Every class had unique skills. Sword Knights could strengthen their weapons or increase the range of their attacks while Red Knights could cast simple spells allowing them to attack opponents from a distance while also imbuing their weapons with arcane power. Even players with No Class had access to three skills.
But, no one unlocked the No Class skills. They were designed to help low-level players survive in the world. [Scan] allowed them to see the status of items, monsters, and provide more information about the world around them. [Charge] powered up the player’s next attack in exchange for a speed reduction. And [dash] allowed almost instantaneous movement across a short distance.
image [https://i.imgur.com/6HU4X8y.jpg]
image [https://i.imgur.com/YUA8NbB.jpg]
image [https://i.imgur.com/syHkzUU.jpg]
But they were, as people found out, almost redundant in the long run. Fighters could permanently increase their strength for multiple attacks while Hunters could gain enhanced vision at night. And [dash] was unnecessary, especially when Scholars could teleport and Assassins could disappear into the shadows.
Rather than spend a precious and limited skill point on the No Class skills, it was better to save those points for much more effective skills in the long run.
***
Perfect Parries: 10/50
Perfect Dodges: 8/500
CRUNCH!!
The golem staggered back and without hesitation, Jinyoung moved in and took three swipes with his short sword. Instead of the body or limbs, he aimed for the joints which weren’t solid stone.
By this point, the short sword was dented and battered. Any sharpness was dulled by the repeatedly beating on what was essentially a walking stone wall. Instead of parrying attacks from the golem, Jinyoung had taken to dodging the strikes and counter attacking with his sword.
He [dashed] and jogged a bit further for good measure. The golem was having trouble turning around and following. The damage was plain.
But Jinyoung was far beyond his limits. There was no way of telling how much time had passed, but his body felt like lead. His mind was exhausted and he was barely holding it together, but he was close. He could feel it. He looked down at his sword which was battered and beaten.
Just a little longer.
The golem swung in close.
FWISH! Jinyoung [dashed] out of the way.
PERFECT DODGE
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“Like it matters,” he whispered under his breath.
The golem swung twice more and then launched a straight punch that hit nothing but air.
Jinyoung was on it immediately, swinging his sword and doing as much damage as possible. He was close, he could feel it. And with one final upward slash, the golem fell back and shattered when it hit the ground.
GOLEM defeated. 50 EXP gained.
He couldn’t believe it. He’d never even faced a stone golem before and yet, he’d defeated it. Alone.
He looked back at the short sword and saw that only a sliver of the “blade” remained. The rest had broken off on his final strikes. He considered throwing it away, but thought better of it.
“It’ll be a nice keepsake.”
He took a look at his surroundings and noticed the black shrine shining bright. It beckoned him closer. Until now, it had simply glimmered, but now it could have lit up the night sky. When he got closer, he saw a notification symbol hovering above the shrine.
HEAL?
O X
He responded in the positive and was surprised to immediately be healed of all his wounds and injuries. He felt lighter and healthier than he had in days. And the sword was repaired. Well, nearly repaired. He realized it had been returned to its former state when he first entered the quest. The telltale crack and chip from Hana’s earlier battles still showed on the sword tip.
Jinyoung took a breath. He was finally done. It would’ve been nice to get the skill point, but he’d much rather be leaving with his life.
***
The player Seah was talking to was confident that Jinyoung would reappear soon. Regardless of what happened, quests rarely lasted longer than a week. Two at most. Once the quest was completed, Jinyoung would reappear.
Seah was relieved. In part for Hana, but also for herself. The entire team had taken turns keeping watch while the proctor and other established players came and went. The longer they waited, the worse it was.
After the first day, the Academy had sent multiple players to clear the immediate area and create a perimeter. The cadets were interviewed individually and together as a team. And now, they were all back at the dungeon. Waiting.
Cyrus watched the proctor who was in a hushed conversation with two others. He recognized one as a professor from the Academy, but the other was different. He was dressed in fine robes and carried himself with pride. The man looked back at the shrine and then shook head.
After a pause, the proctor returned to the team. Johann and Hana started a barrage of questions, but the proctor calmly raised his hand.
“First thing’s first, the three cadets will be given high honors and now considered to be graduates of the Academy.”
Three?
“Student Hana Kim, you’ll be raised to the classification of cadet and placed in upper training courses immediately. For the time being, you will all leave this dungeon while-”
“We’re not leaving until my brother returns!”
The proctor looked at Hana with sad eyes. “We will stay for now and the academy will be posting a watch here, but the chances of your brother returning to us alive are slim.”
The team registered this information with a stunned silence.
The proctor took a breath.
"Recently, word has spread of a new structure in the dungeons. They resemble shrines, but are black and obsidian in appearance. Black shrines.
They appear randomly in dungeons and offer high-reward quests to players. Once a team accepts, the structure remains until the quest ends after which it disappears.
The problem is the reward structure. Reports are rare, but there’s one thing that each of the black shrine quests had in common. There is no failure condition.”
***
Inside the quest, Jinyoung felt a low rumble. He turned around to the rubble of the stone golem he had just defeated, slowly standing up.
Summoning… GOLEM.