Jack sat the Seat of Judgement. The blazing throne was radiating power that felt less alien now. Instead, it felt more... resonant.
He was just waiting. With nothing else to do. The hundredth scroll had dissolved ages ago. Or perhaps just mere moments ago. Time felt warped in this infernal court replica.
The skeletal guards remained motionless. The silent sentinels to a conclusion that felt long overdue.
Then, finally... a sound. Not the rustle of scrolls or the faint crackle of the throne's energy. But a voice. The voice. The resonant ancient voice. It filled the chamber. Echoing off the hellish walls.
"Trial of Vengeance completed."
Jack didn't move. He just listened.
"Rate of Suitable Completion 98%. The highest among the Trial Takers."
Ninety-eight. He had guessed right on most of them. It seemed that his own brand of justice was not that much different from Cloudfather's judgement. Nice!
"Successful Completion!"
Right. Get to the point.
"Proceeding to the Reward Stage. Vengeance Inheritance... rewarded."
A black orb materialized in the air before him. It was small but dense with palpable energy. Pulsing with a deep, intimidating crimson glow.
It drifted closer. Drawn by an invisible current. Moving towards his hulking Black Buto form.
'Here we go!' Jack thought. Bracing himself.
This was similar to the Trial of Strength. Where the essence of the trial's goal had been imparted directly. Another power-up. He would never refuse such kind of thing.
The orb made contact. Pressing against his armored chest plate. Sinking through it as if it were mist. It didn't hurt. But it felt like a cold, dense liquid. Spreading beneath his skin. Tracing his internal structure.
Immediately, system notifications flared into existence in his vision.
[CONDENSED LAW OF VENGEANCE DISCOVERED!]
[NO SUITABLE DOMAIN IN POSSESSION!]
Okay. It was pretty much the same with the prize from the Trial of Strength. A condensed law which was converted into other things. Because Jack didn't have any suitable domain or trait for it.
[SEARCHING FOR AVAILABLE UPGRADES...]
Yep. As what Jack had guessed. The system was trying to figure out some compensation. Unwilling to waste the energy just because of lacking certain 'domain'. Whatever it was.
This was familiar territory. His existence was basically an anomaly. And so did the system. It would constantly be adapting.
...
[INCARNATION FORM UNSUITABLE. ACTIVATING INCARNATION SHIFT!]
What? Unsuitable? Judge Jack, the embodiment of heavy justice? He wasn't suitable for the Law of Vengeance? The law which was inherently tied to judgement? Seriously?
The system didn't explain itself. It just dictated the information. And... forcefully activating his trait.
Jack immediately felt it. His large, armored form began to transform. The hulking silhouette was shrinking. The heavy plates felt less substantial. Peeling away like drying mud.
The immense physical strength of the rakshasa form drained away. Replaced by a different kind of power. The thick, monstrous hands morphed into more traditional human hands. Less calloused but more dexterous.
The heavy, monstrous face smoothed out into more human-like face. It wasn't a gradual dissolve and reappear. It was a physical, internal restructuring. One that, even after so many shifts, still felt very weird somehow.
And this time it was even weirder. Forced. Against his will. It hadn't happened like this before. Usually, he initiated the shift.
Not now. This time, even if he didn't want to... He was still transforming into Jack Night, the human mercenary.
Once the transformation stabilized, sitting where the rakshasa had sat was a tall, broad-shouldered man. In practical, sturdy leather clothing. Jack Night. The Steamrune Engineer.
As the shift completed. The system notifications continued. Pinpointing where the Vengeance Inheritance, or at least its integration, was affecting him now.
[FOR CURRENT INCARNATION... INCREASING ATTRIBUTE: PHYSIQUE]
[FOR CURRENT INCARNATION... INCREASING ATTRIBUTE: MYSTICISM]
[FOR CURRENT INCARNATION... INCREASING ATTRIBUTE: PASSION]
He felt the change immediately. His human muscles felt tighter. More powerful. His mind felt sharper. The esoteric energies of this world felt easier to grasp intuitively. Another significant surge of attributes. Great!
Then, the system began adjusting more fundamental aspects. Fusing and evolving elements of his being.
[ADJUSTING POWER. EVOLVING A PERMANENT STATUS EFFECT!]
[MORTALITY] INTO [TRANSCENDED]
That stopped him cold. Mortality. The status he gained when he first took human form on this world. Binding his form to the rules he thought he had left behind after his death. It used to feel like a leash. A vulnerability. It changed?
[ADJUSTING POWER. FUSING AND EVOLVING SYSTEM SIGHT MODES!]
[ALL SYSTEM SIGHT MODES] INTO [EYES OF JUDGEMENT]
All of them? Fear Detection, Aura Detection, Karma Detection, the basic Information Panel view? Fused? Into 'Eyes of Judgement'? How would that even work?
Jack didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled up his Status Panel. The familiar interface shimmered into view. Displaying the necessary information of his existence.
He searched for the changes. Marked with asterisks according to the system's helpful, clinical logic.
[CHARACTER STATUS]
[Name: Jack Night]
[Incarnation Type: Human]
[Persona: Jack Night]
[Race: Transcendent Human]
[Class: Steamrune Engineer]
[Archetype: Mortal Creature]
[Power Source: Spirit of Judgement]
[Attributes: *Physique (82) *Mysticism (82) *Passion (82) Essence (99)]
[Karma: Positive]
[System Sight Modes: *Eyes of Judgement]
[Supernatural Traits: Mysterious Anomaly; Mysterious Mirror World; Incarnation Shift; Grootslang's Gemstone Detection; Incubus Charm]
[Permanent Traits: Mythical Adaptation; Mysterious Nature; Devourer Physique]
[Characteristics: Mysterious Nature - Paralysis Immunity]
[Characteristics: Mythical Adaptation - Cold Immunity, Pressure Immunity, Shock Immunity, Bleeding Immunity, Imbalance Immunity, Madness Immunity, Poison Immunity, Lightning Immunity, Heat Immunity, Hyper Regeneration]
[Status Effect: *Transcended]
[Personal Artifact: Nightmare Mace, Daydream Undersuit, Nine-Anchor Portal Ring, Artifact Seeds (2)]
[Steamrune Skills: Steamrune Fusion, Steamrune Enchantment, Steamrune Compression]
Physique. Mysticism. Passion. All were now at 82. A solid bump from the previous 76. Six points across three core attributes. That was significant.
It meant that his human form was considerably stronger. More resilient. And more attuned to the world's energies than before.
The Essence was maxed out. As always. The core of his being. The energy he drew upon. It remained untouched by this specific upgrade.
[Karma: Positive]. Unchanged. His vengeance was selective, aimed at the guilty, not indiscriminate. The system deemed that positive. Fine by him.
[System Sight Modes: *Eyes of Judgement]
Okay. The fusion. He tried activating it. It wasn't like his previous ocular ability. It didn't have a different 'mode' to switch to. It felt like his base vision, but enhanced. He mentally focused it on one of the skeletal guards standing rigidly nearby.
He focused his gaze, not on the panel, but on the skeletal guards standing stiffly in the infernal court. Instantly, data flooded his mind.
[Entity: Enthralled Guardian]
[Type: Lesser Undead]
[Affiliation: Neutral]
[Power Level: Low]
[Composition: Bone, Vestigial Spirit]
[Current Status: Awaiting Command]
[Notable Properties: Bound to Infernal Court, Basic Awareness]
[Weaknesses: Radiant Energy, Disruption of Binding]
This... this was basically the 'Appraisal' skill in RPG games. He shifted his gaze to the blazing throne.
[Artifact: Seat of Judgment (Lesser Aspect)]
[Type: Divine/Infernal Construct]
[Danger Level: None]
[Purpose: Interface for Trial Participant]
[Current Status: Active (Trial Phase Complete)]
[Notable Properties: Connection to Vengeance Principle, Authority Manifestation]
[Residual Energy: High]
This was far more detailed. More insightful than the previous fragmented sight modes. It wasn't just detecting auras. Or fear. Or karma. It was appraising the fundamental nature and status of things.
This was a genuine upgrade. An ever-present source of intel. He could constantly appraising the world around him. It literally aided that judgment. This was incredibly useful.
[Status Effect: *Transcended]
This was the big one. He focused on the description, comparing it to the old one he remembered. It used to be...
[Mortality: The inherent condition of all living beings, characterized by a finite lifespan and the susceptibility to death. This status effect signifies that the user is now bound by the natural laws of life and death, making them vulnerable to physical harm, disease, and aging. The user's mortality diminishes the effectiveness of any 'Mysterious Ability' traits by 40%. The status effect serves as a constant reminder of the user's vulnerability and the impermanence of their existence.]
And now...
[Transcended: An elevated state of being within the confines of mortal existence. While still subject to the fundamental laws of life and death, the user's inherent lifespan is significantly extended, measured in centuries rather than decades. Their vulnerability to traditional mortal ailments, disease, and aging is drastically reduced. This state represents a partial liberation from the limitations of the mortal coil. Diminishes the effectiveness of any [Supernatural Traits] and [Permanent Traits] by 20%.]
Centuries? Great! Not true immortality, but a lifespan that long was effectively incredible from a human perspective.
And the reduced penalty on his core traits – Mysterious Anomaly, Mythical Adaptation, Devourer Physique – that was huge. A 20% increase in their effective power right off the bat.
Not to mention the fact that he was less vulnerable to the mundane ways mortals died. Disease. Aging. He was far less fragile as a human than he had been moments ago.
This was a fundamental restructuring of his existence. He wasn't just 'human' anymore; he was the true 'Transcendent Human'.