After much debate on how to close the distance between himself and the Shaman, Aiden got an idea.
He retrieved another enchantment. The one for lesser silence. It kept every sound happening within a specified area from leaking out. If he could use it right, he had roughly six feet of distance he could cover in almost perfect stealth.
The Shaman leveled its staff at Taliner and her opponent as he contemplated. It hesitated before firing off the ball of green fire that gathered at its end.
All the while, Aiden moved as quietly as he could. Two notifications popped up in front of him as the roaring sound of fire burning through air filled his ear.
You have learned skill [Light steps (Mastery 04.19%)]
You have learned skill [Quiet movement (Mastery 05.00%)].
Aiden recognized the foundational skills and ignored them all the same. He activated [Orb of Lesser Silence] and tossed it into the space between him and the Shaman. It hit the ground and activated at the same time the Shaman’s blast slammed into Taliner and the Hobgoblin.
Aiden winced as the blast sent Taliner flying, knowing it had to hurt even though the Hobgoblin had taken most of the blast.
You have activated [Orb of Lesser silence]
Effect: All sound made will be partially nullified within the specified vicinity.
Duration: 00:00:19
Radius: 0.0014km.
Aiden watched the distortion spread out from the orb’s point of impact and darted into it immediately, rushing across the six feet.
The moment he got to the edge of it, he stopped. His mind froze at his stupidity as the Shaman leveled its staff at Taliner once more. Now Aiden was in plain sight. All the Shaman had to do was have an unreasonable urge to look around and he would see him.
An orb of solitude would be best right now. Conceal him, even if a little, from external attention. But he was completely certain that he only had one more enchantment left in him. Any more and his mana would give out on him.
Then the worst happened. The Shaman turned.
Aiden was already preparing his retreat when an ear piercing shriek filled the air. It was strong, the scream of a defiant challenger that refused to be ignored.
The Shaman lowered its staff, startled. Then its focus sharpened on Taliner. It was as if nothing else mattered.
Aiden had seen the effect more than once on the battlefield. [Taunt] was a powerful skill given only to battle oriented classes. He had been a victim of its effect on more than one occasion and could say for a fact that it was not a nice feeling at all.
But it was an amazing use of the skill in the current moment.
The Shaman charged up a new ball of fire with its staff and Aiden ran at him with everything he had. His last enchantment gripped tightly in his hand, he hoped he would not need any more than it.
He judged the situation as he charged, as the Shaman’s flames grew too large to be reasonable. If his attack did nothing, he really hoped that Ded was not as obedient a soldier as he had displayed himself to be thus far.
Aiden had instructed the [Scout] not to interfere in the battle and the man had followed the instruction to the letter thus far. Aiden hadn’t even sensed the tiniest touch of the man’s presence. In fact, he almost believed that Ded was nowhere near the battlefield.
But if his last blow did nothing, Otid would be too far to save him and Taliner would be too weak to do anything.
Aiden tossed his last enchantment at the Shaman, a small orb that exploded in a translucent sphere encased in red and green and blue veins running along its surface.
Caught within the reach of the enchantment's effect, the Shaman’s green flames guttered out.
You have activated [Enchantment of Lesser madness].
Effect: 8% disruption of ambient mana.
Duration: 00:00:08.
Radius: 0.0005km.
Eight seconds was not enough time to think of anything else as Aiden threw himself at the Shaman, sword poised to take the goblin in the heart through the back.
The Shaman turned as its flames guttered out, one hand braced against its head in pained confusion. It wore a thick grey beard and Aiden watched a snarl cross its lips when it saw him.
It leveled its staff at him, shaken from the effects of Taliner’s [Taunt], and Aiden was happy. There was no low level class that experienced the effects of Lesser Madness and adapted immediately. It didn’t matter the class, they always faltered.
And in the chaotic state of the ambient mana, the Shaman’s spell faltered once more. Green flames gathered at the edge of the staff and simply vanished.
Aiden crossed the distance, knowing victory was his.
His sword pierced the goblin’s skin, went through the ribs, and dug a precise hole in its heart. Thrown by his own momentum, Aiden rammed into the monster, tackling it to the ground as his sword pierce all the way to the hilt.
The Shaman fell with a heavy thud and Aiden fell with it, his fall cushioned by the monster he’d slain.
[You have dealt a critical blow!]
[You have dealt a fatal blow!]
Congratulations! You have slain [Shaman Goblin Level 20].
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
[Congratulations! You have Leveled Up!]
…
[Level 10 detected.]
[Advanced growth restricted until level 10 requirements have been met.]
[You are now Level 10!]
Dear [Prisoner #234502385739]
Your dedication to your very craft, and your will to grow your abilities to the point of greatness, seeking to reach beyond your human limits has graced you with a reward. You are much unlike the others. You are a great being, one who does the simplest of things in the most extraordinary of ways.
You are a prisoner of the multiverse, claimed for the crime of breaking existential laws, undeserving of a reward for time served favorably. Please claim your reward.
Class options are now available for selection [Prisoner #234502385739].
[Would you like to select a class?]
Aiden was too tired for anything, too weak to even be worried at the contradictions in the notification itself. He still had a vague recollection of what the interface showed whenever someone got to level 10, and while most of what he saw jogged his memory, the little part about being a prisoner was completely new.
He was sure of it.
This was also the first time he was hearing anything about a multiverse.
The Shaman twitched under him, then deflated slightly. Aiden didn’t react to it. His interface had told him that the thing was dead, and it was never wrong.
What Aiden needed right now was rest. A long and hard one.
….
Adaware flipped through the pages of the report in front of him then looked up at the branch manager for the society branch in the capital city of Nastild.
“You’re sure this is accurate, Mr. Nude?” he asked. “A 10% rise in three days.”
The elderly man with his monocle worn over his left eye nodded. “Certain, sir. Its rise was measured at a steady growth of 0.0018% every day for the last two months. Then there was a significant drop in growth by about 8% about two weeks ago.”
“As if someone tapped into its power,” Adaware mused. “But that’s impossible. Demonic mana cannot be harnessed.”
“It cannot be harnessed by humans,” Nude corrected him. “But monsters can harness as much demonic power as their body can contain. It is no real secret amongst those who possess significant authority that the kingdoms use this very method the harness Demonic mana to do very specific things.”
It was not news to Adaware too. But it didn’t mean he was going to confirm anything.
“So there’s a possibility that someone or some monster, took a bite out of the demonic mana?”
Nude nodded.
“Then how do we explain the growth?” Adaware asked. “10% in a handful of days is a lot. Are you going to tell me that the universe is somehow trying to balance things out; restore it to the rate it is supposed to be at?”
Nude chuckled lightly. “If you are looking for a conversation where the universe has a will, Guild master, you are looking in the wrong place. I can procure a priest, however, if you wish.”
“Ha ha.” Adaware said the words blandly. “Have I ever told you that you’re my least favorite branch head.”
“Yes, sir. Though it continues to baffle me that you have not removed me from my position.”
Adaware closed the report and dropped it on his desk. Normally, this was a kind of situation that needed the king’s attention but something told him the king was already aware of it.
His interface popped up in front of him. It appeared edged to the side in a way that did not require his attention and he brought it forward with a shrug of will.
[Contract Quest Update.]
Contract Quest: [Goblin Subjugation]
Goblins have been spotted somewhere in the capital city of Bandiv. Investigate this report, confirm goblin threat and conclude extermination.
[Objective complete: Confirm goblin location 1/1.]
[Objective complete: Confirm goblin 55.]
[Objective complete: Exterminate goblin 46/46.]
[Reward: silver coins x10]
[You have administrative rights.]
[Quest is completed.]
…
[Possible chain quest discovered.]
[Details unknown.]
[Reason for possibility: Ded Andit.]
[Would you like to create an investigation Quest?]
[Y/N]
Ded Andit.
Adaware knew the name.
Nude opened his mouth to say something and he silenced the man with a raised hand. There were perks that came with the title of [Guild master]. One of the perks was access to certain important databases in the kingdom the guild master operated in.
If Ded Andit had any records in any part of the kingdom, he could access it from here and it wasn’t long before he found it.
[Name – Ded Andit]
[Species – Human]
[Age – 28]
[Class – Locked Lvl Locked]
[Affiliation]
King’s Army.
[Title]
Locked.
[Skill]
Locked.
[Stats]
Locked.
A member of the king’s army had seen something during the conclusion of the quest that had led the system to believe the quest warranted the possibility of having a chain quest?
What could he possibly have seen?
“Nude,” Adaware said, drawing the branch manager’s attention. “Kindly submit a petition to the king’s army requesting a conversation with a Ded Andit, a soldier among their ranks.”
“What rank, pray tell, is he, sir?”
Adaware scrolled through the notification. “No idea. But I’m sure they’ll tell us.”
“And if he is of a high rank?” Nude asked.
“Then you can terminate the request if they hesitate to grant it. That will be all, Mr. Nude. We’ll dance this dance again same time tomorrow morning?”
“Yes, Guild master.”
Nude got up, delivered a pristine bow, and exited the room.
When he was gone, Adaware’s attention never left the notification. He’d expected the quest to be concluded in perhaps a week. But two days? That was impressive.
He wondered what had made them conclude it so quickly. Had it been easier than he’d thought or had Otid been too annoyed at having to work with a noble bastard that he’d rushed the quest?
It sounded like something he would do.
It didn’t matter, though. What mattered was that the quest was accomplished and he had a justification for recommending Otid to work with more skilled adventurers under a contract position.
Normally, such a recommendation from him would be taken without argument, but that would simply be an abuse of power. He wanted a reason to justify the recommendation. And this was it.
He also knew he would have to speak to Taliner.
All in due time, he thought, dismissing the notification. All in due time.
…
The bed Aiden had been given at the inn was soft, but not as soft as the one in his room in the palace.
If he was heavier, he would be feeling the wooden platform under the bed.
He had bandages covering his torso and a few more cuts he’d gained over the course of the quest. As for the quest? Well, its completion had already been reported to the society branch.
When the Shaman had died, the undead Hobgoblins had simply stopped moving, and Taliner and Otid had finished them off without too much stress as far as he knew. But the fight had done a number on them.
From what Aiden had gotten from Ded, both adventurers had been scraping the bottom barrels of their stamina and mana. Aiden had missed knowing how much stamina, mana and life he had left. Without a class he was arguably a regular person, lacking that level of information.
But with a class, the interface gave a person details of their mana, health and stamina in percentages. While it added a lot of pressure in certain situations, it also helped in planning.
Right now, if he was wounded and weak, he could tell himself he could soldier on and accomplish a task. But if the interface was telling him that his health was perhaps less than ten percent and steadily declining, he could plan around it better. Retreating or advancing would be a decision not made by his gut or general hubris.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Alone in his room, Aiden summoned his interface. The first thing he read was the outcome of the quest.
[Goblin Subjugation]
Goblins have been spotted somewhere in the capital city of Bandiv. Investigate this report, confirm goblin threat and conclude extermination.
[Objective complete: Confirm goblin location 1/1.]
[Objective complete: confirm goblin 55.]
[Objective complete: Exterminate goblin 46/46.]
[Reward: silver coins x10]
[Fate has found you. Live to fulfill your calling.]
[Quest Completed.]
[Reward system is based on contribution. Kindly collect your reward [4.689 silver coins] from any adventurer guild branch or financial institution near you.]
Aiden chuckled. The contract felt that he had contributed almost half of the actions that led to the completion of the quest.
It was a pity he didn’t need the coins, though. He could still remember a time long ago when he would’ve rushed out of his bed to cash in the reward. It was just after Ted had escaped the palace’s attention and Aiden had run when he’d found out that he was to be questioned.
He knew how questions were asked and knew for a fact that he was going to rot in prison since he would have no answers to give and he wouldn’t be believed.
That time spent being a wandering adventurer had been tough. Sleeping in the forest whenever he walked into town with a wanted poster of his face right next to Ted’s had been trying times. Being a wandering adventurer had given him a title, but he would’ve exchanged the title for the freedom of being a summoned of the palace rather than a fugitive at any time.
As for how he’d gotten to the room in the inn, he had Ded to thank for that. The soldier had helped all three of them return to the adventure society hall to report the completion of the quest. While Otid and Taliner had said a thing or two about going to employ the services of a magical healer, Ded had gotten Aiden—under his instructions—a room in an inn and a simple, normal healer.
So here he was, in a small room with a window that let in all the afternoon sunlight and a body that still hurt. He couldn’t wait to set his class up, get his reward, and return to the palace.
The palace healers would fix him up until he was good as new. He could’ve held back on the class selection until he was at the palace, but it made no difference.
The thought of the palace brought the thought of the others to mind. Drax, Letto, Ted.
Aiden wondered how they were doing. At least one of them, most likely Drax or Ted had to have hit level one or higher by now. If they hadn’t, it would be very surprising. Especially Ted.
It was impossible to believe that after fighting off two goblins on his own that Ted would not be at level one by now.
And if he was? What happens? Aiden thought.
King Brandis would not allow them leave the palace until they’d gotten their classes. According to what Aiden remembered, they would get their classes, then have a mock battle between the group adamant on going home and the group that was not, then Brandis would send them south with two Knights.
Aiden thought hard, trying to remember what their first group quest had been. It came to him in hazy thoughts and a phantom pain in his back.
Aiden sighed. The cannibal town.
He remembered the quest and hated it. There had been nothing but violence, and he had come out of it truly jaded back then. It hadn't been the king's intention to send them into something so chaotic, but one thing had happened to another and shit had hit the fan.
Did he want to do it again?
Left to him he would prefer taking a trip to the eastern borders of Bandiv. If he remembered correctly, there was something there that was supposed to help a person gain a unique skill. A unique quest given within a cave of sorts with certain issues surrounding it at this point in time.
He couldn’t remember what the skill it gave was, only that it was a combat skill and a strong one that ignored class limits. There had also been traces of demonic mana in that area so he might have an easy time convincing Brandis to send him there, maybe he could take some of the others as well.
Aiden shook his head the moment the thought came to him. It was a unique quest he knew nothing about. He didn't want his confidence in his own strength to turn out to be hubris only to endanger someone else.
He remembered how king Brandis had raised them to be strong. Their quests and actions had been guided and protected until they were strong enough to guide and protect themselves.
At a certain level, Brandis had started allowing them to take their own quests and travel out to gain their own experiences. But it had been on the promise that they would return and make their reports to him when they were done.
Now that Aiden thought about it, Brandis had made himself something of a commander to them.
But that wasn’t the path Aiden wanted to walk in this timeline. He needed strength and he needed it fast. For that, he needed to go to dangerous places. He needed a team too, and none of the people summoned with him could be that team.
Their weakness was not the reason he would not take them. Even if by some stroke of luck he returned to the palace right now and found that they were all the same level with him, he wouldn’t take them.
The places he was going to required not only level, but skill and experience. Both of which the others were still trying to gain.
Aiden dismissed the quest notification and called up the notification of his class selection.
[Level 10 detected.]
[Advanced growth restricted until level 10 requirements have been met.]
[You are now Level 10!]
Dear [Prisoner #234502385739]
[Your dedication to your very craft, and your will to grow your abilities to the point of greatness, seeking to reach beyond your human limits has graced you with a reward. You are much unlike the others. You are a great being, one who does the simplest of things in the most extraordinary of ways.]
[You are a prisoner of the multiverse, claimed for the crime of breaking existential laws, undeserving of a reward for time served favorably. Please claim your reward.]
Class options are now available for selection [Prisoner #234502385739].
[Would you like to select a class?]
[Y/N]
What the hell is with this prisoner number? He thought, not for the first time.
It was like the system decided to forget his name on certain occasions. And it had all started since his regression.
At least I know whose prisoner I am.
But that still didn’t help. What did it mean to be the prisoner of the multiverse? And what the hell were existential laws. It felt like living in Japan just to be informed that you’d broken some Nigerian laws while in Japan and were now a prisoner of Nigeria. It didn’t make any sense.
First admins, then prisoner, now multiverse. And I haven’t even left the capital city.
Everyday his interface was giving him more questions than answers. At this point he really needed to know who the system administrators were.
Could be the gods everyone keeps talking about, Aiden thought, moving through his interface. Ted did say they existed, so he must’ve found something to prove their existence.
[Would you like to select a class?]
[Y/N]
Aiden agreed with a thought.
[Prisoner # 234502385739].
By the display of your craft, you have shown a potential for a selection of classes. Kindly choose one which you are most comfortable with. Please note that any decision taken cannot be returned, and class change can only be undergone during class upgrades.
[Kindly choose from the below selection.]
[Enchanter]
You have learnt the art of writing and engraving in the language of this world. You know the words that make you more than what you are.
[Enchanted Paladin]
You have graced the battlefield with the arcane and the natural. Your enemies will fall to steel and enchanted magic.
[Battle Enchanter]
You have learnt the art of writing and engraving in the language of this world. You know the words that make you more than what you are on the battlefield. Blood will flow where your enchantments rise.
[Multiverse Prisoner]
By your crimes against the laws of the multiverse, you have become a prisoner to it. However, you have understood what it means to be a subject of the multiverse and wish to willingly submit to its authority. Spatial affinity is merely one of many boons granted.
[Guide]
You have a strong desire to lead others, show them the path they desire to becoming who they are meant to be. You know what they can become and wish to lead them to it.
[Enchanted Ranger]
You are well rounded on the battlefield. You fight with sword and magic. You have an array of skills not confined to a single class.
[Time Walker]
You have an affinity for time magic and you wish to begin on a path that will lead you to possessing the world of chronology in your hands
[Prophet]
Due to your past experience, you have been granted access to the gods. Most may not choose you, but certainly one has shown interest in making you their apostle, for no being is offered this class without believing.
[Please select a Class fitting to your taste.]
Aiden saw the first class offered and couldn’t help but smile. However, the smile died as he went through the classes.
The multiverse kept popping up again and again in this life. But if he was really under their command, why was he being offered a class that would lead to conflicts with them? Though it didn’t make sense, he understood why he had a potential for [Time Walker]. It seemed he still somehow possessed a residue of whatever magic had sent him back in time.
Maybe it’s using that as a basis.
In his past life Aiden might've picked it, but he knew how time classes worked now and they weren't as high class as they seemed. They were mostly used for investigative purposes, even if they were sometimes combat oriented. From the little he knew, they weren't very diverse. Their skills mainly consisted of viewing events that had already happened or slowing down time within a certain area.
Also, he knew a time class user or two from his time in the Order and their class skills were rarely used in fights. If time classes were designed to become extremely powerful, that would be in the later classes, maybe the hundreds and above. Aiden couldn't really say.
Regardless, he took his attention from it and moved on. He wasn't in a hurry to worsen his position with a possible organization that was strong enough to declare him a prisoner through the system without his consent just for a class he wasn't sure he could wield well enough to make him as powerful as he wanted to be.
[Multiverse Prisoner] was confusing. How had he recognized the power of the multiverse if he had no idea what it truly was. All he knew about the word itself was that it was a conglomeration of different worlds and universes. And that information was gotten from books back home, stories people enjoyed reading.
Will it somehow make me walk through worlds?
If yes, then that would be the answer to all his questions. His dreams of going home would be possible. Even if it didn’t help him get home immediately, he had a feeling it would put him on the direct path to that goal.
But that would also be him accepting this prisoner thing going on in his life. Was being a prisoner to what could possibly be some council of worlds really be worth a possible chance to go home?
What if he found the chance but, as a prisoner, wasn’t allowed to go home?
He removed his attention from it almost immediately. He wasn’t going to willingly be anyone’s prisoner. Besides, if Ted had found a way once before, then it meant it was possible.
They only had to find it again.
Aiden definitely wasn’t choosing [Guide]. He knew about the class. It was a non-magical class that carried the skill of [Pathfinder] which was technically some kind of advanced mapping skill, and some other skill that helped get more rewards out of quests and boost specific skills of an ally.
That was not him.
[Prophet] was a scary class. The system was quite literally admitting to him that the gods were real, even though this world treated them the same way religions treated gods back on earth.
Aiden closed his eyes in exasperation. It seemed his options were between the unreasonable and all things enchantment.
“Another go at it and I get enchantment again,” he sighed. “It’s like I’m destined for all things enchantment. Chances are I’ll pick [Prophet] and end up with the god of enchantment.”
There was only one answer. He shook the thought from his mind and chose his class.
[You have selected Battle Enchanter. Are you sure you want this class? You cannot go back on your decision]
[Y/N]
As far as Aiden was concerned, being forced to choose a class without knowing what specific skills it would give you sounded like a system flaw. Maybe the admins should be looking at that instead of trying to terminate me.
But he knew about all classes that had ‘battle’ affixed to them. They were all combat classes, specialized in killing in one way or the other.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
[You have chosen Battle Enchanter.]
[You are—]
[Error Detected!]
A sharp pain shot through Aiden’s chest and an involuntary full body spasm went through him. He jerked once, then was pinned down to the bed as if by a massive hand.
[Error Detected!]
By Multiverse laws [Prisoner # 234502385739] is not allowed a class.
What the hell? Aiden thought as he gritted his teeth against the pain in his chest. It felt like someone had taken his heart in their hand and was squeezing it of all the blood it had ever accumulated.
Whatever it was, it was trying to kill him. Worse, what the hell did his interface mean by him not being allowed a class by the ‘multiverse laws’?
[Extra levels detected.]
[Will you like to brute force your way to a class?]
[Please note that forcing your way to a class is in clear violation of your terms as a prisoner of the multiverse.]
Of course he wanted a class. Fuck violating the terms of being a prisoner. He didn’t even know how he became a prisoner. He was being asked if he was willing to violate the terms of a contract he never signed.
Fuck yes.
Aiden moved his mouth to answer but whatever force was holding his heart clamped down harder and he tasted blood.
Yes, he thought, but nothing happened. It wants me to answer verbally? Since when?
The interface always answered to commands of any form, verbal or non-verbal, intent was all that mattered. Why the hell was it forcing him to voice his response? And why the hell was this segment looking so different from the rest of the interface?
It was somehow deeper in how it felt, more personal than mechanical.
It took everything in Aiden to say, “Yes.”
He tasted blood on his lips as the interface switched to a new notification.
[Please note that Levels will be sacrificed for this]
[You have sufficient levels for this]
[You have chosen Class Battle Enchanter. You cannot renege on this decision.]
[Cost – 2 levels]
[Error Detected!]
What now?! Aiden groaned, the pressure on his chest increasing with each notification.
[Existent class detected: Enchanter]
Please God, no.
Aiden didn’t want [Enchanter]. He knew the limits that came with the class. And pushing past those limits was going to significantly hinder him. It was not the worst class out there, but it was not a class designed for the kind of path he was going to end up on in this time.
He knew himself, he wasn’t smart enough to take a class and use it to do things far grander than what was the norm.
[Enchanter] was arguably a support class in this world and Aiden refused to play support in this life too.
[Chosen class Battle Enchanter and existent class Enchanter can coexist]
[Would you like to merge classes?]
[Cost- 1 level]
[Y/N]
Aiden braced himself for another bout of pain.
He gritted his teeth and put all he had into saying one word.
“Yes.”
This time he felt a warm trickle from one of his nostrils.
[Chosen classes are being merged.]
[Merging in process.]
[Merging… Merging… Merging]
[Unique skill detected: Unarmed Engrave]
[Mastery of Unique skill is too low.]
[Consuming Unique skill.]
No!
The thought never left Aiden’s mouth.
The unique skill had been a boon. Enchanting without needing all the necessary tools would’ve been the best form of enchantment there was. He could’ve created almost any enchantment on the fly.
Why was this happening to him?
[Merging complete]
[You have gained a Unique class]
[Weaver]
Weavers have always possessed the gift of creation. With the required tools, they weave things into being from the amalgamation of other things. You are extraordinary.
…
[By virtue of your existence, a new unique skill has been detected].
[Locked (Mastery 0.00%)]
???
…
[You have gained two class skills]
…
[Enchanted Weave (Mastery 0.00%)]
The weaver is his own tool. You are your engraver and your canvas. With your body you weave enchantments into being.
[Walking Canvas (Mastery 0.00%)]
The weaver is capable of releasing a reach of mana upon which all enchantment effects can be extended.
The pain in Aiden’s chest subsided slowly. What had once been a tight grip eased into a small hold. Then a small hold became a touch. Finally, it fizzled out to nothingness.
Aiden stared at the notification in front of him, panting for air.
He’d gotten a class. It had felt like touch and go for a moment there but he’d gotten a class.
[Weaver].
He knew a thing or two about the class. Those who had it were crafters of different kinds. They were also domestic based classes. They weaved baskets, some became renowned tailors somehow weaving thread. There were a few who threw in their lot with architecture and engineering and were successful.
And all it cost me was three levels, Aiden chuckled darkly.
He was beginning to hate whatever the multiverse that claimed him to be a prisoner was. He’d always hated it since he found out that they were the reason he was a prisoner, but he had been warier of them than anything.
But this? This was deepening his hate.
Instead of dwelling on his emotion, Aiden focused on his class.
It appeared in front of him.
[Weaver]
Weavers have always possessed the gift of creation. With the required tools, they weave things into being from the amalgamation of other things. You are extraordinary.
Perks
Increased speed and chance of success in all attempted enchantments.
Increased understanding of all enchantments.
Increased flow of mana.
+10% mastery in [Mana manipulation]
Stats
Dexterity +3, Agility +2, Mana +6, Speed +4, Perception +3.
Aiden stared at the details.
Every class gave benefits to certain aspects of life. Martial classes increased affinity to whatever martial prowess they fell under. It was impossible for a Level 15 [Thief] to beat a level 15 [Swordsmaster] in a fight with swords. By the same logic, the [Thief] would always outrun the [Swordsmaster].
“So I’m still an enchanter,” Aiden muttered, glad that he could breathe easy once more. “Just a special kind.”
[Achievement Unlocked!]
By your actions you have broken the unspoken agreement of the terms of your incarceration under the laws of the multiverse by achieving a class. You have defied laws that have governed existence since the beginning of this era.
You have earned a new title!
[Defier]
Effect: +25% damage increase against all [Multiverse Agents].
Effect: Increased resistance to time and space magic.
Aiden’s confusion was only growing. Now his interface was talking about [Multiverse Agents].
Wait. Aiden’s mind worked around the name. What if it’s a class, like [Multiverse Prisoner]?
He placed both hands over a tired face, wincing from the pain of his injuries. It was safe to assume that he was now an enemy of people he didn’t know. An active enemy at that.
But if he hadn’t run into any of them in his past life, what were the chances he would run into them anytime in this one?
Something told him the answer to that was on the high side.
For now, Aiden focused on what he knew and understood, and he pulled up his personal information.
[Name - Aiden Lacheart]
[Species- Human]
[Age – 19]
[Class- Weaver Lvl 11]
[Class Skill]
[Enchanted Weave (Mastery 0.00%)], [Walking Canvas (Mastery 0.00%)], [Locked (Mastery 0.00%)(U)]
[Affiliation]
[Kingdom of Bandiv].
[Title]
[Goblin Slayer], [Defier].
[Skill]
[Tongue of the Visitor (Mastery 100%)], [Basic Swordsmanship (Mastery 20.00%)], [Unarmed combat (Mastery 13.00%)], [Resilience (Mastery 48.23%)], [Mana manipulation (Mastery 19.03%)], [Keen eye (Mastery 39.33%)], [Basic Enchant (Mastery 03.05%)], [Dagger-wield (Mastery 04.33%)], [Quiet movement (Mastery 05.00%)], [Light steps (Mastery 04.19%)], [Awareness (Mastery 07.39%)].
[Stats]
[Dexterity 6], [Agility 5], [Mana 7], [Speed 8], [Perception 6], [Strength 3], [Intelligence 6].
[Life]
[Health 42%], [Mana 39%], [Stamina 70%].
Aiden frowned at what he saw.
His personal detail was getting congested. What he needed to do was wrap up a lot of his foundational skills and turn them to basic skills.
Now that he had a class, there were additions as well. The life section was something he had missed. Being able to quantify mana and stamina and health was an indispensable advantage when going into a quest or combat of any kind.
As for stats, everyone got a base stat based on how much they’d grown in all aspects when they’d had no class. The more you were able to achieve before getting a class, the higher your base stats could become. There was a limit to it, though. A human limit.
Looking at his stats, they were better than what he’d started with in his past life. In his past life all his base stats had been 1. Only his perception stat had been more than 1.
Since mana was the highest class stat he had, Aiden could assume the class required a lot of mana to use its skills.
All he had to do now was learn his skills.
Shouldn’t be too difficult.
He thought of [Enchanted Weave] and information trickled into his brain. It was like remembering a mathematical equation he had once forgotten. It took a moment, but eventually it clicked.
As he learnt the skill, his hands came up. He brought both hands and interlaced their fingers one way, then separated them, only to interlace them again in a different manner. A small manic smile stretched his lips as his fingers continued to weave signs, the action sluggish. They looked like Buddhist hand signs but they were not.
The skill flashed in front of him.
[Enchanted Weave] is in effect.
Aiden’s hands came to a stop, fingers interlaced in conclusion, and his interface flashed once more.
He felt the effect of what he had done even before he saw the notification. Strength surged through him and he got slightly heavier.
You have activated [Weave of Lesser Strength]
Effect: 18% increase in Strength.
Duration: 00:00:19.
Aiden cackled like a madman.
He was a freaking weaver of enchantments. No. That was an understatement. With his knowledge of enchantments, he was far more than that.
Aiden Lacheart had just literally become a walking enchantment.
His mad cackles filled the room.
I can work with this, he thought with a manic smile. I can fucking work with this.