Jason walked into the town of Danist. It had been a month since he’d left Frogob with the Goblins, the Minx, and… Streni. He had been travelling along the road, fighting beasts, monsters, and a few bandits. He had gained quite a few levels.

‘Ding’ You have levelled up. [Phantom Swordsman Lv 30 –Lv 45]

Gained 75 Stat points.

‘Ding’ [Spacial Strike Lv 18 – 2nd Tier Lv 4]

Use any edge to disrupt the fabric of space. Requires Mana.

2nd Tier: Spend extra Mana to shoot the disrupted space forward.

‘Ding’ [Phantom State Lv 8 – Lv 14]

He had kept putting his points into Intelligence, as he was keen to increase the damage of [Spacial Strike]. Which he was incredibly excited about now that it had evolved a Tier. The rest of his points had gone into Wisdom and Endurance, just because [Phantom State] was still incredibly useful. He grimaced when he thought about [Ghostly Swordsmanship]. He didn’t have a proper sword that he could use, so it was lagging behind his other abilities. He was hoping to find one here, or finally get the Bone Manipulator Class. Judging by his progress with that though, it might take him years. He wasn’t sure if it was this hard for others, or if it was just him, but he put it out of his mind for now, and focused on the sights in the town.

The place was obviously mediaeval. The houses were mainly made of flowing wood and plaster, but with the occasional smooth stone building too. Earth Manipulators? He wasn’t sure, so his eyes moved on. The thing that drew his attention the most was the road – It was terrible, the amount of dirt that was on it made it so each step squelched. He shuddered. It didn’t help that it was a grim rainy day too. He was sure that he would have shivered, if he could have felt the cold. The town was surprisingly busy as well, lots of people dressed in armour, carrying staffs, banners… Is there something going on? He frowned as a cart trundled by, spraying water over his rags. The group of people on it glanced at him dismissively. Except, for one person. Is that an elf?! The man like the others had briefly looked at him, however instead of ignoring him, had quickly twisted back with wide eyes. Jason freezed, watching him warily. The elf glanced at his companions, hesitating, before settling back, still looking at him.

Jason waited until the cart had moved around a corner before continuing. He hadn’t wanted to make the man think he was following. He scratched his head. Did he inspect me? That was worrying. However, he couldn't leave, he needed to fix his shoulders, which was the last reason he had come to town. Ever since Streni had blasted him with her light beams, his shoulders had not been the same. The amount they had healed was surprising, but they still hurt, even with his Vitality showing that he was full. I guess that’s my first objective, find a healer. He walked further in, keeping an eye out for any places of interest.

As he got further in, more people started appearing. Traders, normal citizens, beggars – who didn’t look that different from him. It was lively, and after being out in the wild for so long, a bit overpowering. “Swordsman!” a deep bassy voice called. Startled, Jason turned and saw an armoured bulky man. He blinked when he realised that he was from the cart he had seen just before, and he peered behind him to see the elf and his companions watching.

He swallowed. Swordsman? So they have seen my Class? He didn’t panic though, the man’s voice was friendly, so he hoped that he wasn’t in any danger. He gave him a nervous smile. “Can I help you?”

The man grinned, his teeth shining from his thick beard. “No need to piss your pants! There are no Holy Will fuckers around here!”

Jason’s mouth dropped at the language. And I thought that I was bad… He focused on the man, noting the way his fists rested on his hips, and how his broad chest stuck out.

‘Ding’ [Bastion For The Party! Lv 90]

“Why is there an exclamation mark?”

The man started to laugh, and Jason realised he must have thought that out loud. He started to apologise, but he just waved him off. “Nah, you're fine! We inspected you after all, and everyone asks that question, to which I can only say that I’m just special.” His eyes twinkled delightedly.

Jason grunted. “Fair enough. Was there something you wanted?”

Becoming a bit more professional, the man nodded. “Aye, you look like you’re a bit down on your luck mate! Which is putting it lightly!” He nodded meaningfully to Jasons ‘clothes’.

“Me and the team need another frontline fighter, got to protect the squishy mages, you know? And I’ll be honest here, Falan, our Cryomancer, is mighty interested in your Class, but I don’t give a toss about that and he won’t make you say anything. We could really do with another member for when we head down into the ruins, and I’ve got a good feeling about you! So what do you say, want to join our team?”

There were a few things that he needed to process for a moment there. The first thing he got stuck on was, “Hang on, ruins?”

The bearded man seemed surprised, but his grin quickly returned. “You don’t know? Well, how about this? You come with us, have a drink, a meal and a talk. We’ll bring you up to date with things, and then you decide if you want to join.”

“That is… incredibly generous.”

The man shrugged. “It’s how we always interview people, means we really get each other, which is always better for teamwork.”

He nodded, mulling it over. The thing I don’t get though, is me. Why did he single out? a homeless person?… wait, they didn’t though. They completely ignored me at first. It was only when the elf, Falan? Pointed at me that they decided to ask. So, it must be something to do with my Class. That’s… not actually bad, I think?

He slowly nodded. “Yeah, alright. I’ll come for a talk. Sorry about my rags. I’ve washed them recently, I promise.”

The man let out a booming laugh. “You washed your rags!” He snorted once more, before saying, “Good on you, let’s go introduce you to the others, and we’ll find us a nice pub!” He stepped and turned, placing a large hand on Jason’s back, guiding him to his companions.

He regarded the team as he got closer. His attention was drawn to Falan first, who was adjusting his spectacles. He wore a fitting grey robe and had a wand holstered on his side.

‘Ding’ [Cryomancer Lv 84]

Jason’s gaze moved from Falan’s pointy ears, which were poking from his short black hair, over to the woman leaning on a staff. She was also wearing a robe, one that was not nearly as tight as Falan’s. She had long brown hair, and piercing blue eyes. Oh wait, is she glaring at me?

‘Ding’ [Wood Manipulator Lv 95]

He moved on to the last member of the group, another young woman, with ginger hair. She didn’t have robes like the mages, instead, she had protective leather on, which struck him as much more practical. Although, he assumed there was a reason for them.

‘Ding’ [Fiery Enhancer Lv 66]

She was the only other person to give him a smile, which he returned. “Right! Everyone meet the person who’ll hopefully be our swordsman. Go ahead and introduce yourself…?”

“Hi, my name is Jason. You already know my Class.”

“Well met Jason! My name is Brand, and you know my Class as well.”

He noticed the woman with striking eyes sneering a little. Falan spoke next. “Yes, good to meet you. My name is Falan, a Cryomancer. I’d very much like to speak with you at length.” Jason nodded to him, hesitantly.

The blue eyed woman sighed. “Well, I guess we’re doing this. My name is Falisty, a Wood Manipulator, but I bet you already knew that, didn’t you?” Her pointed tone made him frown, but he had done nothing wrong, so he nodded again.

The last woman glanced at the others, before back to him. She reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Ilis, a Fiery Enhancer.” Her grip crushed his hand, and he winced. Her expression became disappointed. “I’d expect a frontline swordsman to have more Strength.”

Jason shook his fingers. “I’m more of a magic swordsman, and if I’m honest, I haven’t decided if I’ll join you yet. Brand promised a conversation where some things will be explained.”

The man slapped Jason’s back. “That’s right! Figured we’d interview him, that alright lad and ladies?”

There were noises of agreement, and Brand started leading them away. Falan immediately began to pester Jason, with questions about his Class. Most of which, Jason answered, but left out how he got it and such. Should I tell him? I kind of don’t want to. It’s rare, and maybe I can trade the information one day? They had all been interested in his abilities, and had even started discussing how they could make use of them.

They finally arrived at a pub, which was called The Craven Arms. They went inside and after ordering, sat down at a table. Despite what the name of the place suggested, it wasn’t that bad. It was old, and a little dirty, with beers that were only good for getting you drunk, along with food that had just a bit too much seasoning. But, it was comfortable. It reminded him of his home town. Damn, it’s been ages since I thought about home. I wonder if anyones noticed I’ve gone? He shrugged and took a sip of beer.

Falisty plonked her drink down. “So, Jason, why are you here in Danist? Brand mentioned that you didn’t know about the ruins.”

He cocked his head. “Well, I came for two main reasons. One was to find a healer, and the other was to find a sword that could work with my Phantom State.”

She frowned. “What do you mean, a sword that can work with your State?”

“Uh, I thought I said it already? My ability doesn’t allow me to hold anything that’s metal. I was hoping to either finally get my second Class, or find a sword that’s usable.

“You don’t have a second Class yet!” Surprisingly, the one who shouted had been Brand, and was staring at him incredulously. “Oh boy, you need to get that soon. You can’t be at such a disadvantage to others.

Jason hummed in agreement. “Yeah I know. I’m trying to get the Bone Manipulator Class, and I’ve been trying for over a month now. I haven’t achieved anything.”

Falisty regarded him. “What have you been doing?”

“Eh, infusing bones with my Mana and trying to get it to do stuff mostly.”

Falan and Falisty looked at each other, and then snickered. “That’s not how you get the Class.” Falan said cheerily.

“Oh? How then?”

He grinned. “You’ve got to learn how to manipulate your own bones.”

Jason’s blood drained from his face. “What.”

Falan nodded. “Oh it’s well known. Bone Manipulators start off with moving the bones inside them, before eventually learning how to do it outside.”

Falisty smiled. “When he says ‘well known’, he means that the process is famous for being absolutely horrible.”

Jason glanced between all of them. Brand looked disturbed, and Ilis looked excited. “Yes! That would be excellent for the team, you have to get it tonight, or even sooner!”

“Uh-huh.” He shuddered as images flashed through his head. “Any reason for why you think it should be done so soon?”

Ilis leaned forward. “Isn’t it obvious? We think you would be perfect for our team, and we’re planning to go into the ruins tomorrow.”

“Ah! The ruins! I forgot about that – What are they?”

Brand leaned forward. “The ruins are what has so many adventurers excited, even a few Merchant Lords too…”

Adventurers? So that’s what they call themselves.

“…They were dug up recently, some distance away from town. It's one of the largest dungeons anyone’s ever found. We were hoping to explore it, get some loot, you know? When we saw your Class was a Phantom, we were super excited, cause we hoped you might be able to deal with the traps. It's got a lot of them, I think.”

“Which is why you should get a second Class as soon as possible!” Ilis was leaning so far, she was almost in his face.

“She’s right. The ruins will be incredibly dangerous. I don’t think we should take you if you don’t have another Class.”

He shook his head. “Damn, okay, if I’m going to get it in time for tomorrow, I need to start now.” They all gave nods of encouragement.

“You’ll excuse us for not coming. We’ve heard how… unpleasant the process can be.” Falan explained, while taking a gulp of his beverage.

So, it was with goosebumps all over him, that Jason said his goodbyes, and promised to see them later.

He searched the town for somewhere remote, and eventually found a spot underneath the town’s bridge. He sat himself down, and took a deep breath. When he was ready, he raised his hand. Trying to feel the magic power inside him. At first, he simply tried to send it into his bones. Nothing happened. Okay, so maybe it’s already in the bones. How do I manipulate it then? He wasn’t sure. He sat there, for what felt like hours, just staring at his hand. Finally, he pulled out one of the bones from his satchel, and sent the energy into it. Instead of trying to change it though, he focused on how it felt. He didn’t find anything for quite a bit, but eventually, he began to notice weird flows. The Mana in the bone moves in a certain pattern! He switched his focus to the power inside him again. It took him a bit, but eventually, he found it again. Trying to calm his beating heart, he pushed at it near his finger tips. It surged and he fell over in pain. He began to writhe as it didn’t go away. He looked down to see white tipped fingers, bleeding all over.

‘Ding’ You have unlocked the Class [Bone Manipulator]

You have peered into the first secret of bone, and tried to control it. Wield it to your will, and discover more upon your journey. All Mana abilities related to bones have [10%] reduction in Mana cost.

“Yes…” he whispered.

‘Ding’ You have unlocked the Class Ability [Bone Manipulation Lv 1]

Spend Mana to control your bones at will.

‘Ding’ You have unlocked the Class Ability [Dense Bones Lv 1]

By discovering the Mana pattern for bones, you have made them more absorbent to it, making them denser by a static [50%].

‘Ding’ You have one last ability slot for this Class.

‘Ding’ You have unlocked the General Ability [Bone Resistance Lv 1]

Through your own connection to bone, you have become more resistant to its harmful effects.

‘Ding’ You have unlocked the General Ability [Pain resistance Lv 1]

Through exploring your body with Mana, you have instilled an instinct to reduce pain when manipulating yourself.

He was still gasping as the notifications finished. The pain had lessened a fraction, but it was still awful. He tried to push the bone back to where it was, but he couldn’t focus. He fumbled for ideas, and his mind cleared for a moment, allowing him to realise what he needed to do. He activated [Phantom State], and the pain disappeared, leaving his throat didn’t feeling less constricted. Held his hand up again, this time marvelling at the material. Trying out his ability for the first time, he used [Bone Manipulation] and pushed out of his hand. It happened slowly, but he ended up with a stick of bone from his palm. He sharpened the edges and made a grip for his fingers. When he was done, he disconnected it, grasping it firmly. There was one last thing to test. While in his Ghostly form, he raised the sword and swiped it down, leaving a distorted trail in the air. “Fuck yeah,” he whispered.