POV Rio
By the time we were done resting, I got the news that Sanctuary was defended successfully and the Raider forces had been nearly all wiped out. The survivors retreated to Lexington, where Preston had authorized the activation of our Trap Card. It was one of the items on the list for clearing. This also meant I got an absolutely massive amount of experience, which leveled me up a few times. I also had quest rewards I needed to deal with, but first was leveling up. The experience was enough to get me to level 80 and halfway through it.
[Skills:
Cracking: 100
Barter: 100
Energy Guns: 1 ---> 100
Explosives: 100
Guns: 1 ---> 100
Magic: 100
Medicine: 100
Melee Weapons: 16 ---> 100
Science: 100
Sneak: 100
Survival: 100
Unarmed: 79 ---> 100
Points To Distribute: 97 ]
I had gotten more than enough points to max out all skills. But what really interested me was that the points kept getting added to a skill point bank of sorts. This was interesting as it meant there was a chance that skills could be either increased further or new skills could be unlocked later down the line. Or perhaps I could use these skill points to increase other stats. Admittedly, it was all speculation, but it was interesting nonetheless.
The maxed-out skills made me a master with all weapons, and I could now identify the capabilities of most weapons just by seeing them in action long enough. It also made my accuracy a nightmare for my enemies. Using any ranged weapon made it so my accuracy was somewhere around 99.99999%. It was exceedingly improbable that I would ever miss a shot. And if I somehow did, then my Luck may make that shot do something more beneficial for me. As for Melee and Unarmed Weapons, I could confidently say I could outperform even the best masters of their craft. It also had a very nice effect of making it so I could easily copy anyone's fighting style I see and incorporated it into my own.
Despite being very lethal at close ranges, I was equally, if not more deadly, at long ranges, so I would prefer to use ranged weapons to eliminate my enemies, but if they somehow closed the gap, I would be far from helpless.
The next thing to do was distribute the Perk Points. I had already put a point into Titan's Mercy. The other perks were as follows.
Tidebreaker's Will
You reign beneath the waves and above them. Your rule is steady, regal, and unshaken, like the ocean itself.
Rank 1: Gain +30% resistance to elemental damage (ice, water, shock).
Rank 2 (Level 16): You can now Flowshift, granting temporary waterform movement (can pass through narrow gaps, flow across water surfaces).
Rank 3 (Level 30): Allies near water regenerate AP 25% faster and deal +15% damage.
Rank 4 (Level 44): Once per day, activate Sovereign Tsunami: call forth a tidal surge that knocks back enemies, washes away debuffs, and doubles spell casting speed for 15 seconds. (Effect increases near a large source of water) (X)
Draconic Presence
You don't just command dragons, you are the dragon who proved might doesn't require cruelty.
Rank 1 (Level 33): Do 25% more fire damage and gain +10% intimidation chance.
Rank 2 (Level 44): When issuing commands to allies, their actions are 2x faster and more accurate.
Rank 3 (Level 55): You are immune to high temperatures. (Includes Fire, Plasma, and Lava/Magma.)
Rank 4 (Level 66): You are now permanent allies with reptilian and dragon-based species. (X)
The White Wolf
You got that Dog in you. You're a patient, razor-clawed apex predator with unresolved issues and a knack for tracking.
Rank 1: You can now track enemies through walls once they've been spotted. You gain +30% movement speed when not in combat.
Rank 2 (Level 52): Enemies who lose sight of you take +20% damage from your next attack. Attacking from stealth causes a guaranteed critical hit if you haven't been detected.
Rank 3 (Level 63): You are now the perfect tracker. You can now activate Hunting Mode, which allows you to see the trails left by others and easily identify what made them. It also allows you to track scent trails and find hidden objects. (Increases Perception Stat by 3 times when in use, but the boost doesn't work in Combat)
Rank 4 (Level 74): Once per day, activate Wolf Mode: Time slows, you gain quadruple jump distance, and silent movement. Every kill increases the duration of the ability by 2 seconds. (X)
Order Above All
You are the rule. The seal. The system itself. Only those worthy pass your test.
Rank 1: Gain +15% resistance to damage from non-pony enemies.
Rank 2 (Level 16): You resist 50% damage from shadow or corruption-based attacks.
Rank 3 (Level 30): Speech checks involving logic, reason, or law are 30% easier.
Rank 4 (Level 42): Once per day, activate I AM LAW: automatically pass one Charisma, Barter, or Bluff check regardless of difficulty or odds. (X)
Tear Reality
You see more than mortals do, and your magic reaches beyond the veil.
Rank 1 (Level 24): Portal and teleport spells cost 50% less mana.
Rank 2 (Level 36): Casting a spell through a portal now duplicates its effect at both entry and exit points.
Rank 3 (Level 42): Deal +50% damage to enemies afflicted with magic vulnerabilities.
Rank 4 (Level 50): You can now add meta magic effects to spells. (X)
Dreamwarden
You walk the dreams of others and the nightmares of your enemies.
Rank 1: You deal +25% damage while enemies are asleep, stunned, or hallucinating. (Includes drug-based hallucinations)
Rank 2 (Level 52): Gain Dreamstride: Enter stealth instantly and teleport to any sleeping or downed enemy for a finishing move.
Rank 3 (Level 56): Your critical hits can now trap a person in a nightmare unless they resist the effect.
Rank 4 (Level 60): Once per day, activate Nightmare Sovereign: For 25 seconds, you enter the dream realm — enemies slow, lose senses, and see illusions. You become ethereal, deal bonus damage, and can pass through obstacles. (X)
The perk choices were quite good. The first perk was Tidebreaker's Will. The elemental resistance was a great start, but the real prize was given at rank 2. Flowshift was incredibly powerful. It not only made it incredibly easy to infiltrate places, but when active, it made me highly resistant to certain kinds of damage. I couldn't attack in that form, but being able to turn into water for a second was great. The only downside is that it wasn't usable in combat due to the activation and deactivation time. The buff to allies near water was nice, but nothing groundbreaking. The Sovereign Tsunami was quite useful for me. It would make clearing out Libertalia much easier, as it keeps increasing in power the more water that is present. So using it while I was on or in the Ocean would create a devastating effect.
The next perk chosen was Draconic Presence. Its first perk effect was not that impressive, but it was fine. The second rank was pretty great; it applied to anyone classified as an ally, and the only downside was that it needed to be an order from me. The third rank was the main reason I chose this perk. Immunities were always a great asset. I tested the perk a bit and did find that it didn't mean that Plasma weapons were ineffective against me; it just meant they were almost useless. Most of a Plasma weapon's damage is caused by heat, so without that, the only damage would be from the physical impact the projectile does. Which isn't much. The last rank was interesting as I wasn't fully sure what it classified as reptilian and dragon-based species. But regardless, it was another boost for me.
The next perk was The White Wolf. It was chosen because of the utility it gave me. Being able to track enemies or targets was an incredibly great skill. The Survival skill does provide this in some regards, but the difference is like that between the Moon and Earth. Sure, they are both planetoids, but they are vastly different in scope. The first rank was nice as it gave me the ability to see through walls without using my Hoshigan. And of course, another speed boost is nice. The second rank was fine, nothing to write home about. The third rank, however, was basically the Witcher Sense from the Witcher Series. Except much stronger thanks to that Perception boost. I could find even the faintest of trails and determine what made them. I can confidently say I am the best tracker on Earth. The last rank was... interesting. I basically gave myself the Werewolf form from Skyrim, except without the fur and a decent amount stronger. It wasn't a form so much as an ability. A good one, but we will have to see how good.
The next perk was Order Above All. It was a pretty decent perk. I mostly took it for the first rank. While 15% isn't much, the fact that it applies to basically everything was great. I mean, what are the odds I run into an enemy that is both strong and a Pony? The second rank was better than I expected. It applied to Feral Ghouls and technically anything corrupted by Dark Magic or the like. So, Feral were no longer a threat, as I take so little damage from them, it's kind of sad. The third rank was meh. May use it at some point, who knows. The last rank, however, was a bit different. I figured it was a great life-saving skill. I could theoretically use it to get out of fights, convince others to back down, or get something for free. The possibilities were nearly limitless.
The fifth perk I chose was Tear Reality. I mostly chose it as I saw the need for Teleportation spells. A teleportation spell is very mana-intensive. There is a reason so few learn it. It is very much an Expert-level or even Master-level spell. So the first rank, giving a massive discount, was very welcome. I didn't see myself using the second rank's abilities. It was just too niche. It did give me some insights into portal magic, but still too niche. Portal magic was even harder than teleportation. Rank 3 was okay; it would work well on some beings and others not so much. But the 4th rank was really good. Metamagic was insanely useful, and while it increased the cost, it was more than worth it.
(AN: Metamagic, for those of you who don't know it, allows the user to add additional effects to a spell. For instance, one could use a Triplet Metamagic to cast a spell with 3 times the effect at once, with increased cost, of course, but it saves the user time. You could also cast a Delay Metamagic, allowing the spell to be cast at a delayed time. Or you could use Maximize Metamagic to increase the spell's effectiveness to its natural maximum. Like, if it did 50-60 damage, it would do the max base damage of 60. There are a lot of different effects, but hopefully this gives you an idea.)
The last perk I chose was Dreamwarden. The first rank was okay, but nothing game-breaking. It was nice that it affected those under hallucinogenic substances, but it was just a bit too niche. The second rank almost makes the first rank pointless. I could insta-kill any enemies as long as they are asleep. The range was also really good at 150 meters. It further allowed me to sense where sleeping people are within that radius. The third rank was pretty good, as it adds one more debuff, but most people won't survive a critical hit from me. So this would be most useful against tougher opponents, but they would also be more likely to resist the effects. The last rank, as usual, is great. The form is great as another highly resistant/immune form is another tool in my tool belt, but the real treasure is the fact that it provides a passive bonus that isn't specified in the description. I can now enter the Dream Realm whenever I want. It won't have the bonuses of the perk, and my physical body is left vulnerable while I do this, but I can do it nonetheless.
The reason I was so excited for this was that while someone can be a loyal and tight-lipped person in the waking world. In the Dream Realm, they become defenseless and trusting. Nobody thinks to defend themselves while they dream. At least not in this way. The amount of information I can learn is massive. As long as I train with it for a bit, I could become quite the menace.
After distributing the Perk and Skill Points, we started to get ready to leave.