With access to the Chronos Forge, Ronan now had a way to use any and all skills to empower himself, even if their actual effects weren't what he needed. Even better, it didn't require chronos merits to activate. Instead, it used his skills and traits as fuel.

Having confirmed that, he withdrew his consciousness from the forge. Before creating his new skill, Ronan was going to see what the Temporal Obelisk had in store. He was hoping for more enhancements, having reached the first threshold.

[Temporal Obelisk]

Jack of all trades, master of some III: The influence of the Chronos Clan is not truly boundless, especially so for a sapling. However, with time and investment, your mastery over everything becomes more persistent through iterations. Maintain 25% more of your progress towards the next mastery tier through each iteration for every tier of this enhancement. [Cost to reach next tier: 2 Chronos merit]

Deep cultivation IV: As a clan which transcends the limits of time and space, the act of cultivation holds a far more significant meaning to those of the Chronos heritage. Maintain 10% more of your progress towards the next cultivation realm for every tier of this enhancement. Cultivation benefits are 25% more effective for every tier of this enhancement. [Cost to reach next tier: 3 Chronos merits]

Brand of the temporal artificer III: Even items forged from the base materials of reality can be iterated. Through the powers of the temporal artificer, items can be branded and will persist through iterations. The number of concurrent brands increases by 1 for every tier of this enhancement. Enhancement will mutate once for every 3 tiers in this enhancement. Branded items will receive a 10% improvement for every tier in this enhancement. [Cost to reach next tier: 2 Chronos merits]

Hard work bears fruit: The first descendants of the Chronos Clan enjoyed the taste of stat fruits so much that they discovered a way to make that sweet nectar echo through the fabric of time. Retain permanent stats gained by consuming stat fruits. The next tier of this enhancement will allow you to retain 10 points in each stat by consuming stat fruits. [Cost to reach next tier: 1 Chronos merit]

A class of one's own: What is a class but a way of specialising one's skillset, to best defeat one's enemies? A single life, a single vocation. Those of the Chronos Clan are not so limited. Unlock 1 sub-class slot for every tier in this enhancement. Once a class has been locked to a slot, it cannot be removed, but it can be evolved. [Cost to reach next tier: 5 Chronos merits]

Accumulate greater accomplishments to unlock further enhancement options…

At first Ronan thought he still hadn't achieved enough for the obelisk to deem him worthy. That ran counter to the fact it massively increased in size, but it might have just been an aesthetic change.

Then he reached the end of the first three enhancements, and instead of the obelisk telling him to just be better, Ronan found the name of a new enhancement waiting for him. And it was music to his soul.

Stat fruits weren't the most powerful items he'd received from the endless treasury, not by a long shot. However, making their boosts permanent took them from a quirky collectible to an incredibly potent boon that he would be scouring the endless treasury to find more of.

Not to mention, that just as the enhancement itself described, they tasted incredible. Ronan relished the fact that he would have a reason to search them out, beyond simple satisfaction.

The price was affordable, too. However, the next enhancement he'd unlocked was by far the most powerful of the five. Unfortunately it had a prohibitive cost.

Ronan could barely afford the five merits. Purchasing a class of one's own at the first tier would leave him with just 1 merit. He could then also grab the first tier in hard work bears fruit. However, he wasn't sure if that was the best option available to him.

If he didn't get the class-related enhancement, Ronan could tier up a variety of his other enhancements, giving himself more bonuses to his cultivation and mastery across the board. That was a worthwhile option to consider.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

After some thought, he discarded it. While cultivation and mastery were two pillars of his strength, the diminishing bonuses from each tier meant that merits spent on them were worth less.

A class of one's own was prohibitively expensive, but the benefits it granted were equally potent. Having two classes each iteration? It wasn't something Ronan had ever expected to be on the table, and he was already salivating at the possibilities.

You have purchased the permanent enhancement [A class of one's own] for 5 chronos merits! A class of one's own has increased from Tier N to Tier I

As to how he was going to spend his last remaining merit, the choice was obvious.

You have purchased the permanent enhancement [Hard work bears fruit] for 1 chronos merit! Hard work bears fruit has increased from Tier N to Tier I

You have no chronos merits remaining! The Temporal Obelisk has returned to slumber, awaiting your return

As his consciousness was pulled from the obelisk, Ronan stumbled slightly. He couldn't be certain, but he felt as though his consciousness inside the clan's grounds had… expanded, in some indescribable way.

Even though he was broke once more, lacking even a single chronos merit, Ronan was giddy with excitement. He'd unlocked two new enhancements and been able to purchase the first tier of them both. They were exactly what he needed to obliterate Tharaxes, and then, move on to the next difficulty of the tutorial.

The choice of which class he would lock to his first sub-class slot had the potential to be even more frustrating than the decision of what skill he would first forge. In this case, however, Ronan already knew the answer.

Sorcerer.

From the very moment he knew it was possible, Ronan had craved the ability to use magic without the system's aid. The allure of power that was purely his own, that he'd earned through blood, sweat, and sacrifice, was irresistible.

He might have access to other classes that were currently stronger than sorcerer, but none of them had even a fraction of its potential. Ronan didn't hesitate to lock it in.

[Sorcerer (Uncommon)] will be locked into the slot [Sub-Class 1]! This action is irreversible. Are you sure of your choice, Chosen Son of Chronos?

I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Ronan thought. He felt his consciousness shifting as something settled into it, a new and permanent addition to the stuff that made up Ronan Steele.

[Sorcerer (Uncommon)] has been selected and locked to the slot [Sub-Class 1]!

With his merits spent, and his first sub-class selected, there was only one thing left for Ronan to do before he began his next iteration. It was time to forge a new skill, one that would become the cornerstone of his combat prowess, and push him ever further in his pursuit of strength and freedom.

Returning to the twisting, mind-boggling, physics-defying structure of The Chronos Forge, Ronan placed his right palm against one of the obsidian spires. He was greeted with the same four options, but this time he would be forced to choose just one of them.

[Chronos Forge]

Fuel: 0%

[Recycle]

[Forge]

[Temper]

[Alloy]

First, he ran through those skills which he used most often in combat. Double strike, magic strike, vital surge, stone grip, sacrificial strike, and his critical combo skills—tempo and experience. Of those, he used some more than others.

If he had to pick a single skill that had earned him the most kills, it would certainly be one of either magic strike or double strike. They'd been with him since the very beginning of this shit, and would almost certainly remain with him until the end, in some form—if he ever would have an 'end,' that is.

Outside of his direct combat skills, there were others that saw regular use. Learn through suffering being the main contender. He also couldn't forget his traits, such as mineral skeleton and fate alignment.

He doubted he could upgrade his personal trait again, though. The obelisk had already done so once. Besides, Ronan felt that this first opportunity would be better used on a skill that would help him fight, and win.

Aside from his existing skills, there was also the option of forging a completely new skill of his own. He had a few ideas about where to start, but ultimately it was a risk he wasn't sure he wanted to take.

The first skill he created would gain an extra tier for free. Alloying his existing skills, in theory, had the greatest chance to give him his first legendary skill, to match his existing legendary trait. Not to mention the extra effect and that he would be able to create it free of charge.

No, instead of taking a risk, Ronan wanted to take the skills he already possessed and turn them into a signature skill he could use for a long, long time. A masterwork of alloying, that was greater than just the sum of its parts.

His decision made, Ronan selected the fourth option in the forge menu, and took a step inside the ominous structure.

Please select the skills you wish to alloy…

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