Thorian's gaze sharpened as it rested on the last skill displayed on his stat panel: Waterball. Upon concentrating on it, the screen metamorphosed, providing detailed information on the selected skill.

Waterball Description You summon a watery orb and launch it at your enemies, drenching them and knocking them off balance. Proficiency 38.9%

It is a decent increase in proficiency, but at this pace, it is going to take a few more days before I can finally advance my class.

The requirements to progress his class to an Elemental Magus weighed heavy on his mind. Thorian's face twisted into a grimace at the thought. He had been engaged in relentless combat for the past three days, and he was still not halfway through. With his goal being the evolution from a kobloid to a kobold, the challenge felt increasingly monumental.

I also need to get more Arcane Coins to buy the last two skills.

Contemplating the Arcane Coins he required, Thorian's mind wandered to his pending quests. It had been several hours since his last status check on the monster-hunting quest. Given that he had obliterated entire tribes of monsters during that period, he deemed it high time to consult his quest journal.

Journal Cultivate your Qi for two hours Complete Gather 100 Wood Units Complete Clear one dungeon Daily Pact with the Wolven Guardians Unique Purification of Eärendil's Sanctuary Unique Revenge on the monsters (Partially complete) Rare

Milestones Rewards Kill (50/50 monsters) Level +1 Kill (100/100 monsters) Previous rewards and a class skill of your choosing Kill (250/250 monsters) Previous rewards and Level +2 Kill (479/500 monsters) Previous rewards and a purple cloud weapon specific to your chosen class

Surveying the tremendous progress he'd made with his quests, a wide grin spread across Thorian's face. Yet, just as he began to revel in the anticipation of claiming all the rewards from the 'Revenge on the Monsters' quest, he drew in a deep, steadying breath.

I need to stay calm. I shouldn't claim the rewards right away. The value of instant level-ups increases with each level, so it would be wise to wait.

Yet, as sound as this line of reasoning was, Thorian couldn't ignore the pull towards a different strategy. Gaining strength as rapidly as possible carried its own benefits, primarily the ability to take control of the situation and minimize potential mishaps. In the end, he realized he'd need to strike a balance between the two approaches.

I will wait until I reach the maximum proficiency in Waterball. If then I need to claim the quest rewards to buy the last two skills, I would do so.

As Thorian pondered over his next skill acquisition following Waterball, his choices were narrowed down to Wind Gust and Rock Bullet. The Wind spell would sync beautifully with his Fireball, but he was aware of his inability to cast the two spells swiftly enough to capitalize on this synergy. On the contrary, Rock Bullet clearly demonstrated offensive superiority. Unless the adversary deployed a defensive skill such as Rock Armor, it would penetrate the defenses of most regular monsters. This one-shot, one-kill type of ability would likely prove more valuable and easier to cultivate compared to the supportive Wind Gust skill.

But that’s after I finish training my Waterball skill. I need to focus on the present now.

From his position atop the wall, Thorian discerned the rhythmic sounds of marching brown kobloids emanating from the tree line. A band of sixteen furred creatures approached the eastern gate, their faces alight with excited smiles. Even those previously injured now moved with ease, their bodies showing no sign of any wounds.

"Has everyone received their classes?" Thorian inquired, leaping from the wall to land before the brown kobloid. A mixture of respect and fear filled the eyes of the kobloids as they turned towards him, their murmurs echoing words like "king" and "flame kobold".

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I guess they heard legends about flame kobolds in their world. Their reaction is understandable.

"Yes, they've all received their classes," affirmed the brown kobold, casting a glance over his comrades. "Eight have chosen the path of the warrior, two are magi, and five have become priests."

"Five priests – that's excellent news," Thorian acknowledged, his nod of approval palpable. He then shifted his gaze back to the brown kobold, querying, "How many have selected the healing skill?"

"Three of them have," the kobold returned. "The remaining two picked Radiance. I figured that having that skill could significantly help us on the battlefield. The increase in Strength and Constitution it offers can be very useful."

"Your foresight is commendable," Thorian replied, his smile glowing with pride. "While the healing skill is indeed beneficial outside of combat, Radiance can provide the edge needed to survive or even triumph over enemies who might have otherwise claimed your life."

His gaze swept over the fifteen kobloids assembled before him. A few stole glances in his direction while others stared unabashedly, whether out of curiosity about his species or reverence for his status, Thorian couldn't be certain.

They don’t have any assassins, but this is a good enough composition to guard the wall. I would have liked a few more magi for long-range warfare, but I guess that brown kobloids don’t have the best affinity to that class.

Noticing Thorian lost in thought, the brown kobold prodded him back to the present. "Should we assume our positions now and resume our duties?"

"Yes, but before that, there's one important task to be attended to," Thorian answered. "I need to bestow upon you a name."

"A name?" The kobold's brow furrowed in puzzlement before his face lit up. "Ah, like Nox has? Yes, please grant me a name."

Acknowledging his request with a nod, Thorian rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Your name shall be Lapis, a term that translates to 'stone' in the old language."

Surprise flickered across Lapis' face before giving way to a smile of gratitude. "Thank you, Thorian. You've been so generous to us, yet you didn’t ask for nothing in return."

"Don't mistake my intentions; it's far from a one-sided transaction," Thorian corrected, shaking his head. "You will repay me by safeguarding everyone in this village—those currently here, and those yet to arrive."

Upon hearing Thorian's words, Lapis placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly. "I would lay down my life for this cause."

"There will be no need for that," Thorian reassured him, his chuckle accompanied by a comforting pat on Lapis' shoulder. "Just concentrate on nurturing your troop's growth. I want them all to evolve into kobolds as swiftly as possible."

"You can count on me, Thorian," Lapis replied, his grin broad. "You'll be commanding the strongest army in this forest in no time."

Thorian smiled at Lapis' audacious promise but didn't comment. He simply bid him and the other kobloids goodbye and made his way towards the western gate.

Here, he found a scenario strikingly similar to the one he'd encountered at the eastern gate a few hours earlier. With the injured count at six, the trio of assassins couldn’t perform their patrolling duties and had to stay around. As he did with Lapis, Thorian accompanied the other brown kobold around the class guilds to identify the one that suited him best. Interestingly, despite being a brown kobold, he exhibited a high affinity for magic and thus chose the path of a Magus. Opting for efficiency in medium to large-scale battles, he chose Wind Gust over Rock Bullet.

Once the brown kobold had settled on his class and spell, Thorian did not immediately exchange places with his group, unlike what he had done at the eastern gate.

We're getting close to completing all the requirements for my stabilization plan. Once all of the kobloids receive their class, the village should be stable enough that I can afford to move out and search for dungeons to clear.

Thorian's grin widened at the thought, but feeling greed taking over his heart, he stopped his mind from derailing any further. I can't be hasty though. Rather than just guard the western gate on my own, it's better if Nox is there to help me. I can train my waterball spell exclusively while he does most of the work.

Understanding that he could strike two birds with one stone using this plan, Thorian changed his direction to the north side. Approaching the Northern gate, he could easily discern the results of the orcs' and Ventus's efforts. The section of forest encircling the village center had been almost halved. Even from a distance, the impact of Ventus's Gale Slashes was clear, each cast slicing through three or four trees and raising a billow of dust and dirt.

Looking at the fallen trees in the distance, Thorian’s thoughts drifted. I need to go and talk with Zogthar and the orcs. If they are to officially join our village, I cannot only give them the stick; they also need a carrot.

Nevertheless, relieving the western kobloids from their guard duty to allow them to acquire their classes and quests was a priority. Thus, Thorian chose to delay his conversation with the orcs. That would be the final step of his stabilization plan.

Heading towards the Northern gate, Thorian was greeted by the sounds of battle cries emanating from beyond the wall. The resonating impact of spells and the clash of steel, interspersed with the grim stench of death, created a vivid tableau of a typical apocalypse battlefield.

Ascending the watchtower stairs, he discovered Aqua, relentlessly casting spells at the enemy on the other side of the wall. His Triple Water Jet skill was being deployed with rapidity, each successful strike culminating in a small but potent explosion.

Other than Gale Slash, that should be the strongest long-range attack we currently have. Though I haven’t seen Saxum’s skills yet.

Observing Aqua's intense focus, Thorian felt a ripple of amusement. He found it hard to imagine many adversaries that could command such attention from the water kobold, especially given the support of the other evolved monsters.

A swift appraisal of the scene outside swiftly laid Thorian's skepticism to rest. The opponents his men were contending with were undoubtedly formidable enough to warrant such diligence.

The berserker kobolds were engaged in combat with a horde of Chaskas, while Nox and Forlune squared off against a pack of Tailmashers, with Aqua providing long-range support. The Tailmashers were commanded by a creature that towered above the rest, its furry body marked with streaks of purple and blue. Its claws crackled with sparks of lightning, while the three rocks at the end of its tails reverberated like thunderclaps each time they struck the ground.