Defier, Trial Breaker, Godslayer, Monster, Madman, God killer, Threat, The mad apostle, Destined holder of Connect, God of Destruction, Creator of Life, Awakener, Maniac, Brutal Blacksmith, Defier of Gods, Title Holder, Enemy of Olensia, Great Teacher, Student of Helori, Myriad’s Monster, Outsider slayer, Demigod slayer, Transgressor

Jobs: Soul mage (lv 0)

Previous Jobs: Apprentice craftsman, Craftsman, Priest, Enchanter, Mind user, Magic item maker, Magic weapon maker, High enchanter, Fractured mind user, Tree tamer, High craftsman, Apprentice mage, True mage, Tank, Heretic, Adventurer, Divine heretic, Kin, Master craftsman, Master enchanter, Scholar, Connected enchanter, Infernal craftsman, Marksman, Destruction mage, Material mage, High material mage, Profane enchanter, Master material mage, Impious creator, Mind master, Master adventurer, Otherworldly craftsman, Material creator, Master of all, Ritual enchanter, Holy craftsman, Cursed item maker, Actualizer, Summoned enchanter, Destructive craftsman

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Trials:

By the time the second round of notifications had gone off in his head, Ben was left struggling to react to the sheer quantity of everything he’d received.

The first round alone had shown him just how good the jobs associated with third-tier skills were, giving him levels in everything that could reasonably be called a soul skill within his status, with deep connection being a skill that made his soul reach out beyond the limits of his body and his mind skills operating on it instead of his brain ever since his soul had become the thing he’d think with. It even raised the very skill he’d just gained that had unlocked the job for him in the first place on top of landing him his first inclination skill, that rare class of ability that acted as an affinity in its own right for anyone lucky enough to gain one.

Yes, he’d gained that and one more, another skill that by all accounts seemed to have set off the second round of levels and skill acquisitions, with the only time he’d experienced anything like that in the past being when he’d gained artisan’s touch, even if the level of difference seemed astronomical in comparison. Forget just a few levels here or there, Ben had just gained levels in nearly every skill he had, including more than a few he was frankly terrible at. The stealth he hadn’t been able to raise in years or the cycling he did most days without improving, plus the dance he kept doing his best at for Thera with little growth to show for it, all likely thanks to whatever modifier compatibility was supposed to be.

It’s times like this I really really wish I had an analysis skill and now I even more need to escape to ask Verbum about it. From the name alone, it obviously improves my compatibility with my modifiers, but what the heck counts as a modifier? When I look at all of the stuff I just gained, only one thing really comes to mind that would be broad enough to cover all of that…

His ridiculous number of jobs, covering all sorts and improving his compatibility with a mountain of skills as a result. Was it so outrageous to think he’d just gained a skill that had let him somehow get more out of them?

For another job, maybe it would be, but Ben hadn’t taken another job. He’d taken one that belonged in a realm far above his power, cheated by gaining a skill he doubted the system or gods had ever thought would be possible back whenever they’d raised up their first soul mage.

He hadn’t just gained the major bonuses on or beyond the master branches, but the massive ones leagues ahead, and given the job, a skill like that made perfect sense. It was a job that would help him acquire soul skills, what better one than something that would increase his compatibility with something that would help his soul’s growth?

Of course, if he was right and based on what he knew of the system, that meant the potential for such a thing had already been growing inside of him, something he found curious enough as well and was inclined to attribute to the number of jobs he’d managed to take so far, but with no way of actually confirming that he was left with only his guesses from there, leaving his attention to turn to his other new skills, for whatever good or ill might come from them.

Having already gone over soul inclination, he moved to look at the three he’d just gained, inspecting his card with a mixed reaction.

He hadn’t heard of material sense before but based on the change he felt along with the name could make an educated guess, with it giving him a new sense that detected materials around him. It didn’t seem as broad as Thera’s had back when she’d been at the zeroth level but he had a noticeable difference he preferred anyway. It seemed it was letting him pick up on the differences in varying substances.

Each type of metal or crystal on his person felt unique when observed with that magical sense, not to mention the leather in his jacket and his other clothing, he was sure he’d have been able to pick out their differences with his eyes closed and saw some interesting potential in what he viewed as a new crafting-type skill, judging it positively before moving on to the last two more problematic ones.

He didn’t actually have a problem with ill will beyond its name, judging it as something that might get him some more funny looks from anyone who could see a soul but without knowing what it did he couldn’t say if it would be a positive for him or not. Still, it sounded like the sort of thing that might be helpful and took it as such, much more willing to look at it in a brighter light than the last skill which he felt nothing but dread for.

But there’s no way it’s what I think it is, right?

He vividly remembered a few times in his first few years on the planet when he’d gotten hurt from something biting him, leading him to joke with Thera about how good he must taste and how he’d one day gain a skill that would only improve it further, but that couldn’t be what flavour enhancement was, right? Surely it was a skill that would help increase the quality of his cooking, or failing that, was something that would improve his sense of taste, not his physical one.

The name alone was making him nervous, but without a kitchen or ingredients there was no way for him to test if the skill helped improve things on that end, so he instead took one of his mana potions from his ring, cracking it open and taking a swig before downing it with dead eyes.

“...No change in taste. Okay, no, this is definitely an enhancement to my cooking, anything else would be insane. I’m always told the system shouldn’t be harmful, there’s no way it would give me a skill that would turn me into a better meal for whatever wanted to eat me!”

“...Except it also shouldn’t have given me a multi-month long migraine but I went through that. Plus it doesn’t seem to take into account psychological harm given some of the titles I’ve gained or how much Thera’s charm was improving when she was desperately trying to stop it. Oh, fucking hell, this has one hundred percent made me tastier to anything that would stick its teeth into me, hasn’t it?”

Compared to everything else he’d gone through in such a short span, that time it almost felt like the pessimist in him was patting his shoulder in sympathy as Ben shook his head.

He was obviously wrong, he had to be, and even if he wasn’t he was going to stop thinking about it. He had a skill to raise as quickly as possible which meant working on his soul production, everything else could be a concern for whenever he escaped and made it home.