Chapter 70: Dual-Class and Legendary Bargains
Liam didn't think Skydragon of Potaka was in the wrong.
He wasn't some self-righteous martyr. In a world like this, seeking safety and avoiding danger was the only logical way to survive. Sometimes, staying alive was the only thing that mattered.
Under the weight of The Cataclysm, saving someone when the odds were certain was fine, but if it required a reckless gamble, was it wrong to refuse? The answer was obvious: No.
As a local thug Liam once knew in his past life used to say: "You’re not my son. Why the hell should I save you?"
In fact, compared to Skydragon, Liam loathed the hypocrites who preached morality and righteousness but were the first to bolt when real danger struck—or worse, those who would sell out their own allies to save their skin. Skydragon of Potaka followed his instincts for self-preservation, but he had never committed an act of malice; he simply refused to take unnecessary risks.
"Amitabha."
Skydragon of Potaka offered a Buddhist greeting toward Liam. "Frost Monarch, you are likely the most powerful player on this server. I would like to ask for your help with a quest."
Liam didn't agree immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes. "What’s in it for me?"
Skydragon didn't seem to mind the bluntness. He reached into his inventory and produced a card.
The moment the card appeared, Liam’s pulse hammered against his ribs.
"I obtained this card by chance. I believe it will pique your interest."
As he spoke, Skydragon sent Liam a friend request. Once Liam accepted, the information for the card appeared in his private messages.
Dual-Class Advancement Card: Special
Requirement: Players currently possessing only one primary class.
Effect: Grants the user a second primary class.
Note: One-time consumable; disappears after use.
"I knew it!"
Liam’s heart raced. He had never imagined someone could obtain such a broken item at this stage of the game.
The Dual-Class System was a terrifying prospect.
Liam remembered that in his past life, only a tiny handful of people possessed a Dual-Class System, and they were monsters on the battlefield. It meant being able to complete Class Advancement for two separate Hidden Classes, gaining the traits of both, and seamlessly switching between melee and ranged combat.
Furthermore, every time a Dual-Class player leveled up, they received 10 AP. The natural advantage was staggering.
"What do you need me to do?" Liam asked.
He couldn't turn this down. In some ways, this was even more valuable than a Blessing of the Gods. He was currently an Archer, but he could easily advance into a melee class—a Knight, a Berserker, a Warrior, a Guardian, or an Assassin. Having that versatility and mastering the switch between classes would make him a nightmare to face.
Skydragon of Potaka shared his quest requirements directly.
Quest Requirement: Purify 100,000 undead within one month (Applies to all humanoid lifeforms, including players, NPCs, Elves, Orcs, etc.).
Current Progress: 108/100,000.
Penalty: None.
The quest’s flavor text and final rewards were hidden. Skydragon clearly didn't want Liam seeing exactly what he stood to gain.
"Purify one hundred thousand undead? Why come to me?"
Skydragon gave a bitter smile. "Without help, how am I supposed to find a hundred thousand souls to purify?"
Liam’s lips curled into a smirk. "I see. You want me to do the killing so you can do the purifying?"
"Amitabha. While it may seem uncharitable, this is a game after all. Such concepts shouldn't truly exist here."
Liam nodded. "They don't. I'll take the job."
Killing a hundred thousand people? It sounded brutal, but Liam didn't hesitate.
Targeting players would be the fastest route. Most players were still low-level "newbs"; a hundred thousand wouldn't be an issue for him.
However, would a wholesale slaughter be appropriate? Killing a hundred thousand players would cause a massive level drop across the board, which might negatively impact the overall progress of The Dragon Empire.
A better option would be to incite a war between The Demon's Den and The Astral Kingdom. In a conflict of that scale, killing a hundred thousand—or even two hundred thousand—would be trivial.
"I’ll need to do some planning. Give me a few days."
Skydragon smiled and nodded. "Very well."
He didn't press for details or worry about the delay affecting his progress.
Liam grinned. Things were looking up. He had several quests on his plate now, but they all converged toward a single goal: the throne of The Astral Kingdom.
However, he was still restricted by Arthur Thorne’s quest. He needed to wait two more days before he could make his move.
"Monty, you and Barney keep a close eye on the Royal Family's movements. Message me the moment you hear anything."
Liam sent the message to Monty and prepared to head back into the dungeon. To his surprise, Monty replied instantly.
"Barney and I just picked up a very strange quest issued by Princess Tiana. She wants us to help The Demon's Den attack Blackwind City."
Liam raised an eyebrow. It seemed Tiana was already making her move.
"Then give it everything you've got," Liam replied. "Take Blackwind City."
"Got it."
Liam pushed the thoughts aside and re-entered the dungeon to continue stacking his HP. His efficiency was actually dropping because his damage had become too high; a single arrow would vaporize ordinary mobs. If Chain Lightning or Skyfire Meteor triggered, entire waves would vanish instantly.
Still, every point counted. By the time a day had passed, Liam’s HP had increased by another 200,000, reaching 6.87 million.
Monty sent an update: Blackwind City was in a stalemate with The Demon's Den. King Abraham was reportedly furious and had dispatched The City Guard from the Astral Capital to reinforce the city.
On the final day, Liam continued his grind in peace until another message from Monty arrived.
"Tiana’s collusion with The Demon's Den was discovered. King Abraham has declared her a traitor and issued a warrant for her arrest."
Liam’s eyes narrowed. This was getting interesting. Tiana had been exposed already; it seemed King Abraham wasn't as incompetent as he looked. Or perhaps the King had simply been waiting for an excuse to tear off the mask of civility.
Liam still couldn't intervene, so he kept grinding. By the end of the final day, he had added another 190,000 HP. His total HP finally broke the seven-million mark, sitting at 7.06 million.
As Liam’s HP grew, so did Barney’s.
Just as the final day drew to a close, Monty delivered a bombshell.
Tiana was dead.
Liam was genuinely shocked. Given Tiana’s deep roots in The Astral Kingdom, he hadn't expected her to fall so suddenly.
"Understood."
Liam cleared the dungeon and stepped out. The moment he emerged, he saw Leona, her face clouded with worry.
"Frost Monarch, Tiana is dead. I’m next."
Liam frowned. Tiana’s death felt far too abrupt.
"It doesn't matter," he said calmly. "I'm stepping in."
The restrictions on him had finally lifted, and he had successfully completed the Prelude Scroll for Arthur Thorne’s Blessing of the Gods.
"What are you going to do?" Leona asked.
"I’m going to help The Demon's Den establish a regime. We'll lure King Abraham out and kill him."
Leona sucked in a sharp breath. Liam’s plan was insane.
"Why help The Demon's Den?" she pressed.
Liam obviously couldn't tell her it was for The Veiled Overseer’s quest.
"As strong as I am, I can't take on an entire army alone. If Abraham stays hidden inside The Royal Palace, killing him is nearly impossible. We need a bait that he can't ignore."
"If The Demon's Den establishes a rival government, Abraham will have to show his face. If a second regime rises in his country and he does nothing, his people will abandon him."
Leona bit her lip. She felt there were holes in the plan, but she couldn't quite articulate them. On the surface, Liam’s logic seemed sound.
After Leona left, Liam checked his rewards. For completing Arthur’s task, he gained 100 AP and one use of Blessing of the Gods. His total AP now sat at 2,965.
"Use Blessing of the Gods."
Ding! You have received the Blessing of the Gods...
Ding! Gaea the Earth Mother is bestowing a Divine Blessing upon you...
Liam froze. Gaea again? This was a bit of a headache. He already had two of her blessings; getting another would just be redundant and wouldn't speed up his overall progress.
Ding! You have obtained the Sanctuary of the Earth-Guardian.
Liam blinked. A Sanctuary? Was it a temple? He immediately checked the stats.
Sanctuary of the Earth-Guardian: Special Building
Requirement: Restricted to Frost Monarch. Cannot be traded, dropped, stolen, or stripped away in any form.
Effect: Unknown.
Durability: Indestructible.
Liam stared at the screen. "Unknown effect? Are you kidding me?"
What was the point of this? In the myths of The Eastern Realms, Gaea was a saint. Items like the Death Cycle or The Tome of Mortality were incredibly powerful. In the legends of The Infernal Courts, a Sanctuary usually referred to the temple of a City God.
Was it for collecting Faith Energy?
The only way to find out was to build it, but Liam didn't have a Fiefdom yet. For now, the Sanctuary would have to stay in his inventory.
He tucked it away and headed toward The Demon's Den to find The Veiled Overseer.
"Frost Monarch, you finally showed up." The Overseer looked like he had been waiting.
"I’m ready to lead your forces," Liam said neutrally.
The Overseer’s eyes lit up. "Excellent. I’ll mobilize the army immediately."
"I have a condition," Liam interrupted.
"What is it?"
"I want your Mantle of Deception."
The Veiled Overseer’s brow furrowed. "That wasn't part of our deal."
"I can't afford to have my identity exposed. Your Mantle is the best way to ensure that."
The Overseer chuckled. "Are you joking? Among the Adventurers, is there anyone else with your ridiculous damage output? The moment you attack, everyone will know it's you, Mantle or not."
Liam shrugged. "The high-ranking officials might know, but the common people won't. I need to leave them a reason to accept me later. I’ll need to 'cleanse' my reputation eventually."
The Overseer narrowed his eyes, studying Liam. He seemed to realize something. "You... you aren't planning to get yourself knighted as the War God of the Astral Kingdom, are you?"
"You help us build a regime, take my reward, and then turn around and help The Astral Kingdom wipe us out so you can take their reward too?" The Overseer let out a cold laugh. "Frost Monarch, you’re quite the strategist. You'd use the lives of my men as stepping stones for your own profit?"
Liam rubbed his nose. "Am I really that terrible in your eyes?"
"Yes." The answer was instantaneous.
Liam didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn't done anything that atrocious yet, but he was already being treated like a villain.
"The Astral Kingdom is just my starting point," Liam said. "There’s a much larger world out there. I don't plan on wasting too much energy here."
"Maybe," the Overseer snorted. "But I know you don't mind squeezing every bit of profit out of this place while you're here."
Liam threw up his hands. "We're partners. Why the lack of trust?"
"Fine. If you want me to trust you unconditionally, add one more thing to the Quest Scroll."
Liam frowned. "Black-Robed One, don't push your luck."
"I'm not pushing. It’s just that you, Frost Monarch, are a very hard man to trust."
Liam cocked his head. "What’s the condition?"
"Kill King Abraham."
The Veiled Overseer stared him down.
Liam’s internal reaction was: That’s it? That’s literally my mission anyway.
But outwardly, he reacted with immediate indignation. "You’re dreaming! Kill the King? Do you think he’s some pushover? You have any idea how hard that is?"
The Overseer smiled. "That is the only way I will trust you."
Liam went silent, pretending to weigh the options. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. "It’s not impossible. However..."
"However what?"
"You’ll have to pay more."
The Overseer laughed heartily. "Deal. If you add that clause, I’ll increase the reward."
"Killing King Abraham isn't a small task. The payment better match the risk."
The Overseer nodded. He flipped his hand, revealing a single golden leaf resting in his palm.
Liam’s eyes widened. He didn't recognize it—the world of Twilight of the Gods was vast, and even with his knowledge, he didn't know everything.
"This is a leaf from The Tree of Eternal Wisdom."
"The Tree of Eternal Wisdom?" Liam’s pupils contracted. "Isn't that a myth?"
He had heard of it, but even in his past life, it was nothing more than a legend.
"It is indeed legendary. There isn't a single one in all of The Astral Kingdom. I brought this with me from the sacred grounds of The Aetheria Empire."
Liam’s heart skipped a beat. He asked instinctively, "Are you from The Infinite Aether Palace?"
The advance reading chapters on have reached 12chapters. Thank you for reading!
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