New class abilities available.

Select a new Class Active Ability.

Active Ability: Spectral Bolt (Level 1)

Mana: 10

Conjures a bolt of spectral energy that streaks toward a distant enemy with a haunting, ethereal glow. Upon impact, the bolt deals moderate damage and leaves a chilling effect, sapping the target's agility and reducing their movement speed for a short duration.

Tide Attunement Effect: The bolt surges like an unrelenting tide, applying a secondary riptide effect upon impact. This causes the target's movements to become erratic, pulling them slightly off balance, and if they attempt to move, they suffer additional resistance, as though struggling against an invisible current.

Active Ability: Phantom Step (Level 1)

Mana: 30

Allows the user to move a short distance with significantly increased speed, making it ideal for dodging incoming attacks, closing the gap between foes, or retreating to safety. While phased, they leave behind a faint trail of spectral energy, briefly disorienting nearby enemies and creating a lingering afterimage that draws attention away from their actual position.

Tide Attunement Effect: Movement becomes fluid like water, allowing for momentary invulnerability to incoming physical attacks after dashing. After reappearing, a wave of force radiates outward, slightly knocking back nearby enemies and disrupting their footing, making follow-up strikes easier.

Active Ability: Phantom Pack (Level 1)

Mana: 60

Summons three smaller, wolf-like phantoms that act as a group. The pack specializes in overwhelming enemies with coordinated attacks, causing extra damage if all three target the same foe. The phantoms are fragile but highly mobile. Only one pack can be summoned at a time; attempting to summon another pack will replace the current pack.

Tide Attunement Effect: The Phantom Pack moves with an undulating, unpredictable rhythm, making them harder to hit. Their attacks ebb and flow, dealing increased damage in waves; starting with lighter strikes before culminating in a powerful synchronized crashing attack that staggers the enemy if all three land a hit in succession.

Active Ability: Wraithburst (Level 1)

Mana: 15

Charges a phantom's next attack to release an explosion of spectral energy upon impact. The attack deals bonus area-of-effect damage and applies a spectral burn, slowly draining health from all enemies hit.

Tide Attunement Effect: Instead of a single burst, Wraithburst now ripples outward in expanding waves, hitting enemies in multiple pulses over a brief period. Each wave increases the severity of the spectral burn, making it more difficult to recover until the effect subsides.

Active Ability: Phantom Embodiment (Level 1)

Mana: 50

Duration: 5 minutes

Cooldown: 10 minutes

Merge with a single Phantom, fully embodying its form and taking direct control. While fused, gain access to the Phantom's combat knowledge and abilities, wielding its weapon with mastery and fighting as if one were the Phantom itself.

During the fusion, all stats are amplified beyond those of either individual, creating a form greater than the sum of its parts.

The fusion ends when the duration expires or the Phantom is destroyed, returning the user to their original state.

Tide Attunement Effect: While merged, gain fluid movement and adaptive strikes, enhancing agility and reaction speed. Attacks flow like water, increasing attack speed and evasion while reducing the impact of incoming force-based attacks. Additionally, every successful strike generates a wave of spectral energy, briefly staggering enemies hit.

Active Ability: Phantom Requiem (Level 1)

Mana: 40

Unleashes a haunting wail that resonates through all summoned Phantoms, enhancing their attack speed and movement for a short duration. Additionally, any Phantom that lands a successful strike during this time transfers a portion of the damage dealt as healing to the user.

Tide Attunement Effect: The spectral wail echoes like crashing waves, sending rippling pulses of reinforcement through all phantoms. Each pulse refreshes the healing effect and extends the duration slightly if multiple phantoms remain active. The effect lingers longer on weaker or injured phantoms, stabilizing them against destruction.

Active Ability: Phantom Harbinger (Level 1)

Mana: 50

Summons a towering spectral knight for a brief duration. The Harbinger is slow but heavily armored, capable of absorbing attacks while delivering devastating cleaving strikes. While active, all other Phantoms gain increased durability. Only one Harbinger can be active at a time.

Tide Attunement Effect: The Phantom Harbinger's strikes crash like tidal waves, sending out small shockwaves that knock back enemies in its path. Additionally, while active, other phantoms regenerate gradually, mirroring the rise and fall of the tide, ensuring they last longer in battle.

Colm smiled at the sight. "It's been a while since I've seen these."

Three more abilities added to the list this round, keeping the trend steady. And with each one now infused with a Tide Attunement effect, that was a bonus. But the real question remained: Which one did he want?

With his Resonance specialization, focusing on phantoms made the most sense. He scratched his head. So with that in mind, Phantom Pack and Phantom Harbinger seemed like the best options.

I don't really feel the need for more spells, he mused. I already have one from my attunement and another from my weapon, so I can nix Spectral Bolt and Wraithburst.

That left Phantom Step and Phantom Embodiment. Movement abilities were always valuable; dodging and avoiding nasty strikes could be a lifesaver. But he already had a get-out-of-jail-free card with his Phantom Sacrifice passive. "Do I really need another emergency escape?"

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Phantom Embodiment, though, was tempting. A temporary power boost with extra strength in battle. "There have been situations where I needed just a bit more damage to finish a fight."

Then there was Phantom Requiem; an ability without a cooldown that empowered his phantoms while also providing healing. "Seems strong, but how often do I actually need extra healing beyond what Lingering Vitality already gives me?"

"Gah," Colm muttered as he motioned to sit down, only to shift and twirl in the frigid water, still floating.

"What choice do I make?" He recounted every scenario he had encountered: movement to avoid lethal blows, more phantoms for greater numbers, or raw damage to finish fights faster.

Uncurling from his partially floating position, he let out a deep breath. "Okay. More phantoms or better phantom coordination." That left Phantom Pack, Phantom Harbinger, and Phantom Requiem.

"The question is, which one?"

Phantom Pack would give him more bodies on the field, but they were fragile. Phantom Requiem offered healing and empowerment, but he rarely needed extra healing beyond Lingering Vitality.

Then there was Phantom Harbinger, a towering spectral knight that could absorb damage while his other phantoms gained increased durability. The description mentioned it delivered devastating cleaving strikes and created shockwaves with the Tide Attunement.

"That sounds like exactly what I need," he thought. "A tanky phantom that makes my other phantoms tougher while dealing serious damage."

Letting the thoughts settle, Colm's resolve hardened.

Phantom Harbinger.

The utility seemed insane, and he was curious to see how it would evolve as it leveled up.

As Colm made his choice, a surge of power flowed through him, spreading outward like a tide crashing against the shore. A euphoric sensation pulsed through his body, making him falter for a moment. "I forgot how that felt... it's been a while."

But he could feel it now; the ability was there, ready, waiting. No cooldown. No restrictions. Just raw potential at his fingertips. Let's try it out. A smirk played at his lips as he focused on his new active ability.

"Time to see what this knight can do." He activated Phantom Harbinger.

The moment the ability triggered, the water around him erupted into chaos. Spectral energy exploded outward in violent torrents, creating a maelstrom that sent shockwaves through the frigid depths. The very fabric of reality seemed to tear as something massive forced its way into existence.

A towering form burst forth from the spectral storm; a colossal knight that dwarfed everything around it. The Phantom Harbinger materialized with such force that displaced water created a brief air pocket, the sheer presence of the entity commanding respect from the elements themselves.

The knight stood nearly three times Colm's height, encased in spectral plate armor that pulsed with tidal energy like a heartbeat made of light. Its massive sword—easily as tall as Colm—crackled with raw power, sending ripples of energy through the water with each subtle movement.

The effect on his other phantoms was immediate and dramatic. Carver, Lance, and Robin didn't just grow more solid; they became more. Their forms blazed with renewed strength, their spectral bodies reinforced by the Harbinger's overwhelming presence.

"Holy shit," Colm thought, staring up at the imposing guardian. "This isn't just a phantom; it's a force of nature."

The Harbinger turned its helmeted head toward him, and even though it had no visible eyes, Colm felt the weight of its attention. When it moved to test its reach, the massive blade carved through the water with such authority that the resulting shockwave nearly knocked him backward.

The displaced water crashed outward like a tidal wave, the very environment bending to accommodate the knight's power.

"This is incredible."

Where Phantom Embodiment had been about merging and flowing, Phantom Harbinger was about commanding and dominating. The knight didn't move with the water; it moved through it, and the water yielded.

He grinned, feeling the tactical possibilities explode in his mind.

Looking at the massive knight, a thought struck him. "You know what? You need a name." He studied the imposing figure for a moment. "Herb. Yeah, that works. Welcome to the team, Herb."

The Phantom Harbinger—Herb—seemed to acknowledge the name with a subtle nod of its helmeted head.

[ Status ]

Name: Colm Arden

Race: Morvyn

Level: 83

Health: 1630 / 1630

Mana: 840 / 840

Strength: 100 (120)

Dexterity: 100 (120)

Intelligence: 140 (168)

Constitution: 136 (163)

Bonded Weapon: Abyssal Ledger (Tier 3, Level 4)

Weapon Ability: Abyssal Lance (Tier 3, Level 4)

Attunement: Tide

Attunement Abilities:

- Rising Current (Level 9)

- Wavebound Surge (Level 5)

Class: Spirit Warden (Tier 5)

Specialization: Resonance

Active Class Abilities:

- Phantom Warrior (Tier 2, Level 4) [Carver]

- Phantom Spearman (Tier 2, Level 2) [Lance]

- Phantom Archer (Tier 2, Level 4) [Robin]

- Phantom Harbinger (Level 1) [Herb]

- Empty

Passive Class Abilities:

- Lingering Vitality (Tier 2, Level 10)

- Spectral Persistence (Tier 2, Level 1)

- Phantom Sacrifice (Level 10)

- Empty

- Empty

Skills:

- Analyze (Level 9)

- Stealth (Level 7)

- Pain Resistance (Tier 2, Level 1)

- Hardened Skin (Level 10)

- Slash Resistance (Level 7)

- Spear Mastery (Level 10)

- Sprint Mastery (Level 10)

- Poison Resistance (Level 6)

- Stun Resistance (Level 6)

- Dual Wielding (Level 4)

- Infection Resistance (Tier 3, Level 10)

- Heightened Instincts (Level 3)

- Meditation (Tier 2, Level 1)

- Unarmed Combat (Level 7)

- Impact Resistance (Level 10)

Achievements:

- Through the Rift

- Champion of the Lucent Grove

- Bane of the Undead

- Echo Sprinter I

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