Chapter 123 - Choice Without Choice

Wain opened the skill improvement menu and saw several lines.

[You can develop the skill - Lightning Boots]

[You can develop the skill - Kinetic Shot]

[You can develop the skill - Plasma Destructions Sword]

'It's more than usual...' Mumbled Wain.

At this point, Wain could improve three skills. It was quite a lot. At that moment, however, Wain was faced with a dilemma. He had never had so many choices before.

He had to decide in which direction he would improve these skills. As always, Wain had only two options. He could improve either a skill's Rating or its Chronicle.

The main difference between these two options was the possible potential of the skill and the lack of availability of a certain choice. If Wain decided to improve the Chronicle skill, he would have no choice. The skill would evolve according to its line.

"Perhaps in the past, I would have improved the Rating of the skill once more, but now the situation is quite different. The monsters have grown stronger, as have I. To fight against the First Chronicle, I need skills of corresponding power." Wain muttered, looking at the improvement menu.

He decided that he would improve the Chronicle of each of these skills. It was the logical choice since, at the moment, Wain didn't have time to gradually improve the skill Rating to Heroic or Ascendant Rating. 

He had to maintain a certain pace to progress and remain one of the strongest.

If he had decided to improve Skill's Rating, he would have slowed down, and his pace would have been knocked down. The better potential in the future of the skill was not worth it. Of course, only in this case. He couldn't take a step back in progress for the sake of it, especially at a time like this. 

Wain nodded and made a decision accordingly. Then several messages appeared before him.

[You have used 15% of your Soul Essence. The Plasma Destruction Sword skill is ready for development. Choose one of two ways]

[You have used 20% of your Soul Essence. Kinetic Shot skill ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]

[You have used 25% of your Soul Essence. The Lightning Boots skill is ready to develop. Choose one of two ways]

'Not bad, I didn't spend that much Soul Essence. It looked like when I used Imp Leader's Soul, I got an incredible amount of Soul Essence. I'm doing the right thing to improve my Chronicle of skills. The monsters in First Chronicle are powerful.' Thought Wain.

The strength of First Chronicle monsters was one of the reasons why Wain decided to improve Chronicle skills, not their Rating. 

Of course, it was clear that First Chronicle monsters were much more powerful than Primary Chronicle monsters, but the situation was a little more complicated.

The average person who had already activated their Soul Altar and participated in some battles would have a much easier time killing a monster from their Chronicle than someone who had already evolved to kill a First Chronicle monster.

They would fight enemies from their Chronicle, but it would be much easier for one of them to win, all other things being equal.

This phenomenon had a rather complicated explanation with many small but crucial details. 

When the person first got his soul and began his journey, he had an extremely meager arsenal. In most cases, in the first days or even weeks after the beginning of the apocalypse, a person had only one ability at his disposal, which he received from his main soul.

Of course, some people, after a couple of days, had good equipment, rare additional soul, and unique skills, but such people were very few. 

The same was true for experience and mastery. These two parameters also influenced a person's overall strength and could be decisive.

However, when a person evolved and became a First Chronicle creature, he had a whole arsenal of equipment and abilities and rich experience in battles.

But, the same was true of monsters. They also became more experienced, resistant to various effects, and developed new skills. They also increased their arsenal, experience, and, most importantly, intelligence.

Anyone could kill a zombie, some knife, or even a brick. It was quite easy to do because zombies were weak, slow, and, most importantly, stupid enemies.

Moreover, most of the monsters in Primary Chronicle were pretty silly. Their intelligence is even lower than animals such as dogs or cats. Monsters mostly acted instinctively and reflexively, not by the will of reason.

An intelligent opponent was hard to fight. Sometimes, a cunning plan, a clever trick, or a trap could result in the weaker one defeating the stronger one.

"Well..." Mumbled Wain looking at the messages in front of him.

[You have decided to improve your Chronicle skill]

[You decided to improve Chroni...]

"What?" Wain muttered puzzled. To his surprise, he was not shown how the skills would be improved. This was another difference from the option to improve the Rating skill.

Wain couldn't see in advance how his skill would be developed since he had no choice. All he was shown was the necessary conditions to improve each skill.

[Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul or higher: 0/1]

[Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul or higher: 0/1]

[Required Rare Rating First Chronicle soul...]

The conditions were the same for each of the three skills. In Wain's opinion, they were not difficult. However, this was not entirely true. If he had wanted to improve the Chronicle of any of his skills before he evolved, it was unlikely he would have been able to do so.

Wain was not a self-righteous fool. He understood that if he had faced an opponent like Imp Leader before he evolved, he would most likely have died or suffered near-death wounds.

"It's like a hint that everything has to be done in time..." Mumbled Wain and closed the enhancement menu.. He figured he could easily find three First Chronicle souls in where he was headed.