"[Vengeance]?"
Zevrad nodded his head at Ariana's question. Just as he had been ordered to, he informed her of his spec as soon as it was bestowed to him.
"I see." Ariana nodded back while inwardly breathing a wistful sigh.
If one were to rate the values of different specs, then [Vengeance] possessed an unmatched brilliance that no others could hope to match. Not only did this spec boast incredible versatility, but it also came with the inherent advantage of cheat-like durability, allowing for rapid adaptation to the situation at hand.
On top of that, it was a rare spec too. It would be difficult to find even one out of one-hundred candidates. In order to walk the path of Vengeance, one's Endurance or Mana stat had to be 'Intermediate' at a bare minimum. Not to mention, one's personality trait and talent had to be suitable as well.
In reality, the average Mana or Endurance value of the survivors entering the Basic Realm was only at 'Low'. It was only fair for the Night Elves that their Mana stat would be that low since they had forsaken the practice of the Arcane. A school that utilizes mana above all else.
So, it was only natural that finding a [Vengeance] Demon Hunter among the Night Elves would be difficult. And it was definitely not an exaggeration to say survivors with the [Vengeance] spec would be treated with importance regardless of where they showed up.
Of course, this didn't mean that [Havoc] should be disregarded. The issue had to do with their abundance since there were just too many of them. Taking one look at the spec distribution among this batch's Basic Realm entrants told everything one needed to know.
66 people entered the Basic Realm on the first day, and currently, 58 still remain. Among them were 55 [Havoc] and 3 [Vengeance] Demon Hunters. Some were even worried that they would be used as cannon fodder. This worry is not without justification since it was commonly known that Contracted survivors, who didn't show any redeeming qualities, often ended up as meat shields.
'Regardless, all I have to do is train him well and to humble his personality. Just so his achievements don't fill his ego.'
Ariana carefully fixed her expression so as to not reveal her thoughts. Then, she handed Zevradl a piece of paper.
"I understand. Let us begin with training your [Demonic Application] first."
------
[Reacting to your Desires (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Sense yourself!
Difficulty: Basic
Success: N/A
Failure: N/A
Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
------
The parchment contained one of the new missions that appeared on the noticeboard after the Chamber of Awakening was completed. Although he took the parchment since Ariana was giving it to him, he was feeling a bit skeptical as well.
'Sense myself, is it?'
A firm, heavy energy had manifested into the form of a baby and had taken root inside his body. This thing didn't feel alien to him anymore. Not only could he sense it very clearly, but he also thought that he'd be able to circulate his new energy inside his body as long as he concentrated and connected to it.
"Okay. I'm off."
While not wholly convinced, Zevrad ripped the parchment in half and disappeared from the spot.
Ariana looked on. The space Zevrad teleported to was an artificially created space where the density of mana was thicker than usual and helped one's training by stimulating the energy hidden within. Even those who walked the path of a Havoc Demon Hunter would still need to use their mana to utilize the demonic energy coursing through their body.
Ariana became slightly worried, wondering how she should go about guiding him after the training came to an end. She was about to turn around to leave, but then her movements came to an abrupt halt.
Zevrad had reappeared on the same spot.
"I succeeded."
Ariana blinked several times as she stared at the man.
"You… succeeded already?"
"Yes. It was easier than I thought. As soon as I got there, I..."
"What did you say?!"
Ariana's brows angrily shot up.
"I told you not to buy the Application tome from the store, didn't I?"
Her misunderstanding made sense. Since she had an errand to run in the morning and couldn't be at the Awakening, Ariana had mistakenly thought that Zevrad's [Mana] and [Endurance] stat was somewhere Low. But little did she know that Zevrad's [Mana] had regained its former level. Not even the owner fully knew the changes since he hadn't inspected his new [Character Window] after his Awakening.
Zevrad stared back at her in confusion before raising his own voice in denial.
"I didn't do that!"
"And what didn't you do?"
"I never went to the store."
"I find that hard to believe. If you feel confident, can you show me your [Character Window]? Just show me what's needed, such as your [Attributes] and [Class-Related Abilities]."
"Ah, that's right, we can do that."
Zevrad readily agreed and revealed the relevant portion of his [Character Window]. Ariana, who remained suspicious even when he strongly denied it, could only be dumbfounded after reading the information. Even Zevrad was flabbergasted at the new changes he saw.
[3. Attributes]
-Strength: Intermediate
-Endurance: Intermediate
-Agility: Low
-Stamina: Intermediate
-Mana: Intermediate
-Luck: High
-Soul: ??????????
Remaining Ability Points: 1
[4. Abilities]
3. Class-related abilities (0)
If Zevrad had bought [Demonic Application], then the (0) would have changed to (1). No matter how many times she looked, it was still a resolute (0).
"...oh."
"I told you, didn't I?"
Seeing her flustered and not knowing what to do, a devilish smile of satisfaction crept on Zevrad's face. For the first time in a while, he got himself a good opportunity here.
"My apologies. I seem to have made a mistake."
"No, it's fine. So, what should we do next?"
Ariana nodded her head. She was about to pull out another mission parchment before hesitating slightly.
"Can you circulate your demonic energy using mana now?"
"You mean, right here?"
"Yes."
She was thinking of teaching him about the fundamentals of using mana, but decided to keep her mouth shut for now. Although she confirmed the truth with her own two eyes, she still couldn't bring herself to believe it. If this was happening for real, then there was something she needed to confirm first.
Zevrad corrected his posture and closed his eyes.
*Wiggle.*
The energy inside him twisted and quivered. Immediately, it began to course through his body according to his will. It circulated freely by following the unseen pathways of his body – to the tips of every finger, to the ends of every toe, all the way up to the crown of his head.
Zevrad enjoyed this smooth gliding sensation. He was also slightly amazed by this development. It hadn't been that long since the Awakening, yet he couldn't feel one iota of resistance. No, he only felt a sense of intimate familiarity.
It was as if this energy was a best friend he grew up with since his childhood.
Zevrad circulated this energy around him a few more times and opened his eyes as messages suddenly began popping up.
[System Message: The Class Ability, 'Demonic Application', has been created.]
[Your Innate Ability, 'Future Vision', is responding to the creation of the new ability!]
[The Class Ability, 'Demonic Application (Low)', has evolved to 'Demon Application (Intermediate)']
[The Attribute Ability, 'Mana', has evolved to 'Pain'.]
[Please confirm through your Status Window.]
"Ohh?"
Ariana was half in doubt, but as soon as she saw Zevrad's reaction, her suspicion was confirmed.
"Has his Demonic Application been created?"
"Yes."
Ariana began massaging her temples. She hoped that this wouldn't be the case. She prayed to Elune even. Unfortunately, there was only one reason why a situation like this could occur.
"You... were a Mage before, weren't you?"
"Well, I was a disciple in my youth..."
"You were?"
"Yes, before the War of the Ancients 10,000 years ago and the fall of the Kaldorei Empire, I was studying at Nar'thalas Academy."
"Nar'thalas Academy? Wasn't that said to be a prestigious school for those gifted in the Arcane?"
Hearing that, Ariana's expression became frozen. Zevrad's nod and words had forced her to recall three people's faces.
The Lord of Outland, the Blood Elf prodigy Varedis, and the cunning Night Elf Caria.
'How could they be so similar to each other?'
She didn't mean to, yet she ended up comparing him to them. The road they walked on and the direction they were walking towards was just too similar. No, there were some differences.
'This is… this isn't a matter I can interfere with.'
Ariana decided to give up on worrying about it. But, one thing was for sure, she'd have to change the plan she had in mind in its entirety. She initially envisioned the training this time around to last around a week, yet it was completed in less than 5 minutes.
So what was next?
"We will begin your class-related training right away."
But, before that, she added a condition.
"You are not allowed to circulate your newfound demonic energy, Pain."
***
------
[Sweeping (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Learn to Sweep!
Difficulty: Basic
Success: N/A
Failure: N/A
Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
------
Zevrad surveyed his new surroundings. There were only two things visible on the flat plain he was standing on. A training dummy with a target draped over it and a pair of warscythes lying next to it on the ground. Seeing that weapon, Zevrad suddenly felt quite happy. He felt like he had missed it. His heart even began beating faster.
The warscythes were around 1.5 meters long, making even one blade a two-handed weapon for human standards. But for a Night Elf, whose average height exceeds the regular human, this was nothing more than a one-handed blade. Zevrad joyfully studied the weapon's sleek and smoothly flowing shaft designed with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down its length with its sharp metal reflecting the bright sunlight in an X.
Zevrad then carefully picked it up. Every hair on his body stood up; his shoulders tightened.
'Learn to sweep, huh?'
Zevrad got into a suitable spot in front of the dummy and while standing a bit awkwardly, grasped the warscythe's handle, one in each hand. Then, he swept forward with some power. The weapon's sharp edge slashed the target and sank in deeply.
"..."
However, he missed the center of the dummy by a little. Zevrad proceeded to analyze the results as he tilted his head this way and that. His expression showed the level of dissatisfaction he was feeling at the moment.
Next, he focused himself with only the right hand as he attempted to sweep the target once more. He tried this three times, but the results were all bad. Not only was the depth of penetration shallower than before, his aim each time was off by a lot.
'This isn't right.'
Zevrad desperately combed through his memories.
Normally, a person would start forgetting the dream he had as soon as one woke up. Only some parts of the dream would remain etched in memory. However, a scene so shocking or a scene that kept on repeating itself would not be forgotten and be firmly imprinted into one's brain. More importantly, he wasn't merely a spectator watching those events happen.
He had experienced it personally.
There was a reason he chose the [Sweep] as his first training mission.
He was drawn to it.
The Zevrad of the dream always carried around a pair of warscythes, and he utilized [Sweep] the most. The number of enemies that fell from a single [Sweep] was too numerous to count. So, his body should be able to remember it.
'I'm not supposed to rely only on my arm strength… I need to move my entire body.'
He changed his posture as he strengthened his right hand and readjusted his stance as he relaxed his left-side of his body. He grasped its handle without using too much strength. The warscythe's blade seemed to waver a little. In this state, Zevrad took aim at the target.
'Not yet.'
Something didn't feel right. Zevrad looked down and found his right foot slightly out in front, pointing to his flanks. He repositioned the foot by pulling it back and glared at the dummy. After a moment of silence, which was neither too long nor too short, he kicked the ground hard. His left foot shot out first. His right foot followed next as he stretched out his left arm. Accompanying the sensation of his right arm shoving away, Zevrad swept his warscythes forward.
*Swish!*
A crisp sound cut through the air.
Just before the warscythe struck the target, the back of his left hand facing the ground spun halfway up and pointed towards the sky. The warscythe's blade spun as well, and it accurately swept the middle of the target. A satisfyingly heavy feeling was transmitted through Zevrad's hands. Confirming that the warscythes had delivered a deeper cut than before, an equally deep smile formed on Zevrad's face as well.
[System Message: Class Ability, 'Basic Warscythe – Sweep (Low)' has been generated.]
[Your Innate Ability, 'Soul', is responding to the creation of the new ability!]
[Class Ability, 'Basic Warscythe – Sweep (Low)', has evolved into 'Basic Warscythe – Sweep (Intermediate)'!]
[Please confirm your Character Window.]
As the message cascaded down, the surrounding scenery changed as the training dummy disappeared and the pair of warscythes in his hands also dissipated away.
"Huh?"
'Damn it,' Zevrad mused wistfully and took a look at the courtyard of the Basic Realm. He wanted to feel that sensation for a bit longer.
'I've barely done anything...'
Zevrad opened and clenched his fists several times, still left wanting for more before falling deeply into thought. What if he used that [Sweep] against the skeleton that attacked him by jumping in the air?
At that time, Zevrad chose to defend himself. No matter how many times he dissected his choice of action, he was far too carefree. The skeleton simply knocked Zevrad's steel bar away and left him defenseless.
'If I swept him back at that time...'
Eventually, Zevrad shook his head. Since the monster was airborne, it wouldn't have been able to dodge the attack, but he still had to consider the possibility that he might miss his target as well. Also, even if he succeeded in landing a blow with the [Sweep], what would happen if the axe swinging down didn't sway and continued on the trajectory to split his head open?
'Relying only on a simple [Sweep] isn't the answer.'
The basics of Warscythe was to prey on the opponent's openings, and if there were none, Zevrad would simply have to make one. So, back in that situation against the skeleton, how should he go about creating an opening? The answer was obvious; the monster had shown him what to do already.
'I have to do the same thing. I'll knock his axe away first and then slash the skeleton.'
Reorganizing his thoughts as so, Zevrad focused his gaze across the noticeboard. His slow-moving eyes found the parchment he was looking for.
------
[Slashing (remaining number of attempts: ꝏ/ꝏ)]
Learn the Slash!
Difficulty: Basic
Success: N/A
Failure: N/A
Cooperation possible (up to 6 people)
------
Zevrad ripped that paper up right away.
***
Even though his spec had been decided, Zevrad's daily life hadn't changed. He got addicted to the joy that his new training regime brought him and concentrated on it like a madman.
Zevrad's morning routine looked like this: As soon as he opened his eyes, he drank a vial of the special [Excess Potion of Accelerated Learning]. After breakfast, he ran on the track as a light after-meal exercise. Most of the time, he ran alone, but there were times when he ran together with Kor'vas.
Kor'vas couldn't hide her shock. She was able to run past Zevrad like it was nothing the first time they ran together, but from some time onwards, he stopped lagging behind. And today, he even managed to overtake her.
'T-that's impossible!'
They must have run 10 laps or so already. No matter how hard she pushed, the distance between the two was widening instead of diminishing. In the end, she reached her physical limit.
S-shan'do…!"
Hearing her pitiful cry, Zevrad turned his body around to face her.
"A-aren't you tired yet?"
"Hm, I don't know. Maybe? If it's too much, why don't you rest for a bit?"
He replied to her with a nonplussed expression while lightly running on the spot. He was obviously implying he had energy left in the tank and that he'd simply been matching her pace.
Kor'vas bit her lower lips. She managed to finish the laps but only after a considerable amount of time. She panted heavily for a while, before asking him with a disbelieving expression.
"H-how did you do it?"
"Mm?"
"It's… it's only been two months… but you're faster than me..."
"Oh, that?"
Zevrad told her about the [Excess Potion of Accelerated Learning]. Since he heard that it could also be purchased from the regular store, he figured that Kor'vas should also be able to enjoy its effects. Of course, the regular one wasn't as good as the VIP store. Which he selfishly purchased and used all for himself.
After hearing the explanation, Kor'vas' expression was frozen in a daze. It seemed that she didn't even know of the [Excess Potion of Accelerated Learning]'s existence until now. When Zevrad advised her to buy one even if she didn't want to spend her silver coins, she squeezed her eyes shut. Her cheeks reddened gradually, then, out of the blue, she lifted her clenched fists up high towards the sky and shouted out.
"Absolutely not! Don't do drugs!"