Chapter 101: The Number 49
Ethan froze, his hand hovering over the flickering projection as the crimson warning text bled beside his current level.
| Level 49 [Sealed - Progression Locked] Class: Apprentice Yotzer HaRishon — Grade 7
|
Ethan didn't waste another second standing in the gate's shadow and logged out.
Blood flow rushing back through his body, clearing the neural fog from his brain. Ethan held his posture flat against the floor of the Jurong East flat, pushing through a calculated set of basic calisthenics and deliberate forearm exercises.
After hours of immersion inside the capsule, his physical body always felt cold and sluggish.
He stood up, his bare feet making no sound against the clean tiles as he walked out.
A low, continuous mechanical hum vibrated through the small space. Ethan stepped inside, his eyes tracking the soft green wave across the monitor of the medical pod.
Grandma lay perfectly still beneath the curved glass, her chest rising and falling in a slow, deep rhythm synchronized with the automated fluid pumps. He leaned over, checking the white seals around the primary nutrient feed line and tapping a small button to clear a minor condensation prompt on the corner of the display.
Moving her to the pylons of Jurong East had been a massive financial hurdle, but seeing her peaceful, undisturbed sleep made every grueling hour in the dive immersion worth it. The current month’s S$2,500 installment was already paid in full, but Ethan sighed, thinking about forking up that amount another six hundred more times. It was an exorbitant sum.
Wiping his brow, he walked back to the kitchen, poured a cup of tap water and sat down.
He booted up his tablet, opening the game forums to search for any information about the Level 49 progression lock.
The top-trending threads were flooded with high-tier players from Orchard Apex and Sentosa Vanguard arguing which faction would contribute most to the new war campaign. Ethan scrolled past but a few post stood out:
- MerlionChariot:"Just hit Level 49 on my Royal Charioteer. The promotion quest is an absolute joke. Just ride back your garrison and dump 50 silver shekels to instantly unlock Chariot Commander or Chariot Sergeant. Easy day, P2W."
- ScribeGrinder:"Any Sopher scribes stuck at the Grade 7 cap? Avoid the crop ledger quest and take the army census ledger quest to unlock Shofet easy. The crop counting quest is bugged now in the current shortage."
The regular Yotzer (Potter) quest was even easier, it automatically, unlocked as long as you have crafted more than 100 items previously.
But I've crafted way more than that, Ethan frowned.
Frustrated by the public boards, Ethan stood up, walked over to his gaming capsule, and pulled out the hidden black binder.
His eyes locked onto a section labeled The Class System. The notes confirmed the math: the level system ran on a strict seven level curve, where every seven levels marked a distinct change in Grade status. Level 7 was Grade 1; Level 14 was Grade 2. Level 49 marked the seventh 7.
Ethan scanned the remainder of the page, searching for any footnote on hidden or legendary classes.
Nothing.
He closed the black binder with a dull thud, his fingers tapping the cover.
He'd already long fulfilled the 1oo items quota of the regular potter quest. What else does this hidden class variant want me to do?
He finished his meal, and climbed back into the gaming capsule.
Ethan’s eyes snapped open. his Medjay linen disguise materializing around his jaw as he stood in the quiet recess beneath the inner gate wall.
He pulled down his interface, and began to systematically dig through the interface.
Anything please. I just need something to point me in the right direction.
Tucked away in the Linguistic Genesis Engine Menu—a tiny, unread tab was flashing a faint, dull amber light. It was just the letters A-B-Q (אָ בָ ק) .
Ethan reached out and tapped the flashing tab.
| [Class Advancement Quest: The Threshold of Oman]
|
Ethan stared at the mass of letters and took a breath.
The game wasn't going to feed him the answers. But now, at least he has a heading.