Chapter 10 - Class Advancement_I Died on The First Day of the Tutorial

Verity fell down, he was sapped of strength. Once he heard the system’s voice speak in his head, the resolve which had been keeping him standing until now dissolved. They had done it, all the orcs were dead. The lone man in the long robe must have taken care of the two orcs who went for him, while the rest of the participants surely killed the remaining orc.

It was now okay to rest. Now, Verity was allowed to lay on his back and look at the sky.

‘It… never looked this hard in the webtoons…’

This trial had been vastly different from what Verity had hoped when he entered the colosseum. Many had died, so many that Verity could not remember them all. His muscles were screaming and the strain his mind had been put under left him with a terrible headache. If this wasn’t enough, the system still disturbed its thoughts. It had a lot to say this time.

[You have reached a milestone.]

[You have met the conditions for your first class advancement.]

[You have unlocked the stats window.]

[You have unlocked the inventory feature.]

[You have unlocked the tutorial shop function.]

[...]

‘Will you just shut up and leave me be for a second…’

Felicia was lying down next to him, her breaths ragged but steady. “So you ended up trusting me in the end, huh?.” She said, her tone a mix of exhaustion and amusement

Verity scoffed. “Yeah. Good thing both you and I weren’t wrong about the skill.”

“You would be dead if we were. The orc would have cut through you like butter.”

She tried to motion with her arm, but winced when it refused to cooperate.

“I’m also alive thanks to you.” Verity turned his head to Felicia. “Did you practice the sword before this?”

“Nope.” She admitted. “Never even seen one outside of movies.”

He sighed. “...You’re insane.”

“Am I?”

Both chuckled. It was all so ridiculous. They had just fought and survived against orcs and goblins, creatures that only appeared in fantasy books. They wielded swords, some bows, and they used superpowers to vanquish their foes. If someone had told Felicia that she would one day live through this, she would have called them crazy. Who would believe them when they returned?

If they returned.

A voice echoed from the sky, smooth yet taunting. “I’m impressed by your performance! Out of the three hundred people who were brought here, only fifteen remain. Congratulations!”

It was the imp. It had returned. “Without further ado, I’ll allocate the rewards for this trial!” It said as it snapped its fingers.

[A mystery box has been placed in your inventory.]

“Before we move on to the tutorial’s next trial, I’ll briefly explain the class advancement process!” two windows opened before Verity, glowing faintly.

“In front of you, a number of system windows should have appeared, each bearing the name of a class. The system has labelled one of them as having the greatest affinity with your current set of abilities, but you are free to choose any path.”

The imp’s smile widened. “Before you make a decision, allow me to warn you. Once a class is chosen, while it can evolve, it can never be changed. This means that a warrior may evolve into a paladin, but the warrior will never be a priest.” It covered the grin on its mouth with its clawed hand. “That’s why I suggest you make the right choice my dear challengers, lest you want the wrong decisions to haunt you for the rest of your life! Now, please make your choices so we can proceed.”

Felicia’s eyes narrowed at the imp’s sinister tone. “Why is it making it sound like we’re signing a contract with the devil?”

“...Maybe we are.” Verity said as he intently analyzed the three options before him.

Warrior :

The warrior is a close quarter combatant who can use an array of weapons, from the sword to the axe. They use their sturdy bodies to dominate the frontline, putting everything on the line for victory. While their mastery with any weapon may fall short of that of any specialist, their versatility allows for a highly flexible battle style.

Preferred stats : Strength, Dexterity, Stamina.

Strategist (Greatest affinity):

The strategist’s keen mind provides them with a bird’s eye view over the entire battlefield. While this is not a combatant class, their presence in battle is invaluable. From tactical enhancements to terrain manipulation, the strategist controls the flow of battle like a puppeteer.

Preferred stats: Intelligence, Mana, Speed.

Verity read the descriptions, and though they were vague, he had a good idea of what each class represented. The warrior was a straightforward combatant class where he would need to stand as the frontline and put his body on the line. It didn’t seem like a bad choice. The strategist, however, spoke to him more. Its use seemed more situational, but Verity felt that in the right hands, and accompanied by the right teammates, it could be a class that really made the difference between victory and defeat.

But were his hands, the ‘right’ hands?

Beside him, Felicia’s voice broke through his thoughts. “So, what are you picking?” She asked.

Verity frowned. “I’m not sure yet.”

Her lips curled into a smile, though just that simple movement was painful. “Just don't pick something useless. My muscles still ache from protecting you.”

Verity glanced at her and simply rolled his eyes. He knew she was joking, but he was no good at banter.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I already picked the swordsman class. It’s got the greatest affinity and I even have the ‘Sword Genius’ trait. It wouldn’t make sense not to pick it.”

Verity’s eyes widened and he blinked a few times. “Sword genius? Makes sense...”

He was in awe at her decisiveness, and he had to admit that she was right. After what she had shown, she would have been a fool not to pick the swordsman class, and it also confirmed that they did not all have the same options. He then looked to Marco to ask him, but remembered that he had been slammed into the ground. He was still breathing, but was unconscious.

‘Should i try to wake him up…?’

The imp’s voice resonated once more. “Ah, I almost forgot.”

The imp snapped its fingers again, and Verity felt a foreign energy enter his body. His wounds healed, his fatigue dissipated, and he felt more energized than he ever had before. Filled with the same energy, Marco promptly woke up.

“I don’t like repeating myself, so for those who have just awoken. Choose a class, but be careful to pick the right one because there are no do-overs. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” The imp said before disappearing.

Marco’s confusion was clear when he stood up. His body was in perfect condition, but he was disoriented and his memory was hazy. Because of that, he had not even been able to pay attention to the imp’s words. “Did we beat the orcs!?” he asked, agitated.

Their bodies now healed, both Verity and Felicia stood up as well.

“What a neat trick! I feel even better than before!” Felicia said with excitement, swinging the hilt of her broken sword around.

Verity looked at his body, where wounds had stood before. “What can’t it do? I feel amazing..” He said.

Marco felt that he was being ignored. “G-guys? Did we win?”

Felicia jumped when she heard him this time. She had completely forgotten about him. “Ah! Sorry! Yes, we did!”

Marco let out a sigh of relief. “Good, good. Now, what’s this class thing the monster talked about?” He asked.

Verity was the one to answer this time. “In front of you, there should be a few windows with classes. You’re supposed to pick one that will be with you forever.”

Marco looked in front of him where he saw two windows opened. “A class huh? So it really is like a game… What are you guys picking?”

Verity shrugged. “Well, Felicia picked the swordsman class, and as for me, I’m still not sure….”

Marco stroked his chin and started seriously considering the class he should take as well. “Hmm..”

Now that his comrade was up to speed, Verity could focus on making a choice. The classes before him both seemed good in their own right, but he simply could not make up his mind. This was a choice that he could not go back on, after all.

Reading the descriptions of the two classes over and over, he really wished he had discovered an unparalleled talent for something like Felicia had, then his choice might have been easier.

‘What a dilemma...’

Just as he thought that, Verity heard a voice in his mind.

[Your sponsor wants to suggest a class.]

‘...?’

He had completely forgotten there was such a thing, and just now remembered that he had never bothered to check the sponsor window ever since the start of the trial. Now that his sponsor was speaking to him, he thought it would be the perfect time to do so. Perhaps it would help him assess the credibility of her suggestion.

So, he focused on opening the sponsor window, and it appeared separately from the windows displaying the classes.

----------------------------------------

Sponsor: [-Error-]

Description : A being who [-Error-] who does not wish to identify herself has taken an interest in you and declared herself your sponsor, disregarding administrative norms. She is [-Error-] She is [-Error-] She is intently watching you.

Sponsorship Perks : [-Error-]

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‘That’s… weird, and it’s not helpful at all…’

If he had seen it when he was first summoned here, Verity might have jumped with joy, thinking that he was special. Now, however, though his wounds had been healed and his fatigue had been lifted, his mind was simply too tired for that. He was simply disappointed that he could not know more about his sponsor.

‘So… What’s the suggestion, miss sponsor?’ He thought.

[Your sponsor has gifted you a class.]

‘She can do that!?’

Verit was shocked, but even more than that, his expectations were now very high. His eyes widened, and a surge of excitement flowed through him. If there was a time to jump for joy, it would have been at that very moment. He could only imagine what a class gifted to him by this mysterious being could be. Was she going to give him something unique, and completely overpowered?

Despite his tired mind, Verity’s heart raced in anticipation.

Then, a new window detailing a class materialized itself before Verity. His eyes immediately darted to it and he intently read its description.

Fool :

You lack wit, strength, and charisma, but you aren’t without qualities. Where others see failure, a mysterious being sees promise. The Fool is a combatant who’s persistence is their greatest, and perhaps their only redeeming quality. They may be mocked, ridiculed, and tossed aside, but in battle, they are the first to rise and the last to fall. They prove to all that even a fool can turn the tide of fate.

Preferred stats : Stamina, Agility, Strength.

‘...This description totally just insulted me, didn’t it.’

This was a far cry from what Verity expected.