I think Paths and the screen pops up. Damn this is nice. I've had one hell of a day now and the fact that this one thing is simple is an absolute relief.

Paths can be completed using Aether Crystals (AC) which are gained primarily through leveling skills. You currently have 41 AC.

Paths: Path of the Beginner (0/3), Path of the Deprived Soul (0/50), Path of Humanity (0/?), Path of Reflex (0/100), Path of Retaliation (0/50), Path of Brutality (0/25), Path of Fear (24/100)

That's... quite a range of options. Humanity doesn't tell me how long it is so no thanks. I don't even know if I get anything from a path until it's complete or not. Also, I don't even know if this will actually do anything at all. I'm hesistant to waste points on the Beginner choice given that it seems like it'll be the worst, but it's only three points. And I already have 41. Granted, I almost died multiple times to get those but that seems par for the course now. I sincerely hope that changes, but if hope affected anything none of this ever would have happened in the first place.

Mentally clicking on the Path of the Beginner shows it change to (1/3).

Congratulations! You have earned 3 Health!

Well that is a damn sight better than nothing. It raises my HP from fourteen to seventeen and I feel... nothing. No change. Much better than my senses lighting on fire and my nerves going haywire that's for sure.

I put two more AC into the path and finish it off.

Congratulations! You have earned 3 Mana!

Congratulations! You have earned 3 Stamina! All Titans of the Universe have at least two things in common. First is their myriad immesurable powers. The second is humble beginnings. Most beings need a hand at the start and in that there is no shame.

Titans of the Universe, huh? Sounds pretty insane if I'm being honest. But hey, I can definitely use the help. Finishing the path leaves me with sixteen mana and eighteen stamina. A pretty big increase all things considered.

Hopefully the other paths are as good. With 38 points left I can only finish the Path of Brutality and as helpful as that seems like it would be, I'm not too psyched about unleashing the beast, so to speak. I've been able to control my anger issues thoughout most of my life but something about willingly walking that path puts me off. I want to complete the paths I got as a reward as well as the Path of Fear weirdly enough, however, I know I need to finish the Path of Brutality. This isn't the world I'm used to any more and my old attitude doesn't apply; at least not fully. I wonder if this is the same fear humanitys ancestors felt when up against wooly mammoths and sabretooth tigers and whatnot?

I finish the path and check my status.

I don't get a reward with every single point, but instead on every fifth.

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Strength!

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Physique!

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Endurance!

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Willpower!

The first instinct of most when confronted with death and the unknown is to flee or hide. While you may know the value inherent in these options and prefer them immensely, they are not your first instinct. Yours is the instinct of your anscestors honed over countless generations and millenia. While you may fear where this path takes you, remeber that it is the path that begat and ensured your race's existence. Dead men walk no Path.

You have earned the skill Savage Instincts®!

Savage Instincts®: Receive a boost to detecting hostile intentions. Receive a slight boost to your ability to detect and strike the weak points of your enemies while in hostile situations. Receive a slight boost to Perception, Reaction, and Strength while in life-threatening conflict.

My spine and muscles lock up and it feels like I've gotten a intense brain freeze. It ends quickly and I stumble but manage not to fall on my ass for once.

I feel amazing! I glance at my body and notice it looks moderately sturdier. I clench my fist and can hear the muscles and joints crack and pop. I can feel the difference. I'm more solid and I feel more alive than I ever have before.

This is so much better than the first path that I almost can't believe it. I pull up my status to confirm and I'm surprised when my screen comes up.

Health: 19/19 (+2/H)

Mana: 4/16 (+8/H)

Stamina: 12/24 (+8/m)

Physique: 3

Endurance: 4

Strength: 3

Willpower: 3

Aether Crystals: 14

Paths: Path of the Beginner (3/3), Path of Brutality (25/25)

I suppose it somehow senses if I only want to look at what's changed which is, again, really damn nice. I'm sure I can figure out how each of those stats affects my pools now but that can wait. I thought I'd be at thirteen AC but it looks like I gained one from unlocking the new skill.

The new skil that came with what seems like a warning. I feel like I made the right choice but at the same time it rings hollow. I don't know if I want to be the person I worry I'm going to need to become in this new, fucked existence. Sure, outsmarting and killing something which was going to kill me felt amazing. But that terrifies me down to my core. How long before I start looking at everything as a threat? As soon as I heard that... Stone Pangolin? come up the stairs I completely neglected the fact that it could have just been another scared human. Sure, I stopped long enough to see that it wasn't human but if I keep down this path I can't guarantee I won't make a mistake. And with the benefits of the new skill and the attitude I'll likely have to adopt I worry it won't be just a small mistake.

Ugh. I can fret more later. I don't know when (definitely not if at this point) more monsters will appear but I don't want to be staring off into space when they do.

I dump my fourteen points into Path of Reflex. Maybe the Path of Fear would be better since it seems like the breakthrough counted for double by partially filling out the path as well as awarding me the same number of AC... However, I earned a path by being the first at something. On the entire planet. That seems absolutely absurd but so does the fact that I literally would have died before even noticing the new messages and learning what was going on.

Whatever, I'm not going to question it any more.

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Perception!

Congratulations! You have earned 1 Reaction!

Huh, the same two I chose to improve firs-

I clench my jaw and twist my head around in a fit; I forgot again about the intensely uncomfortable sensation that comes with a stat increase. Except this time it is only moderately uncomfortable. Hopefully this will keep getting easier to bear.

Now that everything is out of the way it's time to get my stuff together and figure out how to make my way home without, you know, dying a painfully gruesome death.