The Star Prince's corpse cast long shadows across the midnight black plateau, its massive form a testament to their hardest battle yet. Colt couldn’t celebrate yet, not with the tension cracking between Nick and Nate. Any moment might see them explode into violence. Although Nick refused to even look at Nate—Colt moved on to do the job that needed to be done.

  Colt needed every minute of the hour they had to process the evolution waiting on his status screen.

  Nearby, the exit portal's soft glow beckoned, promising escape, but first things first.

  Taking a deep breath, Colt opened his status sheet.

  ———

  Name: Colt King | Race: Basic Human

  Icon: Nike | Class: Edict Carver (III)

  (PLEASE ENTER CLASS INFORMATION SCREEN FOR EVOLUTION)

  Faction: New Nashville

  Level: 51

  Edicts:

  Cut (Greater)

  Movement (Minor)

  Skills:

  *Inspect* (Intermediate) - Level 17

  *Knives/Daggers Proficiency* (Intermediate) - Level 17

  *Meditate* (Intermediate) - Level 13

  *Phantom’s Gambit* (Intermediate) - Level 10

  *Soul And Mind Fortitude* (Intermediate) - Level 13

  Olympic Mandate (Basic) - Level 9

  Swords Proficiency (Basic) - Level 6

  Hide Status (Basic) - Level 6

  Stats:

  Strength: 24

  Endurance: 46

  Dexterity: 100

  Intelligence: 10

  Willpower: 15

  Soul: 124

  Unassigned Stat Points: 6

  ———

  The gains from the fight and dungeon were very respectable all around, as Colt reviewed his overall levels and skills—his Edicts were the shining gems of his build, but the stat distribution looked alright to him. Soul… Dexterity… Endurance. First, he would spend six stat points, and then he'd look at the class screen and determine what happened next.

  Colt spent five of the points on Soul. Then he hesitated. He eyed Intelligence.

  Sure, he'd heard what Julia and Nick had to say about that stat, that it didn't 'raise intelligence' in a practical way. But… Well. Fifty-one levels and prioritizing raw power had brought him this far. What was one point in intelligence? Surely he could afford it now.

  Colt chucked a point into the stat and looked around. Despite what Julia and Nick claimed about intelligence not affecting practical thinking, he'd hoped for... something. A sharper mind? Better memory? But there was nothing tangible - just the faintest sense his recall might be clearer. Then again, meditation helped with that too since hitting intermediate.

  His gaze drifted to Nick, who was still opening and closing his fist with barely contained fury. Right. Focus.

  Maybe if he had a magic skill to utilize—he used his Edict, wrapping a cut around his finger… Then nothing; it didn't make it easier to wield the law. Not that he expected it to. Supposedly, it also added a bit more to your mana supply, but since he didn't even have mana unlocked…

  Yeah, so maybe Intelligence was most useful for spellcasters. Colt clicked his tongue, happy to at least run the experiment and confirm the results. Nothing to regret. He still wanted to test Willpower—even Nick and Julia seemed to have a weak grasp on what that stat did other than 'make it easier to use mana.'

  Nick… His eye’s traced over to the man to make sure both he and Nate were still in place. The archer was opening and closing a fist with a scowl.

  Colt let out a soft sigh. He didn’t need either of them to be happy; they just needed to sit put for a moment. Alright then, back to business.

  Ultimately, he had to commit to the build he was already pursuing, barring any sudden revelations. It was far better to specialize and get extremely good at something than to waste too much time on side paths. For now, he was content.

  Colt continued onto the class screen.

  ———

  Edict Carver (II) has advanced to Edict Carver (III)

  At this rank of Edict Carver, you’ve taken yet another valuable step along the route of this class. You’ve seen the power of Edicts and maintained a mentality that allowed you to best utilize them, carving their laws onto the very fabric of reality itself.

  Please see the details below:

  Class Perks:

  —

  Advancement:

  Soul Etched (Basic) has advanced to Soul Etched (Intermediate)

  Your Soul has deepened their pathways to allow the conduction of Edicts to channel through, widening your capacity to wield and withstand higher-level Edicts.

  Increased Soul Capacity: 20%

  —

  Gained Perk:

  Law Breaker (Basic)

  Your experience in wielding Edicts against other Edicts has granted you insight into their weaknesses. Your Edicts are 5% more effective at contesting opposing Edicts of equal or lesser rank.

  ———

  Colt let out an involuntary whistle despite the tension, earning a glare from Sarah as he read over the growth to his Perks—that alone made him feel giddy and warm. It was a two-for-one. Not only was Soul Etched now basically doubled in effectiveness, but he had a shiny new perk to accompany it.

  Law Breaker—five percent wasn’t… Well, it wasn’t a lot, but paired with the fact he just saw Soul Etched advance as well…

  Given a few more class levels? Getting up to something like 25% or so? That was game-changing. Every monster with an Edict loved to slow down his knife work by contesting his Edicts with their own. Considering Cut was very naturally effective at slicing through them by its nature, this was like adding oil to a well-working machine.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A welcome boost.

  Colt appreciated the information and upgrade in silence, then moved on to the next part.

  ———

  Possible Skills:

  —

  Skill: Soul Knife Manifestation [Uncommon]

  Description: Never be without a knife. This skill allows the conjuration of a knife from the soul, whose strength and cutting power advance with the use of this skill. The knife can be shaped and manipulated with later advancements in this skill. Further advancement can result in the manifestation of multiple Soul Knifes.

  —

  Skill: Edict Sight [Rare]

  Have you ever wanted to see your Edicts? This skill allows visual perception of Edicts being actively used in the environment. The basic level provides a general sense of type and power.

  —

  Skill: Thread Weaver [Rare]

  You’ve been busy mixing and matching Edicts, which is fundamental to any young entrepreneurial Edict Carver. This skill allows the user to weave multiple Edicts simultaneously with reduced strain; of course, this depends on the Strength of the Edicts in question and your overall advancement of them. But you’ll see a noticeable reduction in friction as you’ll be able to weave the laws with more harmony. At basic levels, maintaining two Edicts becomes slightly more manageable.

  ———

  Colt reread all the possible skills thrice, tapping his chin with a finger as he considered the possibilities.

  To start with, the knife skill was timely, and its reappearance was interesting. His knife was gone, and while he initially scoffed at the idea of taking a skill that did what a free item had done during his first evolution, now that he'd broken a knife, things were a bit different… Yeah, it sucked not to have a weapon, and he didn't know when or how he might find just as good of a weapon. This skill would scale, and if it broke, then he wouldn't run into the same issue he just did.

  Colt shook his head at his former self for being so dismissive of the skill, then his current self ultimately dismissed it too.

  It solved a problem he could resolve without using his valuable potential new skill slot. He needed something which offered new options or enhanced his current build. The best solution to the weapon problem was to find a better one.

  Noticeably, while the knife skill was still present, Carve was no longer there. Not that he would have picked it, but the fact that he might not be offered certain skills ever again, for all he knew, was a concerning thought and required some planning around. So while a skill could reappear, he should make his decisions as if it would never appear again, just in case.

  That left the last two skills. Both of them were good. Too good.

  While he could get a general feel of Edicts with his massive bloated soul and its perception, having a dedicated skill that could level up and probably tell him more and more information about the Edicts at play on a battlefield was incredibly valuable. More information was a tool to win, and this would offer strategic and valuable intel in spades. And that was only if he focused its use on live fights. Out of combat, being able to see Edicts was valuable—it might let him grasp and understand new Edicts much more easily.

  If it weren't for Thread Weaver, he would pick Edict Sight. And pick it up straightaway.

  The issue was… Thread Weaver was also really awesome. Right now fusing together Cut and Movement was okay, and tackling both at the same time exerted a heavy toll. But it was his greatest weapon by far; the two made a sum greater than their parts.

  What if he added a third Edict to the mix? Or a fourth?

  And yes, he knew there would be a third and a fourth in the future—even his current Icon quest for Nike was offering one. Trying to add that was an open question, especially since this Thread Weaver skill existed to smooth the friction. What options would a skill like this unlock?

  Colt sat thinking for quite some time. Then he made his choice.

  ———

  You have gained Skill: Thread Weaver [Rare] (Basic)

  *Thread Weaver* (Basic) - Level 1

  ———

  Colt sucked in his breath as he felt his new skill—right now, given the state of his body after the fight, he didn't want to pull out his Edicts willy-nilly, but inherently, he felt the way they reacted under his Soul was a bit easier.

  Before, he felt that he had in a way forced them together. Now, they would talk and work better with less friction. But there was more to it than that. Certain Edicts had synergies with one another; on a fundamental level, they could find common ground.

  Cut and Movement were naturally compatible, like siblings in the way they got along. But this skill promised more—the ability to weave even opposing forces into harmony. Like a Fire Edict or a Water Edict, or... Colt's gaze drifted to his companions again. Well. Some forces went beyond this skill’s ability.

  For two more in-sync Edicts? Such harmony would be even more pronounced. The description didn't do it justice. He had a much better idea now of how to weave the threads into a whole than before. And that was at just a basic level.

  His new class perk, too… All of it meant it was easier to poke at Movement now.

  A bright sensation of joy warmed Colt's core as he lightly ran over his grasp of the Edict. Soon, he could reach for the next step along its path.

  As for the skill he didn't get, Colt had some ideas. He already felt Edicts with his oversized soul—maybe there was a way to hone that? At least, he promised himself he'd try his best to either refine that sense or, if he was lucky, find a way to get it on his own.

  Colt's fingers ran through his hair, the coarse black strands a welcome sensation and a return to reality as he once more refocused his attention from inward to the outward world.

  Before him was the glowing portal of a dungeon exit; next to him was the corpse of the mighty boss they had just killed—and all around him was the midnight black shining rock that made up this boss arena. Nick and Nate still hadn't broken out into their fight, and though he'd lost track of time thinking about his options, Colt figured he had about half an hour until the duel.

  So what now?

  Loot.

  Colt went over to the prince's body and began to poke through it. The hammer was an obvious item, though it was also a rare one called the Starsteel Hammer. It was massive and unwieldy, too big for Nate to carry around or even for any of them to drag out of this dungeon, so it was effectively useless for their group.

  He checked near the throne too, and even amongst the skeletons and corpses, he didn't spot any other worthwhile loot. There was a basic dagger… He grabbed it, considering his spectral blade was now gone from the world; he felt his Soul's grip on the weapon fading as whatever magic had worked on that piece of metal began to vanish.

  He was thankful not to find any fresh human corpses. This meant that the people who had come in before them might still be alive somewhere in the massive forest. All he could do was hope they made their way up here now that the dungeon was cleared.

  There, however, was something that called to him—the barest trace of an Edict, faint in the air yet buried in the Prince's body…

  Yeah, Colt realized he'd have to cut open a human giant to follow that informational thread.

  Carving through the titan of a dinosaur was one thing—a bigger human was…

  Ah, who was he kidding? Colt grabbed onto his Edict and began to chop through the body of the Star Prince, defacing the once great and mighty warrior who could've probably decimated a small army.

  Power was power.

  Colt weaved his Edict around the borrowed dagger and slid it deep, meeting resistance with every inch of flesh in this titan of a man. With surgical precision, he worked, watching blood clots and tar from the body as he slid through veins.

  He followed the whisper of an Edict in the prince’s chest, letting it guide him through the wetwork of cutting a cadaver.

  Its whisper grew louder as he got closer, snapping ribs to get at the treasure beneath. When he revealed the insides, his knife almost dropped in shock.

  There, nestled in the chest, was a heart bigger than his heart. Beating. Still hammering away inside of this dead body. Colt cut the veins and yanked it free from the chest—feeling the beats of the heart shake his arm like a living chunk of machinery

  ———

  Skysteel Prince’s Heart [Rare]

  Description: Once belonging to a great and dreaded prince, this heart has been reworked countless times with an Edict to form an incredibly dense and Edict-channeling metal. This can be used in multiple ways—perhaps you wish to absorb the knowledge of the Edict, which made it what it is… Or, maybe you want to make use of the metal and a smith and reforge it into a useful tool with its hard-earned properties since it makes for a prime material.

  Either way, until then, you get to keep a creepy beating steel heart on you. Congratulations.

  ———

  Colt let it give a couple more creepy beats before heading back over to his backpack and stuffing the item away where he could forget about the weird existential reality of a dead heart beating forever.

  He knew what he wanted from it. A knife. Yeah, a knife for sure. Whatever Edict this thing was made with didn't feel very compatible with his own arsenal. At least, not something he wanted to go out of his way to obtain yet. The way it felt was that a Soul could command only so many Edicts until it grew. Each one took up space; Edicts too radically different from one another just made a clunky and awkward soul. At least, that's what he thought.

  Cerberus and the way that dog had chained Edicts together still confused him. And maybe, in that case, it was the idea of an Icon smoothing the path.

  There were still bits Colt didn't understand, but he went with his gut instinct. He wanted a knife.

  But then, maybe Nate could use this… And who would even be able to make him a knife with it, even if the soldier didn't try to lay claim to it? They'd let him keep the piece of rock, but this was another piece of loot.

  Oh well. Problems to consider later.

  Colt wiped his hands on the Prince's clothes, cleaned the blood off, and looked back to Nate and Nick. The two men were standing and facing each other.

  Oh. Shit. It'd been an hour.