Chapter 236: Titus III
Titus III
As soon as Christopher picked the Skill Mastery Path, he felt information entered his mind once again.
He became keenly aware of how it worked and how it focused on skill evolution and growth. He also became aware of how he could now take missions, form parties, and potentially enter dungeons to earn more rewards from the system.
'It's like one of those games.' He thought as he pulled up his status panel again, and this time, there was a significant change in the Paths Area.
[Status Panel]
Name: Titus
Race: Primordial human (Teenager)
Titles: Soul Forger, Indomitable, Little King, Tenacious Student, Legendary Prodigy.
Rank: Quasi-Apex
Core Attributes:
Strength: 12,470
Endurance: 9,300
Agility: 15,846
Intelligence: 8,980
Willpower: 19,323
[Skills Panel]
Active Skills —>
Passive Skills —>
Innate Abilities —>
System Blessings N/A
[Paths Panel]
Available Paths—>
Sovereign Bladewalker
Soulforged Warden
Mythborn Prodigy
Primordial Disciple
Commanding Paragon
Chrono-Kenshin (Speedblade Paragon.)
System Paths—>
Skill Mastery
[Achievements Panel]
Unwavering Spirit (Gold)
Lead Them To Victory (Silver)
Prodigious Disciple (Gold)
The Chosen (Gold)
[Energy Panel]
Personal Energy: Void-Forged Mana {449,999/449,999}, Ambrosia (830/1,200
Connection to the Primordial Expanse {A+ Grade}
Titus blinked before feeling a surge of excitement. He knew his records were decent, but he hadn't expected this number of paths, and from their names, they were bound to be good.
He took a breath.
'System, give me a breakdown of each path.' Titus ordered.
[Confirmed.]
A moment later, he received his explanation.
1. Mythborn Prodigy
"A legend in the making, forged through hardship and guided by instinct."
Core Identity:
Focuses on adaptive growth, technique mastery, and conceptual resonance. A perfect choice for those whose talents allow them to defy linear growth and learn faster under pressure.
Key Themes:
Skill-based progression
Conceptual synchronization
Pressure-based evolution
Reflective mastery
Core Bonuses:
+25% Skill Growth Rate
+20% resistance to mental interference & illusions
Instinctive reaction boosts during critical moments
Unlocks the ability to learn techniques by witnessing and experiencing them
Titles like Legendary Prodigy, Unwavering Spirit, and Tenacious Student amplify speed of growth and mental resilience
Stat Amplification:
Agility +18%
Willpower +20%
Intelligence +10%
---
2. Sovereign Bladewalker
"One who walks the path of blades beyond mortality, turning swordsmanship into a law of existence."
Core Identity:
A sword-exclusive path that treats the blade as a natural extension of the self. Grants power not from technique alone, but from absolute harmony with the sword.
Key Themes:
Sword Spirit Awakening
Weapon intent manifestation
Absolute Precision and Sword Laws
Anti-magic blade disruption
Core Bonuses:
Sword skills can evolve into Blade Laws
The user's presence exerts Sword Domain Pressure on weaker enemies
Natural counter to magic-heavy foes
Possible fusion with Soul Forge for sentient weapon symbiosis
Stat Amplification:
Agility +20%
Strength +15%
Willpower +12%
---
3. Soulforged Warden
"Guardian of the soul, wielder of inner fire. What is forged within, endures without."
Core Identity:
Centers on the Soul Forge, amplifying its importance to become a multidimensional engine for weapon crafting, defense, and soul-based attacks.
Key Themes:
Weapon crafting through the soul
Defense and durability of the will
Adaptive armaments & constructs
Ambrosia refinement
Core Bonuses:
Unlocks Forge Constructs from the soul (barriers, weapons, drones)
Can imbue Ambrosia into weapons for unique buffs
Develops Soul Armor based on emotions or battle context
Can temporarily absorb enemy weapons into the forge and analyze them
Stat Amplification:
Willpower +25%
Endurance +20%
Strength +10%
---
4. Primordial Disciple
"To walk behind a King is to someday inherit his crown."
Core Identity:
A growth-focused path that amplifies Titus' role as the Master's direct disciple. Enhances mimicry, realm-related power, and learning of techniques used by the Master.
Key Themes:
Legacy inheritance
Master-Disciple transference
Rule comprehension
Core Bonuses:
Learns fragments of the Master's Laws over time
Can attune with the Primordial Expanse for buffs in energy, regeneration, and clarity
Gains memory echoes of his teacher's battles during epiphanies
Better synergy with Ancient Artifacts (like Veylthar)
Stat Amplification:
Willpower +22%
Intelligence +18%
All Energy Pool caps +15%
---
5. Commanding Paragon
"A general not through title, but through will. The battlefield listens when he speaks."
Core Identity:
Ties to Titus' leadership feats—emphasizes tactical dominance, synergy with battalions, and personal empowerment through battlefield command.
Key Themes:
Tactical vision
Aura command
Battlefield manipulation
Buff/debuff optimization
Core Bonuses:
Can project Command Auras that enhance allies or suppress enemies
Unlocks ability to link minds with squads for improved coordination
Natural counter to chaos-based strategies
Can store and replay battlefield simulations mentally for planning
Stat Amplification:
Willpower +15%
Intelligence +20%
Endurance +12%
---
6. Chrono-Kenshin (Speedblade Paragon)
"Where time flickers, his blade is already there."
Core Identity:
A time-tinged speed path, built around sword techniques that move so fast they phase through reality. Blends light, wind, and temporal momentum.
Key Themes:
Chrono-displacement
Speed illusion and blade phasing
Wind-light fusion
Predictive combat
Core Bonuses:
Grants access to Temporal Echo Steps, which leave time-delayed slashes in their wake
Sword swings gain momentum-based enhancements (faster = stronger)
Unlocks Light-Wind Blade Dance—a fusion form blending both affinities
Immune to some slow/stun/paralysis effects while moving
Stat Amplification:
Agility +25%
Intelligence +12%
Strength +10%
Titus paused and took a breath. The options were rich. To say the least.
However, he was determined to not let his excitement make him choose unwisely, so he carefully read through and considered every option before him.
First was the Mythborn Prodigy, and Titus was already strongly attracted to this one. This path greatly appealed to his desire to hone his skill first and foremost. Moreover, it seemed to take a dig at his tendency to fight opponents stronger than him and come out stronger than before the fight.
With all the benefits in place, the only thing he saw as a con was the lack of immediate benefits and the lack of a true direction. The other Paths seemed to focus on one of his traits deeply, but this one only seemed to focus on his potential, so its true effectiveness depended on his ability to brave challenges. Then again, that wasn't exactly a bad thing, and it was a path that had lots of room for growth.
Also, the Stat bonuses were quite nice as well. Especially in the Agility and Intelligence department. Now that he knew what Willpower did, any significant boost in it was welcome.
Next was the Sovereign Bladewalker, and this Path also appealed to him strongly. He placed a great amount of emphasis on his swordsmanship, and spent a great amount of time improving his skills however he could.
The idea of taking it up a notch, especially with a weapon like Veylthar, piqued his interest. He was also interested in what it meant by Sword Spirit Awakening and Anti-magic blade disruption. If Veylthar wasn't a sword Spirit, then he wondered what was. And the Anti-magic was something that caught his interest, as that meant he would be a hard counter to magic oriented foes.
The stats were also quite nice. The Willpower increase wasn't as good as the Mythborn, but it was still not bad. If he had a problem, though, it woukd become that this path seemed to turn his use of magic into an afterthought.
While he didn't place too heavy focus on his magic, its not like he wanted to abandon it. It was simply too useful.
Moving on, the Soulforged Warden path didn't interest him that much, but it still caught his attention. As it was, his soul forge was something with great potential, and developing it was one of his priorities at this moment. Picking this path would make it significantly easier, and the idea of his Ambrosia becoming refined while also receiving an increase in its regeneration speed was always welcome.
Moreover. The abilities that it presented seemed nice, especially with the part about the Soul Armor. But, that was where his interest ended.
He felt like he could develop it to these levels with his effort, after all, it was just dormant at the moment. It would be a different story if he fully crossed over to the Apex rank and had it awaken.
Then came the Primordial Disciple, and Titus instantly rejected it from his mind.
It sounded good on paper. Heck, he knew firsthand just how insane Christopher was, and yeah getting a hand on some of his insane abilities and techniques was certainly appealing, but its also for that reason he didn't want to choose this path.
Every time Titus meets Christopher, it's as though his Master underwent a transformation each time, and Titus had little hope of catching up.
If he picked this path, the result would be him constantly chasing after his Master, with the gap only ever increasing exponentially. His abilities were incredible, no doubt, but Titus knew he would never be able to use them to the same degree as his Master, and even if he did, the time he spent doing so would give him the opportunity to go far ahead once more. That wasn't something he wanted to subject himself to.
So with a resolute gaze, he moved on to the next option.