Liam felt his stomach lurch as he stepped through the portal. As soon as he felt the feeling he closed his eyes and willed himself as hard as he could to not succumb to the feeling of upchucking. After a few seconds had passed, he felt the sensation fade away and smiled.

He then opened his eyes and took in the view in front of him.

He and Cindy stood in an open circular dirt field not too far away from the edge of a sea of trees and bushes. Around the dirt area, surrounding them, were tall grass and random flowers. In the open area they were in stood groups of people milling about. Some were talking with other groups as others looked at different parts of the forest edge. Some were walking around either coming from the forest or making their way to it.

As Liam looked to his left and to his right, he noticed the trees weren’t close enough to prevent anyone from walking through the gaps. However, the ground around them looked too tangled for anyone to want to traverse through due to the wild bushes, jutted tree roots, and random plants.

Snaking out from the circular dirt area, dirt pathways led to what Liam believed were different paths into the forest. Yooperlite stones on wooden stands rested in front of each entrance. Their usual glow wasn’t apparent though due to the sun hanging up above.

Liam noticed Cindy start to walk away from the groups of people in the opposite direction of the paths.

Curious and confused, Liam followed her. After distancing themselves away from the Portal and the other people, Cindy stopped, turned, and looked at Liam.

As Liam looked at her he noticed the calm easy going air she had for the majority of the day was now flustered. She looked irritated, annoyed, and most of all sympathetic.

Before Liam could ask what was wrong, Cindy started up, “I didn’t want to bring this up with others able to hear this, but those guys were assholes.”

Liam stared at her as he listened. After she said those words, he knew what this was about.

He began to open his mouth, but stopped as she raised a hand up and continued, “I know it’s not my place to say anything because I don’t know them…hell I hardly know you.”

Liam remained silent as he stared at her.

“However, from my brief interactions with you and seeing you fight. I know you can handle yourself in a fight,” Cindy continued. “You might not be strong, and your starting class is one everyone views as a non-combat type class, but that’s expected for someone who recently came out of the Tutorial Area. You don’t have the levels everyone else does nor a clear fighting style cemented.”

Cindy saw a swirl of different facial expressions pass over Liam’s face. She wasn’t sure what was going on in his head and didn’t want him to think her words were negative. She started up again, this time trying to make her point. “What I’m trying to say is, starting classes may make people believe their talents lie on a single path and many people stick to it…but that doesn’t mean you are stuck on that single path.”

Liam looked at her. He let her words sink in. What she was saying very much contradicted what Gimmel said to him. Thinking about those words he decided to ask a question to confirm something. “Can I ask you a question?”

Cindy nodded.

“I was told just recently that your class is what defines you and that mine defined me as someone who can’t fight…,” Liam started.

He saw Cindy open her mouth to say something, but Liam cut her off. “If I were to assume the meaning of what you just said, you wouldn’t think that’s true. If I am right about that, then would you say that a crafter can be a combat style class if I were to not stick to the path the others, who have had this class, did?”

Cindy gave Liam an irritable frown as she looked away from him. “I hate those types of people.”

Liam gave her a curious look as he waited for her to elaborate.

She turned her gaze back on him and responded, “Many people in this world have a one track mind. Those type of people believe that there is only one way a class can go and focus on that. They look down on others who try to break the mold and do things they believe is unnecessary. Like aiming for the unknown is nothing but a dead end and a waste of time.”

“But you don’t believe that…do you?” Liam asked as he eyed the Cat-folk woman in front of him.

Cindy shook her head. “No. I don’t. My reasoning…if there was only one path for a class to go then why are there different evolution options and requirements for a class?”

Liam’s eyes widened. He felt that that was an excellent argument.

“I’m not the only one who believes that as well,” Cindy said before letting out an irritable breath of air while grumbling, “But of course those idiots don’t think that way. They argue back saying class evolutions are just ways of proving you are on a true single path, that the options are just temptations to cloud your path and your resolve.”

Cindy noticed the look that appeared on Liam’s face. She then let out a scoff and said, “I know what you’re thinking. That line of thought is idiotic and doesn’t make much sense. And yet…there are idiots out there that buy into that bullshit.”

Liam really didn’t know what to say to that. If what she was saying was true and people did follow that line of logic…a stupid line of logic…then it would explain why the people that he has come across has viewed the Crafter class as one that will always be a support type class. After seeing the reaction of his friends when they found out about his class, he was starting to believe it as well.

Liam felt a bit irritated at realizing how close he was to resigning to the same ideology as the others. The mention of his class being a non-combat type and that he wasn’t a fighter being said not once, twice, nor three times, but more that it was starting to slowly sink in to his mindset. He knew he wasn’t strong as his friends currently were, but…

“I firmly believe you shouldn’t listen to them. I think, no…I know you can fight,” Cindy stated as she stared at Liam.

Liam gave her a puzzled expression and was about to ask what she meant until she continued, clarifying,

"I saw you hold your own while going against an Engulfing Sea Ooze and two Medium Sea Slimes,” Cindy suddenly stated, bringing Liam out of his thoughts. “And from what I was able to see, that wasn’t your true strength now was it? I believe you have more tricks up your sleeves. Now I don’t know if it’s because you don’t trust me that you didn’t want to reveal them, if the timing to use whatever you have wasn’t right, or maybe you didn’t have the right tools…but I could see you weren’t fighting with all you had.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Liam started to feel a bit self-conscious as he continued to listen to every word she said. It was true that he didn’t use all he had at his disposal. Him not using his Shadow and Lunar Magic, and his Spirit Weave ability had some part to do with him trying not to reveal those abilities just yet. At least not while he was still so weak. The other part had to do with the fact that he really didn’t know much about the monsters he was dealing with.

The only thing he had ever fought against were undead type monsters. Sure, he fought against a bat, a giant crocodile, a snake, and a spider, but besides those four… it really was just undead type monsters. During those fights he used his Shadow and Lunar to the best of his abilities, and they were a great part of his current fighting style.

Liam’s brows scrunched as he thought about that last part. That wasn’t true. There was one bit of magic that helped him get out of sticky situations. Not just magic, but items as well. Both were tied to his class…his starting class. He still wasn’t sure about everything with his evolved class. However, it was still in the same category as his starting class. Crafter.

Using oils and his Light and Burn spell helped him burn the Askith Wight Commander alive during their duel. The same spell helped during other boss fights as well as taking out groups of monsters to help keep as many of them busy while the others took down the other monsters without worry.

Not only his Light and Burn spell, but items like the Implosive Heatwave and Magnetic Shockwave were items crafted and used to help in his fights. Without helping Galin craft those he would have had an even harder time fighting.

As Liam started thinking about this, he came to the realization that his Crafter class had played a part in his fights that he really didn’t think about.

If Light and Burn was so helpful during my fights then what about my other Craft related abilities? Could there be a possibility they could be used in fights as well? Liam thought to himself as his brain started to swirl with different possibilities.

Cindy watched as the gears in Liam’s mind started turning. With a cheeky smile she asked, “Was I correct?”

Liam looked at her as he was brought out of his thoughts and responded without thinking, “About what?”

“That you haven’t truly used everything to your disposal?” Cindy answered.

Liam slowly grew a grin. He then nodded as he responded, “I have my reason as to why I haven’t used all that I have at my disposal. That is correct. One reason is because it’s a secret.” Liam gave her a wink before continuing, “The other reason is because I wasn’t thinking about it as a part of my fighting style.”

Cindy was about to say something, but was cut off as Liam continued, “However, you just gave me some ideas that I need to test out. I’ll need to craft some poisons and learn how to make Chemicalized Creation items, but other than that I think I may have found a way to expand my repertoire. Thank you.”

Cindy slightly blushed and averted her gaze as Liam thanked her and gave her a wide warm smile.

“No need to thank me. I just didn’t like how they wrote you off without seeing your capabilities,” Cindy softly muttered. She then shook her head and gave him an enthusiastic grin while adding, “Come on. Lets go kill some monsters. Maybe you can try out what you’re thinking. I, for one, would like to see what all you’re capable of when you use everything you have.”

Liam nodded as he followed Cindy back to the paths that led into the forest. Feeling better now after having this talk with her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eri smiled as she listened in on the conversation between Liam and Cindy. She was glad to see someone had taken the initiative to talk to him about the error of some people’s beliefs. She did notice the turmoil in her champion’s thoughts about his capabilities but decided not to say anything to him.

She knew she could have said something to him. Knew she could have told him that what those idiots were saying about his class wasn’t all true. However, she wanted him to come to that by himself.

If she was more honest with herself, she was a bit peeved at how his friends acted. One minute they were excited that he was there and wanted him to join them then the next they were telling him he couldn’t join. That kind of attitude was not acceptable to her.

In her fit of annoyance she had almost tasked him to mess with them using his Strife Inducement. However, she stopped herself before actually creating the task. She was only able to stop herself because that Tabby Cat-Folk girl had intervened.

Thanks to her speaking out against the three men, Eri was able to think more about Liam’s situation. She was able to see the hurt his friends had made by their actions and words.

After seeing that she knew that tasking him with using Strife Inducement on them wouldn’t do anything, but create a short lived hollowed sense of justice. That was something she didn’t want Liam to have.

On one hand, she would enjoy seeing the bit of chaos it would make and he could have enjoyed it too, albeit not to the extent she would have. On the other, it would create bad habits of using it on anyone and everyone who talked to him like that.

That was something she didn’t want Liam to do. Having the power to cause chaos, no matter what form it was, could have some adverse effects on a person’s mind. Effects that could eventually lead a person to grow mad and lose their mind entirely.

The thought resurfaced memories she thought she had locked away. Guilt, sadness, and remorse started to slowly creep up her spine as a brief amount ran through her mind. Eri closed her eyes as she subconsciously wrapped her hands over her arms and slowly rubbed them. After a second had passed she recognized what was going on.

A brief amount of vexation suddenly washed over herself as she clamped down on the memories and the emotions they had caused. She shook her hands and arms out, making herself believe that she could easily rid herself of the ghosts from her past.

Irritation filled her as she not only realized what had happened just a moment ago, but also the fact she had almost repeated the actions of her old self. She didn’t want to go back to that version of herself that made her champion do things in a way that could not only make him look stronger, but also make him go crazy.

She looked back at the girl Liam was talking to and grew an appreciative smile. With a quiet volume, she muttered, “I’ll have to figure out a way to thank this little cat.”

The girl was right when she said she hadn’t spent a lot of time with Liam. However, within the amount she had she had already deduced he wasn’t using all he had. Not only that, but she had figured out he could be doing more.

Eri could hear the thoughts running through Liam’s mind. He tended to project his thoughts to her without realizing it from time to time. The connection she had with him allowed him to do this. That being said, she couldn’t hear all of his thoughts. There were times he subconsciously kept what he was thinking to himself. With conscious practice he’ll eventually know how to keep all of his thoughts to himself and only project what he wanted.

She wasn’t going to tell him that though. Some of the things that ran through his head were pretty entertaining. That wasn’t the only reason why she didn’t want to tell him though. Her being able to hear his thoughts helped her to truly understand him. Something she wasn’t able to do with her last champions and followers.

It was something she wanted to do differently with him. She wanted to know how he thought, how he viewed things. From what she was already able to hear and see, he had a vastly different viewpoint on everything. Not only that, but she was able to see where and why he was so stubborn.

She liked that stubborn side of him. It helped him to not conform to everything he was told. It allowed him to look at things differently and try them out despite others saying he shouldn’t.

Would that stubbornness of his get him into trouble…well more trouble? Yes, quite a lot, but that was okay. Trouble helped temper a person. It helped harden resolves where a person was waning. Not only that, but it helped a person grow. And that was something she needed her champion to do. Grow.

That being said, the trouble he came across in the form of his two friends, that elf, and the little assassin-in-training had helped him think about new ways to evolve his fighting capabilities. At least it helped him think more about what he could use and do in fights. If she had to make a remark about the things he was planning on testing…she would say he was on an interesting track and couldn’t wait to see how he implemented the ideas.

Something caught her attention as she watched Liam and Cindy start to make their way towards the paths that lead to the forest. With a curious look and tone Eri muttered to herself, “Speaking of trouble…I wonder what kind of growth you lot will bring about my champion.”