Chapter 36: Assembling the Party
The username Featherlight glowed brightly in the air, catching the attention of nearby players. Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they turned to look, curious eyes scanning the small group in the field.
"So it was you. I was wondering who’d be bold enough to come over here," Evelyn said casually, her tone indifferent. Without breaking her stride, she aimed and fired an arrow at a distant Bone Miner. It hit cleanly—a critical strike dealing 330 damage.
Her in-game name floated above her: Tyrant Queen. An audacious name, fitting for her Hunter class, which allowed her to tame beasts as battle companions. That powerful shot was unmistakably the Hunter’s Level 10 skill—Aimed Shot. Ryan had seen her channel the attack for a few seconds. No doubt about it.
"Even in a game, you need bodyguards?" Ryan asked, glancing around. "Players from the same faction can’t even attack each other. Seems kind of excessive."
As he spoke, a nearby Bone Miner respawned. Ryan rushed over without hesitation, his sword flashing as he whittled down most of its health. The two girls standing beside Evelyn exchanged surprised glances.
Paladins didn’t have many moves at this level—Judgment, Fist of Light, and a basic attack. After using them, there was a lull with no real damage output until the cooldowns reset. If he had already chosen the Retribution path, he could’ve chained other attacks seamlessly. But even so, he handled the monster efficiently.
Just then, the Bone Miner retaliated. Ryan had no choice but to channel Radiant Light, standing still as the mob hammered away at him. The girls giggled, covering their mouths. Whatever awe the name Featherlight might have carried a moment ago, it evaporated in that awkward scene.
"Ryan, I’m Level 10!" Mia called out suddenly.
Ryan turned, eyebrows raising in surprise. While he’d been dealing with the Bone Miner, she’d gained enough experience to level up.
"Nice. Go back to town, accept your main quest, and visit the skill trainer. You’ll need to choose your specialization," Ryan instructed. "If you like control, go Frost Mage. For high damage and crits, pick Fire. As for Arcane..." He hesitated for a moment. "Well, you can decide for yourself."
He didn’t sound too enthusiastic about Arcane Mages, and for good reason. Sure, they could unleash insane burst damage later on, but their crowd control wasn’t as strong as Frost, and their overall DPS didn’t quite match Fire. Not the most balanced option.