Ronan actually read through the system integration message this… iteration. Bleurgh. The word, and the contents of the system's introduction, both made him want to blow his brains out.

Well, iteration was growing on him. The system… Not so much. Ronan wasn't really living full 'lives'. Simply seeing what the future had to offer and developing his own personal strength and skills to take on new challenges as they appeared.

Each time he faced them, he did so as an improved version of himself. That was what the word meant, after all.

Iterate.

To try, to analyse failure points, and to remove them.

Removing his most recent weakness would be difficult. He'd barely caught the initial explosion of mana that erupted from Lord Rockmore to deflect Ronan's devastating combination of skills. As for the blow that had killed him?

All he'd felt was that momentary spike of pain in his chest. Then the darkness. Then… not quite home, but the endless white void was growing on him as well.

Especially after it had provided him with two fantastic new boons in the form of Jack of all trades, master of some and Deep cultivation. Speaking of those, the system's droning had ended, bringing with it a much reduced status for Ronan to peruse.

[Status]

Name: Ronan Steele

Race: Human (G)

Heritage: Reverberating Chronosphere (Current Iteration: 8) +

Level: 0

Class: N/A

Fortune: 0

[Stats]

Health: 63/63 Stamina: 90/90 Mana: 53/53

Vitality: 6

Endurance: 9

Wisdom: 5

Regeneration: 3

Resistance: 6

Strength: 6

Agility: 5

Intelligence: 8

Dexterity: 5

Acuity: 7

Tenacity: 12

Luck: 2

Charisma: 4

Available Points: 0

[Traits]

Personal: Inevitable (Epic)

[Skills]

Unified Language Adaptation (Universal)

Relentless Training (Common)

Magic Strike (Common)

Vital Surge (Common)

Mighty Strength (Common)

Critical Experience (Common)

Double Strike (Common)

Magic Money (Common)

Excessive Endurance (Common)

Reverberating Path (Epic) (Blessing)

Impact Leech (Common)

[Mastery]

Pugilist I 0/100

Mana I 0/100

Sword I 0/100

Shield I 0/100

Staff I 0/100

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Spear I 0/100

Stamina I 0/100

Pain 0/100

Anti-Magic 0/100

Perception 0/100

Leadership 0/100

Stealth 0/100

[Cultivation]

Mind: Quartz ★ (0%)

Body: Stone ★ (0%)

Energy: None

Soul: None

[Blessings]

Blessing of Chronos (Boundless)

Minor Blessing of the Temporal Obelisk (Unique)

Aside from the painful and obvious loss of most of his stats, his class, and his accumulated mastery, there were still new changes to assess in Ronan's status. There were some minor ones, essentially quality-of-life adjustments which he assumed were small buffs from Azathere's gift awakening his heritage to the fullest.

The first of those was that even the masteries which had not even reached the first tier still remained visible to him. Perception, leadership, and stealth. Not that useful, but as the list grew it would save him some memory space in his already overworked brain.

He double checked, sighing in relief when he saw his cultivation progress had stuck, aside from losing the progress towards the next realm. Trust, but verify. An adage Ronan had lived by.

His newly purchased enhancements were accessible by mentally willing his heritage menu open. Why it had its own hidden section and wasn't just displayed on his status, Ronan didn't know. It would be easier to read through.

As soon as he thought that, the words shifted, moving and floating across his vision. The chrono enhancements section was now permanently visible in his status, below the section for blessings. I suppose you aren't all bad, system. Or is this just my heritage at work? Hard to tell, he thought while scrunching his brow.

That brought him to the final… problem? Ronan wasn't sure what to think of it. It was more of an oddity than a problem.

His cultivation accomplishments gave a five percent efficacy bonus to both vitality and wisdom. With two levels in deep cultivation, each giving a twenty five percent boost to those effects, that should have given him a whopping seven-point-five percent efficacy bonus to the two stats.

Thus, calculating from his starting vitality and wisdom, which were 6 and 5 respectively, and including the full efficacy boost, he should have a total of 64 health and 53 mana. That was assuming the numbers always rounded down, because that was the behaviour he'd observed from the system so far.

His mana was correct, but his health was a point off. With so many decimals flying about, figuring it out at such low stat values was difficult, but he was sure of his maths. Rather than hurt his head even more, he simply pulled up the two enhancements to confirm his suspicions. When he read the description for deep cultivation, Ronan grimaced.

Deep cultivation II: 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.

[Current effects]

Maintain 16% more of your progress towards the next cultivation realm on iteration

Cultivation benefits are 33% more effective

He let out a disappointed sigh. As I suspected, it's the worst case scenario. Diminishing stacking. Running the numbers in his head once more, he sighed again. Additive stacking would have given me 64 health, while cumulative would have made it… also 64, but slightly higher, at least for now. The same went for the progress maintenance calculations.

Ronan had no way to know if jack of all trades, master of some would also have diminishing returns, but he suspected it did. Well, either way it's still a boost I wouldn't otherwise have. Beggars can't be choosers.

0…

Good luck, challenger!

The chime of the system snapped Ronan out of his reverie. He glanced upwards at the shifting gooey portal as a knobbled green leg stepped out of it.

This is a little nostalgic, he mused as the rest of the lesser goblin's body emerged. The portal vanished once it was out, leaving the diminutive monster facing off against a man who held a vitriolic hatred towards its species.

Honestly, I have more questions… I never really felt my personal trait doing anything, except that one time against Magriz'al. It should be working though? Who knows. Ronan shrugged while the level 2 lesser goblin screeched at him, waving a pathetic rusty dagger in the air.

Let's get this over with I guess. Actually, on the bright side, the fact I'm back here means I can hopefully keep big 'ol Terry alive this time. Should be fun to see them all again. Ronan had a big smile on his face as his fist turned the lesser goblin's head into jelly.

Yeesh, that drains a lot of stamina when I'm still low level, he complained inwardly. Guess I need to be a little conservative until the fourth stage.

You have killed [Zombified Goblin Fleshbeast Lv.18]!

+53 Copper Credits

+1 [Spear I] Mastery

+2 [Mana I] Mastery

+Fleshbeast Pus Sac (Uncommon)

You have leveled up to Lv.12!

You have leveled up to Lv.13!

You have leveled up to Lv.14!

You have been restored!

+3 Vitality

+3 Endurance

+3 Free Stat Points

Congratulations, you have cleared Stage 3 of the tutorial!

+185 Copper Credits

[Reverberating Chronosphere has subsumed personal trait potential towards free chronos merit accumulation. Current progress: 2.6%]

Stage 4 will begin in 1 minute!

Ronan looked at the snapped shaft of the rusty spear he'd killed this most recent fleshbeast with. He swung the splintered stick in his hands a few times before frowning and tossing it away.

He hadn't invested a single free stat point yet. Or used any of the rewards. Despite that, leaning on his muscle memory and skills had allowed him to slaughter his way through the tutorial with ease.

Keith stared wide-eyed at Ronan. "How did you do that, man? You were always… so quiet," he muttered.

"Pure natural talent, mate. Follow me until the end and it might rub off," he replied with a wink.

Then, he turned his attention to the class selection screen. Much had changed since his last iteration. Ronan was excited to see what new options might be available to him.

Although I am a little hesitant, he inwardly sighed. A cool magic based class would definitely broaden my skill set, but I'm not sure it would help me defeat Rockmore…

Whatever the case, the classes he unlocked now should persist in future iterations. There was no need to worry about missed opportunities—he could always come back and take a new path after his next death. Not that he wished it upon himself, but it was inevitable.

Luckily, so am I. That thought brought a smile to his face as he finally opened the system message. The string of chimes almost deafened him.

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