OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Emir sat alone at a table near a few 'book' shelves, the faint hum of the archive blending with the quiet thoughts swirling in his mind.

He had come here because it was time-time to decide the direction his path would take.

This wasn't yet his 'sixth' step, but it was on the verge of becoming one.

He considered his 'sixth' step to be the upgrade from Advanced to Expert in CQC.

Now, while he could technically upgrade any of his six abilities, that thought hadn't crossed his mind.

Second Rank abilities required a long time to memorize, let alone execute.

First Rank abilities were much simpler by comparison; it was like jumping from drawing 2D shapes to 3D.

For example, the next 'step' for his Flash Step would certainly be Winged Light, which would combine his Celestia's Hand Aspect and Aerialis Aspect, allowing him to finally use the latter to its full capacity and take flight.

So, while he had the option to unlock a Rank Two ability, he wasn't seriously considering it.

The effort required would impact his progress in every other area, slowing his overall strength increase.

In any case, the Archive In Between was the one place where decisions like these usually became clear.

But this time, clarity seemed elusive.

Just what ability should he choose?

Emir leaned back in his chair, fingers tracing the edge of the table as he mentally laid out the abilities before him.

By request, Brain provided the entire list of abilities that the Archive held, and they were many, reaching thousands.

Though he still needed to pay for the Ability Path, access to the ability itself was granted due to his clearance level becoming the same as Amon's, at least within the Archive's walls.

Each ability he was given was powerful in its own right, a tool that could shape the outcome of the battles ahead.

But he couldn't have them all, he had to choose one, not even Primordials had the capability of doing that.

And while he didn't have a defined path like most, he couldn't stray out too much, abiding by the Aspects that defined his being which formed his Celestial Essence, Weaver's Grasp.

The three, Weaver's Veil, Aerialis, and Celestia's Hand, were complimentary, as they only manipulated close to neutral Aether in different ways, one to infuse, the other to strengthen, and the last to create.

So, he needed to find an ability that would make use of at least two of those aspects, while also complimenting the other abilities that he already had, covering for their weaknesses and enhancing their strengths.

The first one that came to mind was {Aetheric Needle}-a straightforward ability based on the Brawler class.

It promised raw, extremely concentrated power, the kind that could break through any defense and end a fight before it truly began.

It was tempting, especially with the many duels he would partake tomorrow.

{Weighted Fear,} based on the same class, added another layer of relentless aggression, as it would disturb the Aether around the user when chanted, infusing Aether with their killing intent, and in Emir's case, his internal corruption would be felt as well.

These two would serve him well in tomorrow's battles, no doubt. But beyond that?

Their utility would diminish, for he could do similar things eventually using his already unlocked abilities.

'Rejected. I need something else.'

He shifted his thoughts to Knight-based abilities.

There was one that interested him, it was based on Honorable Duel, aptly named {Aetheric Domain}-a growth-type ability that could evolve with him, perhaps becoming

indispensable later.

But was it enough for the battles that lay further down the road? He couldn't say for sure.

'Maybe... I'll get back to this later.'

Emir's gaze grew distant as he considered Blade Dancer-based abilities.

It was {Falling Threads} that caught his attention—a wide area of attack ability that would work great in a fight against many opponents.

While he lacked AOE abilities, his Gates Of Eternity was more than enough to pick up the slack, and it would only get better in the future, so after a few more seconds of thought, he discarded that ability from his mind.

He then shifted to the Ranger class, which presented him with survival options, ways to stay hidden, and/or escape. He had Flash Step, so he skipped them and checked out {Aether Tame,} a growth-type ability.

It had potential, especially for the future.

While Aetheric Domain would affect an entire area's Aether, this would be targeted, an ability that would affect the Celestial's Aether directly, attempting to turn it against its owner.

It wasn't just about fighting; it was about control, about turning them into puppets for his

use.

This ability could work in all environments as well, even underwater, though it wouldn't be of any use against monsters, their Aether too different from what any Celestial was used to, the amount impossible to control.

So, opposite Rangers, the only thing he could tame was humans.

Though that made the ability half as desirable, it was still good, and it fit his path pretty well.

But was it worth sacrificing the immediate power he needed?

'No.'

Gun Mage-based abilities were next.

Abilities that could amplify his accuracy, ensuring that every shot counted. Others allowed even offered a way to confuse and mislead

him

his enemies.

his arsenal to any situati and

But it was {Celestia's Revolver} that stood out-an ability that he could unlock without any

change.

His Aspect of creation was too compatible with it, for he had Celestia's Hands, the maker of that very weapon.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that using up a spot on something that he could potentially create himself would be a waste.

'...Maybe not.'

Emir sighed, his thoughts skipping Technomancer-based abilities as they weren't compatible, as well as Zenith Warden-based abilities, for they were of the Life element.

And while he could get abilities like Sacred Gift or Spirit Veil, as it belonged to the Holy Element, something that every Celestial had access to, it wasn't time for that.

His soul could be protected later, besides, those abilities focused more on protecting allies rather than one's own self.

Shadow Binder-based abilities and Reaper-based abilities were the same-too

incompatible.

Skipping over those four was easy. They were too far removed from his Aether-based focus, too specialized in areas that didn't resonate with his current needs.

After going through the ten common specializations, what remained were the random abilities that were created by Spell Weavers, ones not tied to any specialist in particular.

These were the wild cards, abilities that could either be exactly what he needed or completely

useless.

He didn't bother with the uncommon specializations as they were too unique, which made them incompatible, much more so than the common four he ignored.

'Hm...'

{Anomaly's Call.}

That ability allowed the user to influence their surroundings' Aether, summoning an Anomaly. Said anomaly could destroy the user if he couldn't escape it in time, yet it wasn't something hard to escape from but incredibly easy.

It would take a while to form, as the user could only influence an anomaly to happen, and it would only be useful if the user's surroundings were already infused with an abnormal influx

of Aether.

Such a situation would become common on Earth a few months from now, but it would be too late, he'd most likely die before he could use the ability in its best form. Funnily enough, Emir could see himself in the middle of a large army of monsters, protecting himself with his Aetheric Shield and Aetheric Constructs till the anomaly was summoned, the sky darkening and the earth trembling as a vortex formed, tearing through the ranks of the

monsters with ease.

'Sounds fun... but no.'

He shook his head, dismissing the image from his mind.

Anomaly's Call was far too situational, and while the thought of unleashing a devastating force against a horde of monsters was appealing, the risks outweighed the benefits.

It was too risky, too unreliable. He needed something that offered consistent results, not an ability that required the perfect storm of conditions to be effective. He couldn't deny that it was an appealing idea, but the reality of relying on such a fickle force was less so.

If he couldn't control it perfectly, the ability could easily turn on him or his allies. And right now, he couldn't afford that kind of unpredictability.

Emir leaned forward again, letting out a sigh as his fingers tapped rhythmically against the table while he sifted through the mental list of remaining abilities.

'...Just what should I choose?'