Part Thirty

“This….this is Michael’s doing, isn’t it?”

“I’d say so. Most of the monsters have been killed by a single thrust to the vitals, though a few show signs of decomposition. I assume the latter is the result of his magic.”

“Eugh, this is grosser than I thought it would be. I can see all their bones and internal organs.”

“Huh. I don’t remember his magic being this potent. This Goblin’s entire upper half is rotted through, but I’m pretty sure [Rot] should only affect a small area. Did he learn a new spell?”

The four of them had come upon the remains of what appeared to be a major battle. A large number of Goblins had been camped out in a building, but they’d all been massacred. There were close to a hundred of them all throughout the building, but every single one was dead.

Based on the way the monsters died, it was probably Michael who’d killed them. He’d left shortly after their impromptu meeting ended, stating that he wanted to do some solo training. None of them had had the courage to try to stop him, not when he looked like he was about to commit murder. Alicia couldn’t stop worrying about him, but she also knew that trying to change his mind was pointless. Once he decided something, there was little chance she’d be able to convince him otherwise.

There was also the thought that they would eventually have to make the same choice he was making now. Gwen and Kalia were still D-Rank for the time being, but Gwyn and Alicia were C-Rank, just like Michael. There was no doubt in her mind that they’d hit the same roadblock all-too-soon.

I…don’t really know what to think about all this. I know Michael said that there could be Classes or something like that way back when we first set out, but I didn’t really listen to him then. I mean, the concept just sounds weird. What exactly is a Class, and why does he think it’s so important?

Alicia had little experience with video games. Aside from a few popular mobile games her friends had convinced her to play, she’d never really been into them. Thus she obviously had no knowledge of RPGs and their Class systems. She couldn’t know that choosing the right Class could make-or-break a character, and that Michael was afraid of that same concept carrying over to real life. It was just that this time, choosing the wrong Class wouldn’t mean having to restart your character, it would mean death, something Alicia hadn’t picked up on yet.

***

[Gwyn's POV]

The others haven’t picked up on it yet, have they? I know Michael has from the way he reacted earlier, but the others definitely haven’t. They don’t understand just how important this will be.

Unlike Alicia, Gwyn had decent experience with RPGs, and could intuit just how important picking the right Class would be. By choosing one that synchronized well with one's Skills, devastating combos could be created. Gwyn had already discovered that combining the effects of his Unique Skill, Overawe, and his War Aura Skill could make him powerful enough to crush large groups of monsters with ease. He was actually looking forward to finding a third Skill he could synchronize, boosting his power even further.

To that end, he was hoping that the System’s Classes would provide that missing piece. If he could get the right Class Skill, he’d be able to take his combat power to the next level.

Unfortunately, Michael, hadn’t been able to provide any detailed information about what benefits a Class may provide. All he’d known was what one was required to go through to acquire the Class. It was also possible that it wouldn’t matter. Michael had said that his growth had been stopped after he reached some sort of limit, which if true, would be enough motivation for anyone to pursue a Class. Well, anyone who wanted to keep fighting. Which certainly described Gwyn.

***

[Kalia’s POV]

Everyone’s so tense. This has to be because of what Michael said this morning. I know I shouldn’t let it get to me, but having to clear an entire Dungeon by myself sounds terrifying. And one that’s probably even worse than the Siege Dungeon? It makes me shiver just thinking about it.

The mere thought of attempting a Dungeon solo was enough to nearly break Kalia’s spirit. And even worse, she could believe Michael when he said they’d all go through it eventually. He’d also all but said that he’d be attempting it once they returned, which scared her even more. Though this was different. She was afraid that Michael would no longer need them. Or want them around.

Alicia said that he’d nearly gone off on his own several times back when they first met. I don’t believe for a second that he wouldn’t think about it now. Michael is, for better or worse, someone who doesn’t feel that he needs other people. He doesn’t mind being around others, especially those he likes, but at the same time, he wouldn’t hate being isolated either.

Kalia had gotten a vague grasp on Michael’s personality over the last couple weeks. While he was content to work as part of a group most of the time, he would also just randomly go off to be on his own, regardless of what they were doing. It wasn’t exactly anti-social behavior, most people wanted some alone time now and then after all, but she couldn’t help but feel that there was more to it.

Her fear was that if Michael got this Class thing and got a lot stronger, he’d consider them unnecessary and would leave the group. And that unfounded fear was feeding off the anxiety she was constantly feeling, which only amplified those emotions. It was causing her mind to wear thin. Unbeknownst to her, she was quickly reaching her breaking point.

***

I exhaled, steadying my breathing. I’d just finished off my fifth group of monsters today, and was beginning to need a break. This was the problem with fighting by myself. I had to do everything, which only drained my stamina quicker.

While I’d always gone off to fight on my own when the whim took me, it was rarely for an extended period of time. I usually went back after one serious fight or a handful of easy wins, but not today. I wasn’t trying to push myself or train, but to instead regain the instinct I’d had in the Nightmare Labyrinth. It had dulled over time, mostly due to my reliance on fighting with others, and now I was trying to sharpen it again.

That’s not to say I thought working with Alicia and the others was a mistake. Together, we could do much more than I could alone. My time in the Siege Dungeon had taught me that. But at the same time, I also thought there’d be times where I’d have to fight on my own, in which case those instincts would come in handy. Fighting completely alone was a different beast than just being separated for a time. After all, even now I could rejoin the others if something truly bad happened. That wouldn’t be possible in the Trial.

“Kuu?”

“Oops, guess I’m not completely alone, am I? Sorry about that Regis. Here’s your lunch.”

“Ku kuuu~!”

The little fox was once again showing off his tracking abilities to help me out. And as always, his reward was more jerky. Why he liked jerky so much, I couldn’t tell. It was just basic salted meat, not even the flavored kind. I’d actually tried to give him that one time, but he’d refused it. He was a strange little fox, that’s for sure.

Well, guess I should look that over again.

As I sat there eating my own lunch, I pulled the Data Slate out of my bag, preparing to once again look through my options. Let’s be honest, I was never going to turn down the opportunity for more power. I’d only hesitated at first due to it being harder than I’d guessed it would be. But since I was now over it, picking what my Class would be was critical.

Powering the Data Slate up, I once again went through my options. Or what was left. The Slate had an option to let me hide Classes I didn’t want, which I was pretty happy about. Having too many to look at made it harder to figure out which one was best for me.

Twin Blade Dark Mage Dread Spawn Abyss Dweller Warrior Nightmare

The Classes I’d removed were Swordsman, Suicide Swordsman, Mage, Murderer and Zombie Soldier, though they’d all been vetoed for a different reason. Mage and Swordsman seemed too basic to choose, plus I didn’t consider myself to particularly skilled with either swordplay or magic. Suicide Swordsman was basically a glass cannon Class, which while closer to how I fought, wasn’t really what I wanted. Zombie Soldier was even worse, as it seemed to be focused on tanking hits and continually reviving and healing, another thing I didn’t want to do. And Murderer was self-explanatory. Seriously, who’d pick that for their Class.

That left six Classes, though one easy enough to get rid of next. It was waaayyyy too esoteric for my tastes.

Abyss Dweller – Those born from the Abyss are known for their mastery of the Soul, and thusly feared, for there are few ways for a being to be utterly destroyed that do not involve the Soul. By temporarily sending one's Soul into the Abyss, one is able to truly understand what it means to dwell there, and what it means to manipulate both the Soul and the Abyss itself.

Class Potential: A

I couldn’t make heads-or-tails of that description, but it probably had something to do with Abyss Magic. Though its high potential rating had made me hesitate, the fact of the matter was that I wasn’t very good at Abyss Magic, as I still hadn’t figured out [Soul Bind]. I was honestly close to giving up. Anyway, my ineptitude with this school of magic would make Abyss Dweller a bad choice, so it too was vetoed. For the record, both Swordsman and Mage had C ratings, Suicide Swordsman had a B+, Zombie Soldier a B-, and Murderer was a B. So again, it did have a high potential.

Hm, Twin Blade and Dark Mage are just more specialized versions of the base Classes, so I could go with them, if there weren’t two other options that were much better.

Dread Spawn – Sometimes, a mortal Mage becomes so connected to a Dread Spirit that they start to blend together. In most of these cases, the mortal’s mind is consumed by the Spirit's, and both perish, transformed into an Abomination. But in others, the two combine into a brand new being. These half-mortal, half-Spirit creatures possess the advantages of both beings, but few of the disadvantages.

Class Potential: A+

Nightmare – A long extinct race that once ruled over fear, inflicting terror into all other living creatures. Nightmares possess immense physical strength, and were said to be the equivalent to walking armies. To become one is to become one with the Dark, and an enemy to Life.

Class Potential: S+

These were the strongest Classes I had access to, but they both came with heavy sounding clauses. If all I sought was raw power, I’d pick Nightmare and call it a day. However, that last line bothered me in a way I couldn’t quite explain. There was also the fact that both Classes seemed like they’d change me in some way. Here was Swordsman for comparison.

Swordsman – One of the most basic Classes that focuses on the art of swordplay. Swordsmen are masters of the sword, and resolve to tame any blade they find, no matter how wily.

Class Potential: C

See? It was nice and simple and didn’t seem like it would turn me into some kind of monster just by acquiring it. Ordinarily, I would’ve thrown it out of consideration, but considering the name, I couldn’t bring myself to do that. The Nightmare Labyrinth had started everything for me, and it was possible that taking the same named Class would pay off even more than the others ever could.

Haaaah, I know I don’t need to decide right now, but the longer I take, the more indecisive I’ll become. And it’s even worse since I can’t make the selection on the Slate until we’re done here. This Trial thing could suck me in as soon as I pick an option. So I’ll wait. I’ll wait until a day after we leave England, that way I can stock up on supplies as well. I just, I just need to come to a decision in that time. It’s not hard, just really, really, difficult. I can’t fuck this up. I just can’t.

I need to train even more.