Chapter 28: First Class Advancement
Early in the morning, I, along with Boris and Michelle, headed straight to the Hall of Classes after finishing breakfast. The sooner they underwent their class advancement, the better.
The streets of District F were quiet at this hour, with only a few early risers moving about—mostly store owners preparing their shops or divine warriors returning from late-night scenarios. However, when we reached the main plaza, it was already bustling. The Hall of Classes, in particular, had gathered quite a number of people. Fortunately, we were able to push our way through and reach the main entrance.
Inside, we were greeted by a calm, familiar voice.
“Welcome to the Hall of Classes— Oho? You three have already returned? That’s quite fast.”
I turned toward the speaker and saw a gray-haired, late middle-aged man wearing reading glasses, Hugo. The same person who had helped us when we first came to the Hall of Classes. He stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back as he peered at us through his lenses with a look of pleasant surprise.
“I had just checked your scenario records yesterday,” Hugo continued, clearly caught off guard. “Most divine warriors take a week or more to complete the second scenario, especially first-timers. But it’s only been… what, two days?”
It seemed that “NPCs” of some standing, like Hugo, had the authority to review scenario records for divine warriors in Fantasia. I was fairly certain that this wasn’t standard access for most, which meant he likely held more responsibility than he let on. It also implied that someone like Elysia likely could do the same, if not more.
“Something like that,” I replied casually.
“My, my,” he said with an impressed nod. “You’re moving along quite efficiently. It’s rare—almost unheard of—for divine warriors to return for class advancement this quickly in this realm.”
“It was a decent warm-up,” Boris added with a shrug, as if it was no big deal.
Michelle gave a quiet nod, calm as ever.
“Mm. In that case, I assume you’re here for your class advancement,” Hugo said with a warm smile. “Allow me to display the possible paths available to you.”
The moment he spoke, several blue holographic screens flared to life in front of Boris and Michelle—and to my surprise, in front of me as well, despite already having completed my class advancement.
Recommended Classes:
[Warrior] | [Mage] | [Archer]
[Thief] | [Adventurer] | [Scout]
[Martial Artist] | [Squire]
Other Classes:
[Tinkerer] | [Acolyte] | [Shaman]
[Bandit] | [Pugilist]
…
Interesting.
It seemed that even after obtaining a legendary class, I still had the option to change it through the System. Though realistically, who would be foolish enough to discard a legendary class for a lesser, normal one?
That said, it made sense. I had used Grant Plausibility to conceal my true class, modifying the System’s visible record to display my class as simply Apprentice Swordsman. So, to the Hall of Classes, I still appeared as someone who hadn’t advanced yet. It was only visual deception, though, and I could change it to Swordsman without having to pay plausibility again.
“Before you proceed with choosing your new class,” Hugo added, adopting a more formal tone, “please be aware that the class advancement comes with a fee of five hundred soul coins. However, I trust that each of you has accumulated the necessary funds.”
Boris gave a confident grunt in response, and Michelle offered a small nod.
I remained quiet, eyes still scanning the display. As expected, there were no rare or hidden classes listed. Everything that appeared on their displays seemed like standard basic classes that were common to most divine warriors.
It wasn’t all that surprising, however.
Those high-grade classes rarely appeared during the first class advancement. More often than not, they were locked behind special conditions or events and typically revealed themselves during the second advancement onward. Even Boris, who had awakened a signature skill during the second scenario, didn’t have any extraordinary class options on his list, as I briefly peeked at his list.
That being the case, one’s base class didn’t always reflect their true potential. What mattered most was compatibility.
If, by some fluke, Boris had been given the option to choose something like Dark Mage and accepted it, his effectiveness would’ve dropped dramatically. He’d be far weaker than if he simply chose Martial Artist, a class that matched his natural strengths. Although, it would be interesting to see Boris as some kind of magic tank… With his sheer physical resilience, he could probably make it work and look like an unstoppable beast on the battlefield.
On the other hand, Michelle was likely leaning toward Woodsman, the natural evolution of her Apprentice Woodsman class. While Archer and Scout were also solid and commonly chosen for ranged combatants, Woodsman offered a more unique growth path. If she were to learn nature-based magic, she could potentially become a Magic Lumberjack.
I should probably tell her about that, I thought absently.
Regardless of what they chose, both of them had shown real growth in the last scenario. Now it was time to see what direction that growth would take from here. Under my guidance, they would reach their full potential.
“All right. It’s decided. I’ll choose Martial Artist,” Boris declared while grinning in confidence.
I had no objections—his choice made perfect sense. No other class on that list suited him better.
“Maxim,” Michelle spoke up next, turning to me with a thoughtful expression. “I feel like I have high compatibility with my current class. What do you think about me choosing Woodsman?”
“Mhm. That’s a good idea,” I replied with a nod. “If you learn some magic down the line and refine your axe proficiency, it might even unlock a unique path.”
“Really?” she asked, eyes widening slightly in surprise.
“Well, it’s just my hunch,” I added, offering a casual shrug while carefully masking my expression. I didn’t want to come off as too knowledgeable. After all, it wasn’t normal for a divine warrior to have information about class evolutions ahead of time.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Hugo casting a brief glance in my direction. His expression didn’t change much, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind his glasses as he raised an eyebrow. He must have noticed that I’d already undergone my class advancement without using the Hall of Classes. However, he was very tactful by saying nothing and simply turned his attention back to Boris and Michelle.
“Very well,” Hugo said with a small nod. “Once you confirm your choices, your new class will take effect immediately.”
Boris and Michelle nodded in unison, each reaching toward their screens and pressing the confirmation prompt. The moment they did, a gust of wind swirled around them, stirring their clothes and hair. Furthermore, there was a soft glow enveloping their bodies for a moment before fading.
Sure enough, their auras had become stronger than before, and I could feel it through my skin. I could say with certainty that their stats were no longer inferior to mine. In fact, Boris’s overall strength might now exceed mine by a fair margin, especially since I still hadn’t invested all my available free attribute points.
Hugo smiled with satisfaction. “Congratulations, you two. You’ve now officially stepped onto the paths of Woodsman and Martial Artist, respectively. I trust you’ll grow even stronger.”
Boris grinned, clearly pleased with the change. He executed several martial arts movements that were now more precise and deadlier than before. I was quite sure that Ryan would have been sent flying with a single punch now, without having to resort to using a surprise attack. Michelle, on the other hand, stood still, eyes down for a moment as if sensing the transformation within her. Then, with a steady breath, she clenched her fists and nodded, a newfound confidence settling over her.
“Um, have you made your choice, Maxim?” Michelle asked, tilting her head slightly.
“I have,” I replied smoothly. “While you were undergoing your class advancements, I have chosen Swordsman.”
“Indeed.” Hugo nodded, clearly playing along. “Congratulations on your class advancement as a Swordsman.”
Hugo really is quick on the uptake, I thought. There’s more to this man than meets the eye, and it’s likely that he has noticed something.
“I see.” Michelle didn’t press the topic any further and instead changed the subject, pumped up. “Now that we’ve had our class advancement, should we challenge the third scenario?”
“I’m up for it if you two are,” Boris added, laughing.
“No.” I shook my head slowly. “Jumping into the third scenario without proper preparation is tantamount to suicide.”
We couldn’t rush into the third scenario because, if my memory served me right, the next scenario wouldn’t be as straightforward as the first two. As it would be of E-rank difficulty, it wasn’t likely to be something as simple as surviving or exploring. There would almost certainly be specific objectives that needed to be completed, which were probably under a tight time limit.
The fact that the first two scenarios had followed a consistent theme was already abnormal. Normally, early scenarios were varied and relatively forgiving. This could only mean that subsequent scenarios would only spike in difficulty. And we couldn’t afford to assume that just because we had new classes, the upcoming challenges would be manageable. In fact, it was likely the opposite.
Scenarios were absolute.
You either cleared them and survived, or you failed and died; there was no middle ground. Once you were inside, there was no escape in the middle until you completed it. That was why proper preparations were incredibly important.
Besides…
“Don’t you two feel that the sudden change in your physical ability requires a bit of adjustment?” I asked, glancing between them.
“I’ve noticed it too,” Boris said, rolling his shoulders. “I may need to refine my movements. This sudden surge in power is not something that can be ignored in the long run.”
“Mm. As expected of Boris, you noticed it quickly,” I nodded approvingly.
“Are we going to train, then?” Michelle asked.
“That’s right.”
With our business at the Hall of Classes finished, we thanked Hugo and left the place together. The crowd inside had thinned somewhat, though there were still a fair number of divine warriors lingering about—browsing class options, conversing in small groups, or comparing their advancements with one another.
Our plan was to head to District E. The training facilities there were far superior to those in District F and only available to Bet-rank divine warriors and above, which we had now officially become.
However, the moment we exited the Hall of Classes, something felt… off.
The typical noise and chatter that usually filled the plaza had quieted to an unnatural degree. Dozens of people stood frozen in place and stared at the sky with wide eyes. Some were pointing, while others were whispering in confusion and fear.
“…What the hell?”
Boris and Michelle muttered, with the latter pointing at the sky in a certain direction.
As I followed their gazes, my eyes widened slightly.