<>(Zack)<>

It looks like Adventurer and Ruffian don't count as Subclass slots, despite not saying they don't and being listed with the Subclasses. In addition, when I accepted Chef, I received a notification informing me that Adventurer grants me one extra Subclass Slot, meaning I can take on another, should I find one I want.

After buying two jackets for me for a silver, twenty-eight copper, Bryce and I head to Jackson's shop, whose owner can be heard hammering away at something in the forge. We wait around ten minutes for him to come out and greet us.

"Sorry about that, boys," he says. "I'm working on a new sword for Nik; he lost his in the mines."

"They lost more than swords," I tell him, and he nods grimly. "Twenty-five more Fallen Adventurers have been added to the ones already down there, meaning it'll be pretty much impossible to take back, now."

"Indeed," he nods. "All we can do is reclaim the other areas and section off that one. Unfortunately, past there is where the really good metals are. How can I help you two boys?"

"Have you ever worked Spook Ore before?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Back when the City was more lively, I got a few chances to work it, before people left for training elsewhere and our people stopped caring. Why?"

I pull one of the Spook Ingots out of my Inventory. Even my automatic drops drop into the second one, not the real one.

The ingot is a trapezoidal prism one foot long, five inches wide at the base, and four inches tall, with the top part of it stretching four inches wide.

The ingot itself is a dark grey in color, translucent, like obsidian and Spook Slimes. Along the core of the ingot glows an orangeness akin to the flames of a jack-o-lantern's candle or a Spook Slime's core.

"A Spook Ingot?" Jackson lifts the nearly-weightless ingot off the counter, examining it. "How did you obtain one?"

"I killed the resident Spook Master in the forest," I answer. "Erm… well, I was trying to run from it after discovering it was a lot more powerful than I could handle, but ended up killing it during my escape."

"How does that happen?"

"I discovered something that Nik apparently didn't know about them."

He raises an eyebrow.

"It requires you to close your eyes while fighting it," I answer. "Spook Masters are masters of illusion, and that's the only way to really kill it easily, making it so even someone like me can kill it. I think everyone within its domain has to have their eyes closed, though, not just those observing it. There's a bonus for killing it in its true form, too."

"Indeed," He nods. "I've never heard of Spook Masters having their true form discovered before, but most other Special Monster Bosses have a true form, and killing them in that if they do often increases the reward. We've known it does have one, but not what it is, as no one's ever managed to pulled it into that before. You killed it by yourself?"

"Yeah," I nod, then gesture to Bryce. "I had Bryce run as soon as I realized we couldn't fight it, so he never got a hit in. It was all me after that, up until I discovered how to kill it easily."

"Which is wise," he says. "Though you both could've ended up dead."

"Yeah," I say. "That damn pervert didn't warn us it'd be that strong, just mentioned it had huge bonuses. Once I finish here, I'm going to go and rip him a new one."

"Since you dealt the killing blow," Jackson sets the ingot down. "And were the only one who fought it, I'm assuming you have both of the Subclasses available?"

"Yeah," I nod. "I took them on."

"Did you use the Experience bonus yet?"

"No," I shake my head. "I gained five hundred percent static Experience for killing it, and again because it was in its true form. I figured, I could use those ten Levels to reach the final stages of a Subclass, as it'd probably be more difficult than starting."

"Indeed," he nods. "However, those two Subclasses are increased by delivering the killing blow to a Monster that qualifies for its bonus. Each kill increases it a Level. It causes a lot of competition, bad blood, and hatred between Adventurers, as there are those who will steal a kill from someone else."

"I'm glad," I say. "The Adventurers around here will focus on more important things, like preparing for the war. Any idiot who comes from deeper in to try to lay claim to my kills will find themselves severely injured."

"Looking at your Class Level," he says. "You haven't used your bonus for your Classes as well."

"Nah," I say. "Same thing with that – I'm saving it for when it's more difficult to raise a Level."

"I wish everyone was as wise as you," he smiles. "Most people use it immediately, either to reach Level 25 of a Class faster so they can take on another, or to boost a Class they just took on. Then again, most only receive less than a full Level's worth of Experience, since the rewards are split between all who attacked it in that session."

"It'd still be wise," I say, and he nods.

"With Subclasses," he says. "Keep in mind that the higher Level boosts things like speed and efficiency, and chances of creating a higher-quality item when completed. However, it does not make up for actual skill, so don't forget to practice your Subclasses when you're able to. You have one more slot, right?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Though I also have Chef."

"How?" He asks.

"By cooking a feast and learning from my past mistakes."

"No," he says. "I meant, how do you have four Subclass Slots?"

"Do you know about my other two Classes?" I ask.

"Original Ruffian and Adventurer?" He asks. "Wait, wouldn't that be six slots, then?"

"They don't count for Slots," I shrug. "Adventurer gives me one extra Subclass Slot."

"Ah," he says, then gently strokes the top of the ingot.

It's perfect in shape, smooth and without any flaws. He looks at me, then back to the ingot.

"What makes it glow?" Bryce asks.

"No one's sure," Jackson shrugs. "It just does. Since you killed it by yourself, Zack, I'm assuming you have five of them?"

"Twenty," I answer. "I obtained fifteen extra for killing it in its true form. I was wondering if you could forge new weapons for Bryce and me with it. Or is that not a good idea?"

"It is," he says. "It's also good for armor as well. Special Metals, including Holiday Metals like Spook Ore, are different from most materials you can acquire. Spook Ore specifically is lightweight, as you've noticed. Its blade will never dull or nick against ordinary materials, and it's highly resistant to magic to the point that it's not far from being completely impervious to it. A special trait of Spook Ore is that it draws magic aimed at its wearer to it as well, meaning it's useful against spell-slinging Monsters for people who wear armor like yours – where it only covers some parts of you, like your chest, forearms, and knees."

Anything more, and it would be too restrictive, I feel.

"In addition," he continues. "All Special Metals, including Holiday Metals, have the enchantment we work into our weapons and armor to make blood and such slide off as an inherent property. Unless you mix it with something else, it retains this property."

"Oh, cool!" I grin at him. "Can you make new weapons for both of us?"

"Sure," he nods. "I can do armor as well, if you'd like. I make what's sold at the armor shop."

"I thought he made them?"

"He just sells them," Jackson shakes his head. "I'm the only Blacksmith in town capable of making high-quality equipment, which is what's needed for the Adventurers who remain here. What I don't make is brought in on shipments. Most of my work is done for the more powerful ones, such as Nik, or repairs. I can make your breastplates, pauldrons, and vambraces with the ore. It would likely take me two and a half or three ingots for a set for each of you."

"Can you make two sets for us?" I ask. "So we have backups, even if they are as tough and durable and powerful as you claim."

"Sure," he says.

"Alright," I pull nine more of the Spook Ingots out of my Inventory and set them on the counter. "Here you go. If you need more, let me know."

"Alright," he says. "I may only need one more ingot, but I might be able to do it with these."

"Thanks," I say.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" A voice asks. "Just putting ten Spook Ingots down like that. How the hell did you even manage to buy that many, kid? They sell raw from the kill for twenty-five gold!"

Really? That's cool!

I turn to face the speaker, a man in his forties, looking like a pompous ass. He's not the one I saw before.

"Me?" I ask, then pretend to think. "Hrm… I think… I'm the one who got a Spook Master into its true form last night before killing it, all while solo'ing the entire thing."

The pompous ass snorts.

"You're only Level 16," he scoffs. "You couldn't kill that thing as a team, much less alone."

"And you're a pompous ass," I say. "Who ignores the fact that a thirteen year-old boy is a Dark Warrior."

I can't see his Stats, so he's a decent Level, but that doesn't mean I'll yield to him. He opens his mouth to speak as I set A Special Kind of Slayer to my Title for the second time today, and he stops, staring.

"Is there a way to make a Subclass visible?" I ask him. "I'll happily show you Holiday Hunter."

He doesn't respond.

"Jackson," I say without taking my eyes off the pompous ass. "How long before I can expect our new equipment to finish?"

"Three days," he answers.

"How much will the cost be?"

"Normally," he says. "The knives alone would cost ten gold apiece. The total order would go upwards of twenty diamond coins. However, you're supplying the Spook Ingots from your kill last night, cutting out a fair portion of the cost. My discounted rate for you will be five gold. No haggling, because that's still quite cheap compared to what I'd charge others with higher tags."

No shit. It's probably at least a diamond coin for the actual work, but he's giving it to us discounted because of who we are and us being kids who work as hard as we do.

Because we actually try to make a difference.

"Thanks," I say, pulling out two gold coins, each with a one denoting their value, as well as five silver coins, each valued at ten apiece. "Here you go."

I flip each one up and back, hearing him catch each of the seven coins.

"I'll pay you the other half when I pick them up," I tell him. "See you in a few days, Jackson. Later, Mr. Pompous Ass."

I walk past the pompous ass, Bryce following at my heels. I'm surprised he stayed as silent as he did during the whole ordeal. It's not like there was much he could do that wouldn't anger the guy worse, but it was still odd.

"What did he mean," Bryce asks as we walk towards the Trading Post. "By 'higher tags'?"

"Oh, right," I say. "I guess we haven't discussed them, have we?"

He shakes his head, so I explain the tag system to him the rest of the trip to the Trading Post. When we enter, there's another pompous ass inside who scowls at us.

"Zacky!" Jesse exclaims. "I heard about you killing the Spook Master by yourself last night! Congratulations!"

I wish you the best of luck getting devoured by the Turkey Patriarch.

The ass's entire expression changes from a scowl to sudden caution as soon as Jesse mentions my feat. He no longer looks as pompous.

"Hey, Jesse," I approach the counter, then glance at the pompous ass, as if noticing him for the first time. "And you are?"

He's in his late teens, and is dressed in light blues and silvers, the image of a silver rose sewn onto his breast and his cloak, a silver rose acting as the clasp for his cloak. His black belt has a silver rosehead as the buckle.

This guy is seriously into silver roses.

In addition to his odd attire, he has golden-blond hair and sky-blue eyes. He also has no visible weapons, though I can't see his stats, meaning he's a decent Level. A magician, no doubt. That, or he doesn't dare show a weapon in Jesse's Trading Post.

In addition to his appearance, there are eight Knights and two magicians in the Trading Post, all of whom moved towards me as I approached a few moments ago, though they didn't come too close.

They weren't even worth observing.

"This is Joseph Forsan," Jesse introduces us. "Crown Prince of Wyina."

Wyina is the name of the kingdom formed of the Adventurers to govern them all and keep order and peace. If this is the prince of it, no wonder he has so many guards.

"'Sup?" I ask.