Two more weeks passed, making this the first month they spent in Eve Glade, and around two months after arriving in Tarial through the tower.
Throughout this time, the town had a good time not being assailed by another monster horde, which usually came around at around a weekly basis. Also, the weeks were the same in the old world, with seven days and having the same amount of hours in a day.
But to the otherworlders, this felt like spending months or even years as they hurled themselves into their personal training. After learning about the possibility of classes, the two focused all of their hours into training.
For Mikella, it was to learn using Kinetic Perception. For Zeke, it was to gain the requirement for a specific class that could be beneficial for all of them.
It was early afternoon where the sun, or rather, the Studded Star, slowly dimmed down from its highest peak of light. Mikella was breathing heavily as she nestled into her damp cold towel courtesy of Val’s thoughtfulness.
It took her a long, long time–but she finally managed to earn her General Skil–on top of everything else.
> You have gained +1 STR from your actions.
>
> You have gained +2 DEX from your actions.
>
> You have gained +2 SPI from your actions.
>
> You have gained +1 VIT from your actions.
>
> You have gained +2 END from your actions.
…..
> General Skill learned: Kinetic Perception.
…..
> Kinetic Perception (Uncommon), Level 1
> You are able to perceive the kinetic power from the very core of your body. Increases your senses towards your body’s structure and control over your physical skills. Each of these will increase according to the level of the skill and the current Endurance stat.
…..
> Meditation Level Up! It is now Level 3.
>
> You have gained +1 INT from your skill.
…..
> Pain Resistance Level Up! It is now Level 3.
>
> You have gained +1 VIT from your skill.
> You have gained +1 END from your skill.
…..
> Acrobatics Level Up! It is now Level 3.
>
> You have gained +1 STR from your skill.
> You have gained +2 DEX from your skill.
With this in her disposal, her movements turned sharper, and her body felt lighter. She could even sense how someone else was using kinetic energy, but her level was vastly too low to tell how Val could use hers in such a way. And when she tried to do the same trick that Val did, it barely kicked up a dust instead of making a giant crater.
It was proof that her Endurance stat was too low to even consider doing any damage, and worse yet, doing that stunt nearly got her to be as sweaty and tired as she was now. It utterly drained her of all her stamina, the energy used for Kinetic Perception and even just to move around.
This was one of the flaws of overzealously using stamina in such a way. You could easily faint from exhaustion if you use too much of your stamina, which would be fatal during live combat. Still, she was surprised that throughout that training, she also managed to get some points into Spirit, but she imagined it had something to do with the will of a person rather than just the mana itself… or at least that’s what Val told her. She didn’t get it that much.
Entering into their new home, which is really just the place their hosts graciously let them live in, she breathed slowly as she took in the controlled cold air.
Which was odd when she first found out that this fantasy-like world has literal air-conditioning. She didn’t know how it worked, but considering it’s magic, anything’s possible, she guessed.
When she got in, realizing that Clara is still out with Vivian and Ana, she can at least bother her cohort and partner Zeke. He should still be at the study, somehow capable of reading so many books at once.
She can understand that he’s the bookish type, but even with all that Intelligence, how could he read more than dozens of books a day? She tried reading one single book and it was enough to drain all her motivation and put her right to sleep.
But even now, as she stepped through the study, Zeke was once again at his personal desk, flipping through page after page of another dense book that could be pretty useful for some weight training.
Then she realized he was also penning pretty hard at another paper while still reading the book, furiously scribbling letters on a parchment. His eyes flicked from left to right, only just glancing at his writings while still reading the book as meticulously as possible.
It was odd to see, though she can’t really say for herself that she hasn’t done anything odd these past two weeks. She did try to break the ground with her mind–in someway or another.
“Zeke,” Mikella called out, getting his attention. He stopped his mad scribing and looked over at her while she walked over to his side. “What’chu doing? Writing a book yourself?”
“Oh, no, I was just practicing my runes,” Zeke said nonchalantly, getting back to his scribbles and brushing the letters with his fingertips. Now that she saw it, her eyes furrowed tightly.
The letters made no sense whatsoever. At first, she thought it belonged to an asian language from their old world, but then there were swirls that clearly looked like hieroglyphics from an ancient past, and perhaps even some mythological letters were added in. All of them combined together to make some sort of cursed image of all the languages of the world come to life.
It nearly gave her a headache as she winced. “God, what are you writing? Alien language?”
“Technically, yes,” Zeke said, shrugging. She wanted to scowl at him for the bad pun. “But in a way, it really is out of this world. These are runes–at least my own interpretation of them.”
“The hell are runes?” Mikella asked, now puzzled.
“An ancient magical language that has more meanings than literally any language out there in the world–in this one and in our old world,” Zeke said, wonder in his voice as he looked back at the book–rather, at the dozens of books regarding the subject. “Cloud suggested I study them up to get a good skill out of these since I’m a mage specializing in Spirit.”
“Okay… so what’s the point?” Mikella scratched the back of her head. “I mean, cool–magic and shit, but can it do anything useful?”
She wasn’t trying to put Zeke’s efforts down. If anything, he sounded like he was having his own fun, just like how she liked to do her own training.
But at least her training gave her power to use for their future. Meanwhile, Zeke was here studying what looked like an ancient language nobody else uses.
“By useful, do you mean enchanting items with magic and even creating my own magic spells? Yes, very useful.”
Her eyes popped out of her head as she turned to him. “You’re kidding me.”
“No, I’m not,” Zeke shook his head. A rising grin flashed on his face. “When I heard about this, I thought it was just some old language too. Then Cloud taught me about runecrafting. By using runes, I can pour my mana into anything I want, and then use the runes to make anything I desire–at least on the surface. It’s actually a lot more complicated than I expected. It’s like trying to understand coding except nothing’s in black and white–everything, and I mean every letter you see here, can be different in meaning and understanding.”
“Wait, wait, so you’re saying that this weird ass circle with a bird thing here,” Mikella pointed at the letter, which looked exactly as she described. “Can it mean anything else other than–say–a weird ass circle with a bird thing?”
“Uuh… yes,” Zeke nodded. “I guess so.”
“You guess?” Mikella asked incredulously. “You’ve been studying this crap for a month and that’s all you got?”
“Hey, I never said I was a master at it,” Zeke said, raising his hands in defense. “If anything, I’m barely scratching the surface. But at least I got rewarded for it.”
As if to show it off, he showed his notifications to her.
> General Skill learned: Runecraft.
…..
> Runecraft (Uncommon), Level 1
> You study the art of drawing runes, an ancient language that lived as long as the system. Your understanding of runes and their capabilities increase according to the level of the skill and the current Spirit stat.
Mikella pursed her lips at the sight. It certainly looked good, but she still doubted its uses.
“I learned it just now,” Zeke said, grinning softly. “Right before you saw me, actually. I didn’t even notice.”
Just as he said that, a notification dropped onto her vision. Seeing his dumbfounded reaction, she knew he had the same notice as hers.
> Level up! You are now Level 10. You gain 2 free points (4 FP total).
“Finally!” Mikella shouted aloud. “Jesus, that took way too–”
Just when Mikella was about to sing praises, a loud trilling noise echoed in her ears. It was the same for Zeke as he winced and closed his eyes, holding his head as she did the same. She tried to hold her head, as though it could stop the trilling noise which is sounding more and more like a fanfare of some old video game.
Finally, it ceased as another notification dropped onto her vision. Unlike the usual bluish white coloring with simple borders, it was gold with elaborate detail on the borders, as though it was made with sleek plating for armor.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
The words were vibrant, and it carried a hymn of importance that could not be ignored.
> You are able to advance.
>
> You are now an Apprentice.
>
> As for your reward for advancing to Apprentice, you are eligible to pick a Class of your choosing. Choose a class on the list and mark your path forward.
There were a lot of questions she had for what just happened. The noise, the golden coloring, and now this notification. But all of that were swept to the back of her mind as she was filled with excitement, finally reaching the next stage. Being able to finally identify the people around her, including items and equipment with some effects, was definitely a good bonus.
There was a prompt that asked her if she liked to see the list, and without hesitation, she pressed yes.
Another rectangular light showed in front of her, and this time she saw a large list of all the classes she could pick. They went from up to down, and she can scroll through the list with her mind. To her surprise, though not really, all of the classes relied heavily on the physical aspect of combat.
> -Warrior
> -Fighter
> -Knight
> -Barbarian
> -Archer
> -Rogue
> -Thief
> -Brawler
She expected it, but she was kinda bummed that not a single one showed something like mage. She was hoping for something like a spellblade or even battlemage, something that uses magic for combat. Then again, her poor Intelligence and Spirit attributes said otherwise.
However, she did read up on the classes–or at least had Zeke tell her in a way she can understand–and she learned a few things.
For instance, there are four major archetypes: Warrior, Archer, Mage, and Rogue. Outside of that, there are archetypes based on artisan type classes, like blacksmiths, leatherworkers, alchemists, and the like.
This isn’t an absolute, as classes have the option to evolve into a better version of themselves when one advances, like how Mikella and Zeke just did. The archetypes are meant when one is able to identify someone, and their Class archetypes comes up along with their levels. This way, one can see what kind of class one has and their current power when facing someone.
However, even if one spots you to be a Warrior through identify, you can easily be something like a Fighter or a Knight, a class that means you do physical combat. In other words, they can see what you specialize, but never on what you can actually do.
So according to the list here, she has three major archetypes she can choose from, and one of them is a one-off Archer class that focuses on ranged fighting. While she did practice with a bow thanks to Val, and she did enjoy shooting arrows which forced her to use her entire body as a brace–she decided not to go down that path.
Being a ranged fighter means being safe while attacking from a distance, but if she was honest with herself, she couldn't handle something like that as her path. The same goes with the Rogue archetypes, which focuses on agility and sneak attacks. She can easily make herself focus on evasion and dealing critical hits–but once again, she wasn’t the type to fiddle around the battlefield.
She wanted to fight. To use her strength against her opponents and come out the victor. She will, of course, do whatever she can to survive, even if it means attacking with ranged combat or sneaking up on enemies. But Val always said that when choosing a class, one has to be completely honest with themselves.
Because the class would respond in kind, and you can grow faster and better than you otherwise would. There was enough evidence that dictated otherwise, so she won’t disagree with her teacher’s lessons.
However, there was one another class that caught her interest. Bringing it up, she was astounded as to what she found.
> -Dragon Warrior
…..
> Dragon Warrior
> Warriors that followed a dragon’s path to power. Fighters that focuses on gaining power beyond their means. They specialize in sword fighting, and are known to be quick and agile. The sky's the limit for them.
>
> Attribute Growth Per Level:
> +1 STR
> +1 DEX
> +1 END
>
> 2 Skill Choices at Level 10, Level 20, and at Level 25.
Seeing the class for herself, she automatically knew this one to be it. Not only does it specialize in the sword, her favorite weapon of choice, she knew that this class was earned thanks to defeating the wyvern back at the tower.
Otherwise, it was possible she never would’ve gotten it. Considering that she did get her title from that wyvern as well, all the more reason that this class is special.
Without hesitation, she chose the class. She thought that perhaps there would be some kind of fanfare, some crazy pain that would enter her mind and force her on her knees.
But instead she just felt… complete. The notifications were gone, and her body felt as though the puzzle pieces were finally put in place. It was hard to describe, but the next notification proved that it worked.
> You have chosen Dragon Warrior.
>
> For each level, you gain:
> +1 STR
> +1 DEX
> +1 END
>
> For choosing Dragon Warrior, your Sword Mastery has advanced. It is now Uncommon.
>
> You gain points based on the advanced rarity:
>
> +3 STR
…..
> Due to achieving level 10 and choosing a class, you are now able to Identify any target you choose.
It was more of a letdown than she imagined, but she also was thankful that it didn’t made her ears and nose bleed like learning a skill–which apparently was the norm when learning an Acquired Skill Book. Some would even gladly never pick up an Acquired Skill due to the fact that it could easily kill the non-prepared.
There was another notification blinking at her interface, causing her to bring it up. She recalled that there was a skill choice at level 10, and since she just chose the class at level 10, it meant that it was time for her to learn one now.
Two skill choices popped up, as per the notifications dictated. They spoke out to her as though calling for her attention as she read the first one.
> Class Skill: Armored Skin
> A Dragon Warrior knows when to avoid an attack, but also knows when to take a hit. Transform your skin into scales like a dragon, improving your durability. The durability increases according to the level of the skill and the current Endurance stat.
That was one pretty handy, if she says so herself. However, she felt a bit uncomfortable having her skin turn into scales. Maybe it was just a flavor text where it was just for the lore of the skill, but considering how real everything is, she wondered how weird it would be to fight with scales she never had before.
She read the other skill, and it already trounced her opinion of the first.
> Class Skill: Heavenly Strike
> A Dragon’s sword can pierce the sky and foes alike in one fell swoop. Charge your sword with light and air mana, allowing you to pierce through any defense. The damage increases and the stamina and mana consumption decreases according to the level of the skill and the current Strength and Dexterity stat.
An attack skill. Something that she wished she had while fighting off so many monsters before. The fact that it uses Mana as well put her down a little, but she could finally have a skill that can actually deliver a devastating blow to finish the fight–and according to this skill, it can pierce through any defense as well.
Was it one of those rare Defence piercing skills in those games that were so valuable? Or did it depend entirely on what kind of defense an enemy has? Either way, it follows her code of hit a lot and dodge a lot, so without any further hesitation she chose the Heavenly Strike skill.
> Class Skill learned: Heavenly Strike.
Finally putting everything together, she opened up her status screen again, this time seeing the changes immediately.
> Name: Mikella Ashton (Opportunist)
> Race: Human
> Dragon Warrior: Level 10
> STR: 26
> DEX: 29
> INT: 7
> SPI: 7
> VIT: 15
> END: 22
> Free Points: 4
>
> General Skills:
> Kinetic Perception (U) Level 1
> Sword Mastery (U) Level 4
> Pain Resistance (U) Level 3
> Meditation (C) Level 3
>
> Acquired Skills:
> Acrobatics (R) Level 3
> Hawk Eyes (R) Level 2
>
> Class Skills:
> Heavenly Strike Level 1
>
> Title Skill:
> Not-Lucky Shot (T), Level 1 (Maxed)
Her Novice name changed into Dragon Warrior, and it felt like her status grew even longer. She only just reached level 10, yet she felt that there was a world of difference between the state she was in yesterday and today.
Letting out a big breath, she realized a few minutes passed with nothing happening. Turning to Zeke, she saw that he was still in the process of reading his status. However at that moment, his eyes flickered before turning to Mikella with rounded eyes.
“Whoa… uhh, sorry, did you say something?”
“I didn’t say anything,” Mikella shook her head, snorting. “I just finished up choosing a class.”
“Oh!” Zeke, like the nerd he was, brightened up at that. “What did you choose?”
“I got something rare. It’s called Dragon Warrior,” She explained, telling him all the details she learned including the skill choice.
He listened intently, nodding along to her skill choice as well. “That’s a good one. But wow… a Dragon Warrior? That’s so badass!”
Mikella beamed at that. “So what’d you choose? Something that has to do with those runes?”
“Oh, yeah!” Zeke said, showing a big goofy grin as he explained. Or rather, he just showed her his notifications–nearly the same as how she chose her class.
> Runist
> Scholars who studied upon the ancient magical language, learning their depth and potential. They are capable of inscribing runes and instilling their mana to create miracles.
>
> Attribute Growth Per Level:
> +1 DEX
> +1 INT
> +1 SPI
>
> 2 Skill Choices at Level 10, Level 20, and at Level 25.
…..
> You have chosen Runist.
>
> For each level, you gain:
> +1 DEX
> +1 INT
> +1 SPI
>
> For choosing Runist, you gain a new General skill.
>
> General Skill learned: Internal Senses
…..
> Internal Senses (Uncommon), Level 1
> You are able to perceive the inner workings of any being or item you desire. Increases your senses towards the pathways of the energies. Your senses increase according to the level of the skill and the current Spirit stat.
…..
> Class Skill learned: Runic Library
…..
> Class Skill: Runic Library
> A runist is capable of recalling and drawing any rune from memory, no matter how complex or long ago it was. Attain a mental library where you can store and draw upon with ease all the runes you have learned. The capacity and recalling increases according to the level of the skill and the current Dexterity.
Astounded by the information, she went ahead to use Identify on the man in front of her. It wasn’t anything special, just that a notification showing his Class and Level popping up in front of her.
But she paused when she realized what she read.
> Runist, Level 10
It showed his direct Class. Unlike fighter types, which falls under the archetypes of Warriors, Mages, and the like–Zeke’s Class showed its original name. Which means one thing:
“Runist is a… crafter class?”
“Yep,” Zeke nodded in agreement. “Pretty handy too, according to Cloud at least.”
“And you just… chose it?”
She always knew Zeke was smart, but if she was honest, she doubted his mental state after finding this out. What they needed are classes that can survive against anything that might kill them. Taking on a crafting job is just…”
“Zeke, you do know we need to get stronger, right?” Mikella asked, honestly feeling a bit miffed that he just chose a class without really thinking about it just because Cloud suggested it. “Why pick a crafter class?”
“Well because–”
Just when Zeke was about to explain, the door opened up, revealing Val as she smiled at the two–especially after seeing them as they were now.
“Oh! Congratulations! You reached level 10 and got a class, right?” Val stated, getting the two to nod. Nodding back, she replied with a grin. “Perfect, then it’s time for you two to be introduced to everyone else at the ramparts. It’s time for you to earn your keep–as it were.”
The two looked back at each other, then back at their host. They supposed it was about time to start working for real in this town.