Chapter 7: Class Change System
“If you want to go inside, you’d better pay us a fee—two hundred soul coins from each of you should do,” demanded the man standing at the center of the trio.
“Yeah! Otherwise, you’ll know the consequences,” chimed in one of his lackeys, brandishing a dagger with a shaky grip.
The three men had an unassuming appearance and haggard faces. All of them were older than me, almost Boris’s age, and seemed desperate. Looking at them, they weren’t particularly threatening. Compared to the group of divine warriors watching us before, these three were nothing more than worms. But still, I quickly realized what was happening: These men were people at the end of their rope, likely running out of soul coins and resorting to extortion as a last-ditch effort to survive.
Suddenly, Boris stepped forward with a commanding presence as his voice thundered. “Two hundred soul coins, huh? How about I give you a good thrashing instead?”
The leader’s face twitched with a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes before he forced himself to puff out his chest. “You think we’re bluffing? We’ve got Boss Ryan backing us up. One wrong move, and you’ll regret it!”
Michelle stood slightly behind me with unease, but I waved her off with a small gesture. “Relax. These guys are just cornered rats. They don’t have the guts to actually attack us.”
Turning back to the trio, I let my voice drop to a cold, cutting tone. “You’re running low on soul coins, aren’t you? But I’m aware of the rules. Step aside now, and I might forget this little encounter.”
Despite my calm demeanor, my mind was already calculating. If they truly hurt or even killed us, could they afford the consequences?
Although neither Raphael nor Elysia had explicitly explained the rules of this place, I was confident that, under normal circumstances, killing was prohibited. After all, this city lacked any visible order—there were no guards in sight. Yet Raphael, as the manager of this divine realm, was undoubtedly watching, and Istellia’s omniscience within her domain meant that no act went unnoticed.
“Last warning,” Boris added firmly.
The leader hesitated, his eyes darting between his companions and us. For a moment, it seemed like he might back down. But then he gritted his teeth and snarled, pointing his rusted short sword at us, “You! Men, let’s teach them a lesson! We can’t kill them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make them suffer!”
The other two seemed to steel themselves, gripping their makeshift weapons—a club and the earlier dagger. Desperation was etched across their faces; it was clear they had no other options. It became apparent that harming other divine warriors was still within the realm’s rules. If so, confrontation was inevitable.
Boris cracked his knuckles, a smirk spreading across his face. “Come at me, then, if you dare.”
“Tch! Attack!” The leader of the trio lunged at Boris, the other two following closely behind.
But before I could make a move, the fight was already over. Boris stepped into the leader’s charge with calculated precision, catching the man’s wrist mid-swing and twisting it sharply. The short sword clattered to the ground as the leader yelped in pain. In one fluid motion, Boris shifted his weight, pivoting to throw the man over his hip and sending him crashing to the dirt with a resounding thud.
The second thug, wielding the makeshift club, rushed in from Boris’s blind side. With a quick reflex, Boris ducked under the swing, closing the distance in an instant. A sharp jab to the ribs followed by an uppercut to the chin sent the man sprawling, his weapon flying from his grasp.
The last attacker hesitated but leaped at Boris with the dagger. “Aah! Die, you bastard!”
Boris sidestepped the clumsy strike with ease, grabbing the man’s extended arm and locking it in a tight armbar, forcing the thug to release the dagger. With a swift twist, Boris forced him to the ground, his face pressed against the dirt as he cried out in pain.
Thus, all three lay incapacitated, groaning and clutching their injuries. Boris was indeed a master of martial arts.
I watched with a raised brow, noting how effortlessly Boris had handled the situation. I suspected his class gave him the extra edge to perform extreme feats like these with ease. Unlike the Novice class, his attributes had been automatically assigned. This meant that Boris was stronger than when he was just thrown into the first scenario.
“Stick to picking on someone your own level next time,” Boris said, glaring coldly at the trio.
Michelle exhaled a sigh of relief, stepping closer to him. “Are you by chance a royal knight, Sir Boris? I’ve never seen anyone as strong as you!”
“Haha! You wish I was!” Boris laughed heartily. “But no, I worked in the military as an instructor in the past.”
I nodded. “Boris doesn’t play around. Let’s move on before they get any more ideas.” While they were talking earlier, I had sneakily put the assailants’ weapons into my inventory.
- Rusty Short Sword (Common) x1
- Low-Quality Iron Dagger (Common) x1
- Makeshift Wooden Club (Common) x1
“Welcome to the Hall of Classes.” A voice came from a gray-haired, late middle-aged man wearing reading glasses. He stood before us with a calm demeanor. “My name is Hugo, and I’m the creation of Lady Istellia, here to assist divine warriors.”
“Hugo?” I asked, stepping closer. “Are you the one who can help us change our initial class?”
He nodded at me. “Correct. What can I help you with?”
Boris wasted no time raising a question. “Hugo, I’ve got something to ask. Why do I have a different class than others? I started as an Apprentice Martial Artist. Can I still change my class?”
“Oh.” Hugo adjusted his glasses with an air of interest. “To answer your question, the class you receive reflects your previous profession or expertise before being selected as a divine warrior in Divine Will. In your case, you were assigned a class in the same rank as Novice, which means you can still change your class here in the Hall of Classes—once. However, in very rare cases, individuals of exceptional power may receive higher-rank classes from the start. Those individuals cannot change their classes until their next class advancement.”
Boris nodded with a smile as he processed the explanation.
In this case, it could be argued that Boris was strong but not strong enough to get himself a higher-rank class right off the bat. Then again, perhaps almost no one from Earth would qualify for such an extraordinary leap.
“Can you tell me what class I’m best suited for?” Michelle inquired curiously.
Hugo’s lips curled into a small, knowing smile. “Of course. Allow me to show you, so you can see for yourself.”
At that moment, blue holographic screens flared up before each of us, displaying a list of classes to select from.
Recommended Classes:
[Apprentice Warrior] | [Apprentice Mage] | [Apprentice Archer]
[Apprentice Thief] | [Apprentice Adventurer] | [Apprentice Scout]
[Apprentice Martial Artist]
Other Classes:
[Villager] | [Freeman] | [Farmer]
[Forager] | [Apprentice Tinkerer] | [Acolyte]
…
What pretty basic options. None of them are unique or hidden classes… However, I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary to be handed out for free. Special skills and classes wouldn’t be handed down to you without effort; you had to earn it.
“At the Hall of Classes, we create a class based on a divine warrior’s accumulated experiences,” Hugo explained. “Wouldn’t these options reflect that efficiently?”
“Then, are recommended classes stronger than the others?” Michelle questioned.
“They might be, or they might not be,” Hugo answered with a smile. “It depends entirely on how you make use of them.” He adjusted his glasses before adding, “Oh, and the cost of changing your class is one hundred soul coins. What do you think about that? You can afford it, can’t you? And remember—you’re free to change it at any time.”
One hundred soul coins wasn’t a small amount, but it wasn’t astronomical either. Furthermore, it was extremely worth it to change your class if you didn’t have a different class other than Novice from the start. Even so, I held off from selecting any of the recommended classes since I had another thought in mind.
“Maxim, lad, I feel like you understand this kind of thing the most. Do you have any piece of advice?” Boris gazed at me, waiting for some suggestion.
Michelle also mimicked his action with an expectant gaze.
Since they planned to count on me to guide them in deciding their future paths, of course, I wouldn’t disappoint them. They would be useful to me in the future, after all.
With that consideration, I offered my advice. “For you, Boris, your current class is a perfect fit. It complements your skills and experience. Plus, you’ll be better off saving your soul coins for other necessities later.”
Boris gave a satisfied grunt and nodded in agreement.
Turning to Michelle, I asked, “As for you, Michelle, what are your recommended classes?”
Michelle hesitated for a moment, then swiped her hand through the holographic interface in front of her. Her movements were clumsy at first, but after a few tries, she managed to display her list of recommended classes for me to see.
[Apprentice Archer] | [Apprentice Scout] | [Apprentice Adventurer]
[Apprentice Woodsman] | [Lumberjack]
I studied the list carefully, then turned to her. “You once said that you’re the daughter of a lumberjack, right? That means you’re probably familiar with handling tools, moving through dense forests, and noticing subtle changes in the environment.”
Her eyes lit up as a small smile formed. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty good at that sort of thing. My dad always said I had a sharp eye when we went tracking animals or marking trees for cutting.”
I nodded, already knowing what she should choose. “All right. Then, Apprentice Woodsman seems like the best fit for you. It’s versatile and ties together the skills you’ve grown up with. Plus, it seems unique compared to the others, which means it might have more potential in the long run.”
“That does make sense.” Michelle nodded with confidence. “Apprentice Woodsman seems like the best choice. I would like to change my class to this.”
“Good choice,” I said, giving her an encouraging nod.
Hugo, who had been intently listening, raised a curious eyebrow. “Is this truly your first time here? You seem more perceptive than your peers.”
I gave a nonchalant shrug. “It’s just common sense, really.”
Seeing I wasn’t inclined to elaborate, Hugo let the matter drop and turned his attention to Michelle. “Simply select the class on your screen, and the soul coins will be deducted automatically.”
Without hesitation, Michelle changed her class with a tap of a finger, and a gust of wind swirled around her, causing her hair to flutter slightly. I could feel that her aura became noticeably stronger instantly. To be honest, I could have told her to spend her unused attribute points first before changing her class, but she wouldn’t benefit from doing what I did. Therefore, I didn’t tell her anything.
Besides, when she changed her class, those free attribute points would be exchanged by preassigned stats, so she wouldn’t be losing out on anything.
“Congratulations,” Hugo said with a small smile. “You’ve now embarked on the path of an Apprentice Woodsman.”