I froze.

There was no way I could tell her I had chosen the Necromancer class.

That would be a death sentence—not just because of the government’s strict ban on dark classes, but also because of the religious fanatics who would see me as an blasphemer.

And I couldn't just claim to be a Tamer, the lie I'd told Lila, because if she asked me to tame something, I'd be exposed immediately.

What should I say?

I tried to stall, to buy myself time.

"Why does it matter?" I asked, attempting to shift the focus.

"No adventurer in their right mind would openly reveal their abilities. Doing so would make them an easy target, both in and out of the dungeon. Besides..." I hesitated, looking her in the eye, "we’re not exactly on personal terms, are we? I don’t even know your name."

She scoffed at my deflection, crossing her arms as if she’d expected it. "My name is Natalia." she said, her tone carrying authority. "And you should understand something, Leon: I’m not an adventurer. I’m an official of the government, and it’s my job to ask questions. Answering those questions isn’t optional. Refusing to do so is equivalent to going against the government."

Her eyes narrowed, the tension in the room thickening. "So, let me ask you again—would you prefer to be locked up for refusing to answer such a simple question, or is your class that much of a problem that you can't reveal it?"

She wasn’t playing around, and I was backed into a corner. I had to think of something quickly.

What class could explain my abilities without raising suspicion?

Then, it hit me. Alchemist. It was perfect.

The Alchemist class had a certain trait that could maybe trump her into thinking i actually had this class.

It wasn't a combat-heavy class, but the alchemist had the trait "Substance Manipulation".

https://i.imgur.com/JZww1AH.png [https://i.imgur.com/JZww1AH.png]

[Alchemist Trait: Substance Manipulation]

This trait allows the Alchemist to alter the physical properties of organic and inorganic substances. The Alchemist can transmute basic materials, infusing them with new characteristics such as hardness, elasticity, or even liquid state. These changes are temporary but can be enhanced with further alchemical refinement.

This trait allowed the alchemist to alter the properties of certain materials, making them versatile and resourceful.

And that’s exactly what I needed—something that could explain my class choice.

It would make perfect sense that, as an Alchemist, I’d been able to transmute my 'Ooze' properties, a non-combat substance into something that could shapeshift for defense or offense.

My slime's ability to harden into spikes or shields? If I'm correct that could easily be framed as such.

It was a believable story. The Alchemist class was respected for its creativity, not feared like Necromancers. I could work with that.

I nodded to myself, trying to build confidence in my lie. "Alchemist." I said to her.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Alchemist, huh?" she said, her voice dripping with skepticism.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "I have to admit, that's... surprising. I didn't think an Alchemist class would give you enough power to survive against Ragnok." Her eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "Do you mind showing me how you manipulate your ooze skill? I'm sure you've found a way to use it in the dungeon, haven’t you?"

Here it was. The final hurdle. My mind raced, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Sure." I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

What I was about to do was a gamble, a high-stakes bluff that could either save me or completely expose me.

I raised my palm and began summoning my slime. As it started to materialize, I internally commanded it to shapeshift into a spike before it could fully take its form.

If this worked, it would just look like a manipulated substance—like something an Alchemist could pull off through its trait.

The slime started to materialize in my hand, initially resembling a simple blob of gelatinous substance.

It wasn’t in its fully summoned form yet, which made its outer appearance indistinguishable from my old Ooze Skill.

Then, just as planned, the slime solidified into a spike before fully manifesting as a minion, its gelatinous form hardening into a sharp point in an instant.

I held it up, keeping my face neutral as Natalia scrutinized me.

She leaned forward slightly, watching carefully as the slime stayed in its spiked form.

After a moment, she leaned back and scribbled something in her booklet, her expression still unreadable.

"I guess you really did choose the Alchemist class." she said, her voice neutral but still carrying a hint of doubt.

"Well, it wasn’t so hard to share that information, now, was it?" She glanced up from her notes, her eyes locking onto mine.

"I don't understand why you took so long to reveal it. But let me offer my congratulations—it takes a certain creativity to turn something as worthless as your Ooze into something... usable like this."

“Thank you?” I replied, keeping my tone as neutral as possible, even though I could sense the subtle disrespect in her words.

Natalia didn’t miss a beat. "Anyway, the real reason I’m here isn’t just to congratulate you. I’m here to inquire about Ragnok." she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone.

“We’re trying to gather as much information as we can about him. As I’ve already mentioned, he’s quite the notorious guild leader. His guild, the Iron Horns, is relatively newly established power, but they’ve gained influence and notoriety quite rapidly."

She turned a few pages in her booklet, scanning the text. "The government lacks concrete intel on him. The only thing we know for sure is the skill he acquired during his Skill Acquisition Day."

She flipped the page around and pointed to a specific entry. "It’s called Cleave. A basic offensive skill where the wielder uses their weapon to cleave through enemies, dealing a percentage of their weapon as added damage."

I leaned back slightly, listening as she continued. "Now, from what I understand, the fact that Ragnok came after you outside the dungeon—after expending what must’ve been a significant number of abilities—means you gave him more trouble than he anticipated. And that interests us. What I’m trying to get from you are the details. What exact skills did he use?"

I could tell she was probing for something specific. What were they planning? Were they trying to control this guild of outlaws for themselves or get rid of them?

Her motivations weren’t entirely clear, but one thing was certain—she wanted more information about Ragnok’s abilities, and she expected me to hand it over willingly.

But why should I? This wasn’t a charity, and the way she was pushing for answers made me realize I had something she wanted. That meant leverage.

I crossed my arms and looked her directly in the eye. “Well, here’s the thing…” I paused, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment.

“Since the incident, my memory’s been a bit hazy. You know, almost dying and all that. Maybe if I had a bit of… incentive.” I said with a sly smile, “it could help jog my memory.”

I had information, and she needed it. Now it was just a matter of what it was worth to her.

"Incentive?" Natalia raised an eyebrow, her voice taking on a sharper edge.

"Me saving your life should be more than enough reason for you to provide this favor."

I smirked, shaking my head slightly. "The thing is, that wasn’t really a favor, now was it? You were just doing your job, fulfilling your duty. I’m grateful, sure—but let’s not pretend it was out of the kindness of your heart."

I leaned forward slightly, lowering my voice with a more serious tone. "Now, if you want a real favor, something a bit more personal, maybe we could talk about… I don’t know, a reduction on those monthly credit payments?"

Natalia’s eyes narrowed, clearly not thrilled with the turn of conversation, but I could tell I had her attention.

Natalia stared at me for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line before she sighed. “Fine. I’ll offer you a 20% credit reduction for this month only. That’s more than generous considering the situation.”

I shook my head, leaning back against the bed, folding my arms. “Not enough. Half the credits owed for this month, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

She looked at me, clearly annoyed but calculating her options.

The silence hung heavy for a moment before she relented, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Alright, half. But don’t push your luck any further.”

I smiled. “Deal.”