Cliff - 7

One dead, another injured and on the verge of death, and the last, traumatized by the death of his friend.

It was not the first death that Gabriel had seen, nor was it the first he had orchestrated. But this felt more… personal. 

Those two, at the beginning, it felt like nothing, a mere stomach churning guilt. But this one, it felt more personal. Even if he could feel the hostility they felt for him.

It was still his fault for proposing this, rather than retreating and fighting another day. And so, as he watched, he could no longer stand still.

The smaller golems were gone, and to anyone else this would have been a disaster, as they would have had numbers and preparation.

But to him, to Gabriel, it was a blessing, as he knew their patterns better than anyone. It was easy to dodge as long as the signs were followed.

Yet that was the hard part, the signs. Gabriel, at this level, wouldn't be able to follow the movements of the golem.

It was why he did something that he was saving up for a while now, his extra points.

He dumped them all into dexterity, not worrying a bit about any other stat. As right now it was most important to gain the trait that came with it.

[Gabriel]

[4]

(300/1600)

[HP: 100]

[Mp: 600]

[strength: 1(6)] 

[dexterity: 13(21)]

[vitality: 1(1)]

[intelligence: 1(6)]

[SP: 0]

[Traits:]

[Mythical Trait: One who has traversed the void - a level beyond normal, beyond even extraordinary, a man who has conquered more than a single one should ever be capable of. I gift to thee a boon created with the last vestiges of my life. May it help you grow ever stronger, for the man who had killed me should bow to none, be lesser than none.]

[Rare Trait: Angelic Wings - gain the ability to fly and the beauty of an angel sculpted by a master sculptor. +1 str and int +2 dex for every level]

[Normal Trait: Blossoming - Your dexterity has passed the realm of humans and entered the realm of the supernatural.]

Traits go from normal, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and mythical. Normal traits were as they said, normal. And easy to get. But they were a starting point. While uncommon and rare traits were more, as they said, uncommon and rare.

But there was an infinite amount of them. As for epic and beyond, there was a limited amount of each of them in a given level of the tower.

Once a character had earned the trait it was theirs forever, or at least until they died. It was why those that gained those traits hid them and their conditions religiously. 

In the game, before it became reality, it was common for a character to die. But that was a given, yet Cyclical was different, as its name meant it was a cycle. 

As for every death, their character would truly die, and the player would be forced to start over.

It was why Gabriel knew this trait so intimately, it was because this was a trait he relied on for so long, each and every character that he created used this in order to procure the later epic trait that it would evolve into.

However the short-term effect of it was great too. As it said, it was a blossoming, it allowed the player to use their dexterity to an unheard of level.

Take for example a dexterity of one, say that for every one dexterity a player without blossoming would be able to run twenty feet in two seconds.

But for a player with Blossoming they would be able to run it in 1.5 seconds. A whole 50% increase in performance of their dexterity.

...

...

...

Gabriel opened his eyes, the world turned a different color in his eyes. The once dark nothingness, it was filled with light. Light that only he could see.

It showed patterns, paths, everything that he could ever need for this raid.

"One..."

He muttered, and with the countdown it began. The first breath after that was taken, and the second count told.

"Two..."

The second brought forth a focus, it suffused his body and called with it the golden glow in his wings. 

'Not yet' He thought, but then, the final word. A third count.

"Three..."

A grip, loosened against the rocks, slick with sweat. 

Then he fell, wings furled behind his back, all in an effort to keep the eminent glow away from prying eyes.

Blood flew through the air, a curling thing that changed forms with every moment. First a drop of blood, then coalesced into something more.

Seconds later, all as he fell from the roof, it was propelled through the air with a ferocity expected of the golem.

Only in the wrong direction. It was not curled to the roof, nor was it anywhere near the angel.

A smirk lit his face, all as he loudly connected with the ground. Yet it did no damage to him. At the last second he unfurled his wings and flapped as hard as the muscles within could.

It created a hurricane of wind that propelled him towards the golem.

But this did not go unnoticed.

A moment later and the curling drops of blood, transformed into needles, changed their course.

But that was not the end of his plan. Golden droplets of light met darkness. A flash so bright that it blinded any that looked.

This was his plan, blind the golem so that any attack that it made would be inaccurate.

Of course this would only last for a moment, not even that.

Gabriel smirked, that was all he needed.

And so, with every ounce of speed that he mustered from the gust of wind he dashed forward.

[-10]

[-11]

[-12]

Blood met flesh, an unholy mixture that tore of pieces of Gabriel. But they had not yet been weaponized, used for battle.

And it was in that moment of time, that Gabriel used, all in order to grasp the core in the center of fluid he took refuge in.