As she reached for the solid-looking pillar, her hand managed to brush against it. or at least, a semblance of her hand did, and she was surprised to notice that it felt like metal. There was a firmness to it that she wouldn’t expect from this space.

Blood Death Knight: The most powerful soldier of a lich, your powers dip into the realm of death. Blood is your body and armor, protecting you from everything. A harbinger of death, your very presence gives people the fear of death. The touch of death imbues you, bringing about a slow death to all that stand before you. Cold and unfeeling you are an embodiment of undeath.

Red reflexively backed away from the class. It sounded far too much like a forbidden class. At the very least she didn’t really agree with how it described her. Many people wouldn’t factor that into their decision, but she knew better now. Classes affected people’s minds as much as their bodies and powers. Simply picking the class would probably lead her to become someone she didn’t want to be. While being cold and unfeeling aligned with her family’s virtues, she realized it wasn’t the same for her. At least, not anymore.

Coming home had been a mistake, killing the man had been something even worse. Agreeing to assassinate Ellis was a terrible decision. She had been so confident that she wanted this, wanted to gain power through any means, but she was wrong. She should have just entered the dungeon like the others. It was too late now. She had killed the man and made the agreement. Neither things could be changed anymore. Staring at the pillar of hardened crystal, she frowned seeing nothing in its reflection. She wasn’t actually in this space; it was just a part of her subconscious. Still, she felt the fool as she looked at the blood-red crystal.

The next pillar she went to was the one that seemed to be like a river of blood. It felt like her hand actually went into the pillar of blood, the liquid seeming to melt into her hand as she did so. The information quickly suffused her mind in the process

Blood-Soaked Ghost: Your body is soaked red with the blood of those you have killed. Your cold and empty soul suffuses your body and powers, turning you into a specter of blood and death. Chase your target through any barriers, killing them in silence and vanishing without a trace. A ghost in truth you are able to avoid the gaze of the living. Your attacks aim for that beneath the flesh. The living has no hope of defending against your attacks.

Red shivered, realizing the consequences of her stupid decision. These classes weren’t weak, far from it in fact. The last class sounded like it would make her an unstoppable force, and this one would make her into the perfect assassin. Any class that had attacks designed for bypassing defenses was powerful, not to mention that this class would be perfect for her mission. However, it was another class that sounded like it would reinforce the things she didn’t want to. She was disappointed in herself for feeling so conflicted. Her family’s teaching had been ingrained in her over years of repetition, and it already felt like nothing compared to the time she had spent with her friends.

She couldn’t avoid the decision though and refocused on the class itself. From the information, it sounded like the class would give her some permeability. Probably let her pass-through solid objects somehow. The class also implied a modicum of stealth and would give her some skills centered around that. Finally, there was the last piece which was probably related to an attack that could bypass normal defenses. It was better than the previous, as it didn’t sound like it would make her as heartless as the Death Knight.

It wasn’t the class for her, and she hoped that the last one would prove better. She didn’t know what she wanted but these two were not it. Reaching for the final pillar, it felt like it was somehow spreading to her. It felt like it was contaminated and that she was now infected by it. The information itself felt a little sickening.

Blood-Plague Harbinger: A disease personified; you infect those around you. Leeching onto anything for a fraction more power. Every attack infects your enemies, draining their life away. It is your vile nature from which your power spawns. Unstoppable and inevitable, you walk the path of death. Pollute the minds of your enemies, affecting them with your self-loathing. Your power corrupts everything, even yourself.

She stared at the final terrible option. All three of her classes bothered and disgusted her. They were what she deserved though. What else could she have expected considering what she had done to get it? Her family would be happy with any of the classes, but she hated all of them. Although, her feelings wouldn’t change the ones offered and she looked at the pillar before her.

This class of all of them sounded almost like it was mocking her. It felt like the class system had made the class specifically insult her. To remind her of the terrible decisions that led her to this moment. She considered that thought carefully. A class tailored to her in a way, a constant reminder of her poor decision. In a way, it was the perfect punishment. It was exactly what she deserved.

The class itself would probably be powerful, focused on applying negative effects to her opponent until they died. Disease classes were often looked upon negatively since the damage they caused tended to be widespread. However, it felt fitting for her. Plus, she thought that it would be more helpful to her team than the other two. Those felt like they would help strengthen her personally, but neither of them sounded like they could do anything to help her friends. This class at least sounded like it would be able to weaken bosses and other problematic enemies. A good status effect was something their group was severely lacking, and this class sounded like it would fill that gap.

She could tell that she had made her decision. While she was worried about how the class would change her, it would also be a constant reminder to try and do better. Honestly, she hadn't been prepared to change so much from meeting a few people. It proved just how manipulative and controlling her family had been. Spending a small amount of time with others was enough to challenge everything her family had taught her over the years. She only wished she had considered these things before killing the unnamed man. The decision had felt so easy in her head. Regretting it after the fact made her feel like a child. She accepted the class, letting the power fill her.

As she came to her senses, she found herself still seated in the bathroom. On instinct, she rose and checked her condition in the mirror. She looked mostly unchanged, though a little sicker than she had before. Her skin had been a pale pink before, but now it was more of a grey than anything else. Not to mention, her eyes looked a little more sunken in. A small streak of red came from one eye and slid down her cheek. It seemed like she had cried without realizing it. using the sink, she washed her face, though the streak had stained her skin. She had a red tattoo coming from her left eye and rolling down her face like a tear that she had let slip. She didn’t think she would ever look particularly beautiful again, but it was still sad to see. There was one more thing to check, and she thought inward.

Name: Ellinia Venfir Class: Blood-Plague Harbinger

Level: 100

Health: 2750 / 2750

Stamina: 2000 / 2000

Mana: 1950 / 1950

Fortitude: 275

Endurance: 200

Strength: 184

Agility: 220

Intelligence: 195

Wisdom: 230

Charisma: 75

Free Stats: 0

Skills: Blood Siphoning, Blood Dominance, Blood Execution → Damage Expansion, Perfect Bloody Clothing, Bloody Wail → Regretful Screams, Strikes of the Blood Plague, Blood Wraith Body, Poisonous Blood→ Infected Blood , Strengthened Blood → Personal Blood, Undead Constitution, Inhumanity, Taboo Existence, Aura of Infection

Blood Siphoning: Control the blood within your body. Give and take blood, damaging enemies and restoring yourself or hurting and strengthening allies. Your blood improves the potency of others, granting them the gift of your unholy blood.

Maximum Bonus: 30%

Blood Dominance: Blood is yours to command, that which you spill and that which other try and hold. Yours is a right of control, the more blood in your possession the more powerful you become.

Blood Execution → Damage Expansion: Command the blood that has lost the will to fight, destroy them from the inside out, using their blood as a tool for your execution. Increase the potency of any injuries or statuses affecting the target.

Perfect Bloody Clothing: Blood is naturally a part of your life and has adapted to become whatever you need. Whether it be a regal dress, a dense armor, or even a casual shirt. Blood will always be close to you, bending to your will and becoming exactly what you need.

Bloody Wail → Regretful Screams: Having learned of the pain of death, you can impart that same pain to others. Let your blood scream out, resonating with the blood of others. Give them a taste of the death you have survived, impart to them that which you hate in yourself.

Strikes of the Blood Plague (Unique) (Passive): Every attack spreads your disease to your enemy, bringing about an inevitable death. Each strike after the first further increases the damage and speed of the infection. The death you bring is inevitable, disease is your method.

Blood Wraith Body (Passive): Blood given life; you have abandoned the need for a human body. Your body is blood, so long as you have mana you can change it as you wish. So long as your blood remains, you can restore your body with mana.

Poisonous Blood → Infected Blood (Passive): Your undead blood is unnatural. As such it is toxic to any that tastes it. Even other undead could not taste your blood without consequence. The effect of your blood spreads to others. Contact is the only thing you need.

Strengthened Blood → Personal Blood (Passive): Your blood is dense and firm. Resistant to change and impervious to the influence of others. Your blood can be sharper than a sword and harder than a shield. Your own mind influences the effectiveness of your blood. Your resolve hardens it while your weakness makes it more infectious.

Undead Constitution (Passive): You have the body of an undead, gaining their unnatural strengths. The unique body of an undead provides you with countless benefits, but also their weaknesses.

Inhumanity (Passive): Giving up your humanity has improved your body, improving your natural defenses, and regeneration

Taboo Existence (Passive): Stolen from death, your life goes beyond the plans of fate. To be free from fate is to have the power to resist its influence.

Aura of Infection (Passive): Your very presence is a disease. Increase the negative thoughts and effects of your enemies, by siphoning them from your allies. Your body acts as the conduit.

The information about the class filled her mind, and she frowned. She didn’t get many new skills, though many had changed. It looked like the class would do what she expected. It would do extremely well in group combat, but also sounded strong in a one-on-one fight. If her unique skill was to be taken at face value, it sounded like she would be able to kill anyone if she wanted to. She considered what that meant for her but ultimately accepted the class for what it was. She was a killer, and the class would only make her better at it. Though she could change and she needed to remember that the class was her reminder.

She left the bathroom, not surprised to see her maid standing outside and waiting for her. It felt like she had spent a long time there. Her maid looked at her with some obvious concern. Red gave her a slight nod, indicating that she felt fine.

“Of course, my lady. I was asked to give you this from your mother. As well as this…”

Her voice trailed off, the maid handing her a bracelet and letter. Even without looking at the letter, she knew what it was. It was instructions for the missions and would contain information on Ellis. The bracelet was more interesting. Her mother’s gifts were always valuable, and she would only give Red the best magical items. She was tempted to attune to it immediately but decided to hold off until actually speaking with her mother. Red owed her that much after running away without even a goodbye. Looking back at Mariel, Red spoke easily.

“Tell my mother that I will come to speak with her.”