The amount was not enough for Sam to level up, but Jeffrey was able to gain an immediate level. However the man seemed perturbed by something.
“Jeffrey? You manage to reach F Rank. Why do you seem so put out?”
“My Fragment stage Dao. It isn't the same as the one I had before. It is still based on the concept of Accuracy. But not the same as my earlier one. This one gives even more benefits. Things are going a bit differently this time around.”
“Yeah, didn't it take you months to rank up before? You’re definitely seeing an increase now,” Sam said, happy for the man.
“Yes. I am truly an elite now, by the standards of the wider Multiverse. However, you are unfathomably strong for your level. I just wonder why I am not closer to you.”
“Unfathomably stronger? Jeffrey, if you weren't able to tell, only one of us came out of the fight injured, and it wasn’t you,” Sam snorted.
“That was a massive, F Rank beast. It likely had hundreds of points in Strength. A hit like that should have killed you, not just broken a few of your bones. If I had taken that strike, I wouldn’t be here right now. Even worse, you don’t even focus on Resilience. As far as I can tell, your stats are monstrous across the board.”
“So you’re running into the same problem as Eduardo and Lao then. Huh. Perhaps my presence is just especially polarizing, “ Sam said, narrowing his eyes.
He knew that none of his friends would ever betray him, but he also knew that it must be hard for them to deal with being constantly overshadowed by him. Sam had the stats of someone many levels his senior, and even had the luxury of broad stat allocation. His was a charmed existence, by any standard. Then again, the amount of pain and suffering he had gone through to get here was not inconsiderable.
Sam shook his head and flashed a glance over at Jeffrey who seemed to have recovered. The man was looking off into the distance, likely inspecting his new status sheet. Sam sat down next to him. If the man was trying to rank up his class, he would have to wait a bit.
Jeffrey floated in the middle of darkness, looking in disbelief at his three options for ranking up. The first one was about what he expected, an Epic marksmanship related class that revolved around critical hits, but the other two were far stranger. The second of his classes was Epic ranked as well, but this one seemed to have something to do with being an agent of a higher power. He gained a percentage of his master’s power, with his master presumably being Sam. Seeing this class was not strange in and of itself, as such fealty based classes were common in the Multiverse, but the fact that Sam was seen as powerful enough to merit such a class being in existence was shocking. However, none of that compared to the last class option. Still stunned, Jeffrey pulled up the description.
Arbiter’s Adjudicator:Legendary
Your body and mind has changed from being in contact with one of the Dao Incarnations, the most powerful one of all. The Dao Incarnation of Existence is not only your master, but one of your greatest friends. Following him will bring great benefits, such as this class, but also great danger. Will you take up the mantle?
+3 to Strength, +3 to Dexterity, +3 free stat points.
+10% Dao contemplation speed.
The stats that it gave were in line with Jeffrey’s previous class, focusing on things that could make using ranged weapons easier, but the bonuses had almost doubled from before. Jeffrey took the class without a moment more of hesitation, and exited his corespace. The look of consternation on his face prompted Sam to frown.
“Jeffrey? What happened in there? Did you get a good class?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Something… something like that. Here, I'll just show you my stat sheet. See if you can tell the difference.” Showing another man one’s stat sheet was the height of trust within the Multiverse, but Jeffrey did not care at that moment, so shocked was he. A glowing screen appeared in front of the man, allowing Sam to read it.
Torturna Salvinii-Brescon
Arthurax
Mortal Tier
F Rank
Class:Arbiter’s Adjudicator
Level 51
(3 free stat points)
Strength
87
1.13x
Constitution
74
1.13x
Resilience
59
1.13x
Dexterity
89
1.13x
Intelligence
35
1.13x
Wisdom
37
1.13x
* Health 1110/1110
* Mana 350/350
* Stamina 1305/1305
* Dao
Dao Fragment of Precision
* Skills
3x Common, 1x Rare, 2x Epic, 1x Legendary
* Titles
1x Epic, 1x Legendary
* Party
Sam Atlas:Level 58. Health 2110/2370
* Skill Branches
Muscle Density Enhancement(Level 2)
Basic Weapon Knowledge:Ranged(Level 1)
* Weapon Mastery:Implement Stage
* Elemental Affinities
Air:6% Mastery
* Quests
Engines of the End Time:S
The first thing that Sam noticed was how much shorter than his own it was. Most of his special abilities and bonuses were not there, such as his Dao Heritage or his profession. In addition, Jeffrey’s stats were pathetic compared to Sam. The man had only gone through four thresholds, which Sam supposed was an immense achievement for most of the Multiverse. Still, he now had no hope of stepping on the Road to Zenith. What was more important was the class that Jeffrey had.
“The hell? Arbiter’s Adjudicator?” Sam asked.
“Yes. Apparently the System sees you as something more than just another F Rank prodigy. Being near you has changed me in its eyes.”
‘Well, that’s concerning. Am I altering the paths of everyone that I meet?” Sam wondered, a little bit perturbed.
“Perhaps. For now though, let’s get his boar back to the city, or at least its head. We should reassure everyone that the threat is gone, and we can resume our conversation about monster ranks along the way.”
Sam nodded and walked over to the boar, before tearing off its head with his bare hands, and lifting it over his shoulder. Jeffrey shook his head at the casual display of brute strength, before walking off into the woods.