POV Rio
The sounds of screaming awake me. I look up from my bed to see MacCready covering his eyes and yelling at me to put on some clothes. I was bleary-eyed and not in the mood to be pleasant, so my response to being awoken was to launch MacCready out of the nearby window. I was on the third floor.
"Wilhelm Scream!"
After he screams, I slam my door shut and go back to sleep. I had never been tired while in the Fallout Universe, so I never got the chance to warn everyone that I was not to be disturbed when I was sleep-deprived. Some people learned that the hard way in my last life. I had once sleep-fought someone. According to others, I was awoken rudely by a burglar, and I started beating the crap out of them using some kung-fu moves I saw on TV. I don't remember doing so, but the badly bruised and bloody burglar on the floor seemed to prove their accounts. So all things considered, being thrown out of a third-story building isn't that bad.
Unfortunately, MacCready didn't learn his lesson and came back to wake me up again. But this time it was to complain about being Defenstrated—my response? It was a measured and calm... I Defenstrated him again and further aimed for a dumpster. Then shut the window, he was thrown from. Then I snuggled back into the strangely fuzzy bed.
Several Hours Later...
I wake up with a big yawn and a relaxed smile.
Achoo!
Fur is sent everywhere, as some fur got into my nose.
"Huh? Where did all this fur come from?" I say while looking at my bed.
The bed and now parts of the floor were covered with brown and white fur. It took me a moment to figure it out, but then I realized where it all came from.
'Am I shedding? Wait, no, my fur is blue. It must be from the transformation. Weird, I thought it wouldn't leave anything behind. Now who's going to clean all of this?'
I shrugged my shoulders and decided it was future Rio's problem. Now, in order to get clean, I did what any rational person would do. I got on all fours and shook like a wet dog. It was highly efficient... at making my room messier. But it also got rid of most of the fur clinging to me. A simple brushing could solve the rest. It was then that I realized I was still naked. And I had vague memories of an annoying pelican that kept trying to wake me up. I got dressed and then went downstairs to open presents.
Once I got downstairs, I saw MacCready covered in vomit. Very smelly vomit.
"Ugh, why are you covered in Vomit?" I say while pinching my nose with a grimace.
"Gee, I wonder why? Maybe because someone threw me from the third floor into a dumpster full of vomit from all the sick or poisoned people," MacCready says with a very unhappy look.
"I think you mean Defenstrated. And who did that to you?" I correct and then ask.
MacCready looks very upset and slowly walks towards me. I back up.
"What are you doing?" I ask worriedly.
"I want a hug. You aren't going to not hug me, are you?" MacCready says with a pitiful look.
"Wait, no, stay back! Don't make me get the spray bottle!" I say while backing farther away.
MacCready gives me a blank stare and stops moving. I see the look in his eyes and start to run as he chases me.
"Oh, are we running now? This is so much fun, yes?" Curie says while joining us in our run.
I look at Curie like a strange specimen. Then I sense MacCready getting closer, so I get near a window and fly out. MacCready tries to launch vomit at me, but I fly out of his range. I leave and give them time to cool off. As I am flying around Goodneighbor, I see many people puking their guts out and struggling to breathe. At first, I worried that some kind of plague had broken out, but then I remembered what I gave all the naughty people on the list.
'Hehe, that is what you get.'
As I am flying around, I notice a notification. I had completed a quest. The quest was called "It's A Christmas Miracle". Normally, that would be nothing much of note, as most quests don't give anything other than experience. Any physical rewards are usually given by the quest giver. Other than experience, I have gotten Caps, Ammo, and Medical Supplies. But this time, I got something very odd.
[It's A Christmas Miracle
Rewards:
5000 exp
1 Ascension Perk Slot ]
'What the heck is an Ascension Perk?'
I messed around a bit and was able to figure out what Ascension Perks are. It seemed like they were special perks that could only be chosen every 50 levels or as long as you have an Ascension Perk slot open. Once chosen, they are permanent. Each one was really powerful and generally had no drawbacks. But the limitation was that you could only pick a new one every 50 levels. And they couldn't be upgraded, as there are no ranks on any of the perks. They come as is. Speaking of level 50, the quest had pushed me to level 50, meaning I had 2 Ascension Perk slots.
I distributed the skill points first.
Skills:
Cracking: 100
Barter: 1 ---> 100
Energy Guns: 1
Explosives: 16 ---> 58
Guns: 1
Magic: 100
Medicine: 91 ---> 100
Melee Weapons: 1
Science: 100
Sneak: 100
Survival: 100
Unarmed: 16
It was hard to choose what skill to invest in once Barter was maxed out, as basically all of them have advantages. After a lot of thought, I decided to go with Explosives as it was somewhat of a knowledge skill. The other option I was considering was Unarmed, as it was also at 16 and might also give me knowledge on unarmed combat techniques. But I chose to go with Explosives in the end, and I was glad I did. I can disarm many types of explosives, I can now craft quite a few varieties, and I can determine what kind of explosives might have been used in an area. It also improved my ability to tell if someone might be using a place for an explosives trap. This was from a combination of Sneak and Explosives working in tandem to improve my skills in this area of expertise.
Barter and Medicine gave me plenty of knowledge I could use. I could confidently say I could treat any known or possibly unknown illness if I had time and resources. Barter gave me a flat boost to trades done and also gave me in-depth knowledge on trade, business, economics, and commerce. As well as profit maximization. I could say for nearly certain that I could set up a fully functioning economy with what we have. I had already started making plans for increasing the Minutemen's financial freedom and spreading our influence via trade. It might cause some issues with some of the entrenched caravans and traders, but you can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
As for perks, I did something I hadn't done yet and spent most of the points on increasing my Special Stats. I put 7 points into Luck, getting it to the Max. I was going to put the remaining points in Strength, but decided not to when I noticed that my Strength had increased by 1 point permanently. I wasn't fully sure how far I could increase it, but I could make some educated guesses. I didn't believe for a second that I could increase it all the way to 15 with only training. Even 10 seemed like too much, as 10 is considered to be peak human condition. Possibly even super soldier territory. I didn't think 6 was the limit, as it was considered only slightly above average. So I figured that I could get to at least 7 or 8. 9 might be too high, as that was considered very high, and even 8 was considered very impressive, but within reason. Lastly, I figured the system I had wouldn't let me increase stats infinitely.
After putting in the perk points, I had 3 remaining and had to decide on what to put them in. I chose Acrobatics Rank 3.
Acrobatics Rank 3
Rank 1: While not wearing power armor, you have a 7% chance to dodge any incoming attack, and your equipped apparel weighs 3% less per Agility.
Rank 2: While not wearing power armor, you now have a 15% chance to dodge any incoming attack, and your equipped apparel weighs 5% less per Agility.
Rank 3: While not wearing power armor, you now have a 20% chance to dodge any incoming attack or explosion, and your equipped apparel weighs 7% less per Agility. (X)
I had been thinking of taking the perk for a while, as it fits perfectly with my current build. The armor weight reduction had a much more useful effect. It made all armor and apparel weightless, and that made my flight speed increase even further than it already was. It also meant I could wear much heavier armor without penalties. As long as the armor wasn't "power armor", then I get the buffs. The 20% chance to dodge any incoming damage was always welcome.
After distributing the perk points, I was left with the choice of possible Ascension Perks. I only had two slots, so I had to make the decision carefully. I would have to wait until level 100 to choose another, so I had to be sure my choice would last me until then.
'Hmm, let me think, what do I need most right now?'
I thought about it for a bit and decided that I should look at the options, but I was leaning towards 1 defense perk and then maybe an offense or magic-focused perk. For defense, it was fairly easy to choose the perk as one of them was just too good while still offering some great offensive measures.
In Umbra Glacies
"Darkness is not always the enemy. Sometimes, it's the shield that protects others."
Effect:
Gain permanent Crystal Armor:
+100% damage and energy resistance
When you take a fatal hit, instead shatter into crystal, becoming invulnerable for 4 seconds and healing 50% HP (once per combat).
Shadowstep:
Teleport behind enemies within 25 meters (5s cooldown)
When an ally falls below 30% health, you can teleport to them and cast a free shield spell (60s cooldown)
Once per day, Unleash a shadowy crystal form:
For 15 seconds, your entire body becomes pure living crystal:
+300% damage resistance
Spells reflect back at casters
Melee attacks trigger staggering shockwaves
At the end, your form explodes into radiant shards:
Heals all allies to 100%
Stuns and silences all enemies
Regenerates all spent mana and AP
I tested the crystal armor a bit and found that I could switch between it being visible and non-visible. Either way, I got the full buff, but the armor was a bit much. The armor looked like I was a king ready to ride into combat or a tyrant about to mess up your day. It was also a bit less shiny than I thought it would be.
[Like This]
I didn't test out the crystal form as it didn't want to explode all over the place, and I didn't want to waste the one use per day I have. I did try the teleport ability and found it cost no mana, was completely silent, and technically, I could do so past barriers and walls. It was also very liberal with what was classified as an enemy. I could teleport behind Hancock, but I couldn't do so behind MacCready, Cait, or any other companion. Overall, I was very satisfied with my pick. The next perk choice was really hard to decide on, as several of the perks were just ridiculously scary.
One could let me plunge the entire planet into night for 10 minutes. Yes, you read that right, the ENTIRE planet, no matter which side you were on. And those classified as enemies/hostiles would suffer numerous debuffs ranging from fear to insanity. Another perk allowed me to manipulate time by a few seconds in either direction. Another could make me invulnerable and cast any spell for 30 seconds. Then there was one that could curse someone permanently to have 30% less health. This could apply to anything or anyone. Another allowed me to revive the dead. Not necromancy but true resurrection. Those were just some of the standouts, but in the end, I chose one that wasn't all that flashy but gave me a lot of utility.
The Hive King
"You've learned to lead not through fear but connection. The Hive still answers your call. But now, they follow out of loyalty."
Effect:
Gain 4 elite changeling companions: each has a unique combat specialization (sniper, assassin, medic, mage, warrior, heavy, etc.) (User chooses what type when summoned.)
You and your summons gain passive awareness of all enemies within 100m, even through walls, barriers, and obstacles.
+100% stealth detection reduction for you and your allies.
When a faction member disguises themself as someone or something else, they instantly gain information on how they should act to make the disguise more realistic.
Once per week, you can summon 1 normal changeling.
Once per day – Metamorphic Ascension
All changelings transform into mythical beasts (griffon, manticore, dragon, etc) for 60 seconds and gain the full benefits of the creature with no drawbacks.
Their attacks now cause elemental damage (fire, acid, psychic, etc) and knockback.
Now, a valid question would be why I chose this over being able to use the other, far more powerful options. There were several reasons. The first was that it improved what I was already good at and buffed all my allies as well. That 100% stealth detection reduction makes my allies far more capable of gathering info, avoiding conflict, taking out targets, and staying alive. And the term allies is a bit generous, like the term enemy. It was based on who was an actual ally. Like they had to be an actual supporter and not just a fair-weather friend. I could also influence this a bit by perceiving some people as non-allies even if they might be one.
The buff to my disguise abilities also helped greatly, as now I could infiltrate just about anywhere without being caught. As for why I say me and not a faction member, well, that is because I am a member of my faction, after all, I am the leader of it. The info I gained from the transformation could be kept. So, say I transformed into the former Assistant CEO of Vault-Tec, Giles Wolstencroft, then I would gain some pieces of info he knew while alive. Now it wouldn't allow me to know everything they know, but it would give me enough basic info to pass any scrutiny.
The next reason was the ability to summon Changelings. The fact was that they were the perfect spies and agents. The elite summons would give me a highly effective elite squad that I could send on missions I couldn't do. The fact was, I couldn't be everywhere, and sometimes I needed things done that interfered with other obligations I had. Another advantage they gave was that it gave me a stable source of magic users. Every Changeling is capable of using magic. That can't be said for Humans. They are, by and large, really weak in the mana department. Oh, and the Metamorphic Ascension power? Yeah, it affects all Chagelings. Not just my elite summons. So if I eventually get a hundred Changelings? All of them can be turned into mythical beasts with crazy damage output. With no cost to me or them.
It was a very close call for what I would pick. The next runner-up was a really useful perk, as it also gave many buffs to me and my allies. It was also the one that allowed true resurrection. But in the end, I chose Hive King. Now all that was left was to go back home and open some presents. That and deciding what the elite summons would specialize in. But I had an idea about what they would be.
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Author's Note:
A very long chapter compared to my usual chapters, but I couldn't find a good place to stop until now. In case you are curious, yes, I have a list of ascension perks that I could use. It took a lot of thinking to come up with them, and I had to try to make them balanced somewhat. In the end, I think I made them fit well enough into the story. I will be posting an Auxiliary Chapter soon with Rio's full character sheet. This will include things like equipment, perks, stats, skills, level, resistances, spells, faction size, allies, companions, and maybe some other things. Not sure what day I will release it, but at least this week. Also, in case I forget, the image was made by QuynzeL on Deviantart. Also, in case I forget, the armor doesn't look exactly like that; the helmet is a crown instead. But it does come with a cape. (Sorry, Enda) Until next time, Ciao.