The Class Change Hall was located to the south of Darkstone.
When Sebastian arrived, there wasn't another player in sight.
It made sense, as most hadn't reached level 20 yet, and given the hall's remote location, players engrossed in leveling up typically wouldn't venture here.
It was for the best, keeping him away from prying eyes.
Sebastian adjusted his felt hat and proceeded towards the Class Change Hall.
Though named a hall, the structure was merely a single story.
Upon entering, he was instantly met with the sight of a sweet-faced woman standing behind a counter, her face illuminated with a gentle smile.
"I wish to change my class," Sebastian declared as he approached.
"Of course, please confirm the class you'd like to transition to." The NPC swiped her right hand, and a crystalline screen materialized before Sebastian's eyes.
Centered on the screen was the icon for the Magus class.
Radiating from it were myriad other icons.
There were Light Magus, Dark Magus, Wraith Magus, Summon Magus, and so many others.
On the game's forum, under the Magus section, singular type classes like Light Magus, Fire Magus, and Earth Magus were highly sought after by players.
The consensus was that changing into such a class would greatly benefit one's growth.
Their class quests were typically more straightforward, making them appealing choices.
However, these classes had evident drawbacks.
Being singular in nature, the skills they could master were highly restrictive, and their strengths and weaknesses against other classes were pronounced.
For instance, a Water Magus would have the upper hand against a Fire Magus of the same level, and a Light Magus could significantly counter a Dark Magus.
Sebastian didn't wish to be confined by such limitations.
He sought a more versatile class. But that naturally implied a more challenging class change quest.
Before long, he made his decision.
Doom Magus!
This class wasn't bound by skill type constraints and, in theory, could learn any skill, boasting immense output power.
Its only weakness was that at lower levels, the attribute growth was minimal.
One had to rely on the enhancement of equipment to truly unleash its formidable strength.
But this was not a concern for Sebastian.
Without hesitation, he confirmed his class selection.
[Ding! You have confirmed your class change to Doom Magus. Please note to claim your class change quest.]
Shortly after, Sebastian received the quest notification.
To his astonishment, there were ten quests in total.
[Quest 1: Travel to Toxic Fog Swamp and collect a plant called Poison Mist Mushroom.]
[Quest 2: Gather the "Explosive Stone", "Thunderstrike Wood", and "Abyssal Water".]
[Quest 3: Enter Spider Cave and consecutively defeat the Spider Queen 5 times.]
...
[Quest 8: Venture into the Valley of Death dungeon and slay 20 Death Slaves.]
[Quest 9: Vanquish the ultimate boss of Valley of Death, Death Lord.]
[Quest 10: Journey to the Northern Kingdom's Magus Tower and train on the sixth floor for a day.]
...
As Sebastian scrolled through to the very end, his astonishment grew.
It was truly the quests for a versatile Magus class.
Not only were there numerous tasks, but the difficulty level was daunting.
Particularly the final two quests — vanquishing the Death Lord or entering the Magus Tower were formidable challenges.
An average player would likely spend an inconceivable amount of time completing them.
However, for Sebastian, defeating the Death Lord was merely a side task, especially since his guild planned to conquer the Valley of Death.
Moreover, he possessed specific intelligence regarding the Death Lord's weaknesses.
But visiting the Magus Tower, that posed a significant challenge.
Sebastian sighed.
There was a long road ahead.
For now, he would prioritize the initial material collection quests.
Having claimed the class change quest, Sebastian departed the Class Change Hall, making his way to old Arthur's blacksmith shop.
Without any disguise, as soon as he entered the shop, other players recognized him.
"Holy crap, it's the legendary ShepherdWind!"
"Is ShepherdWind, the guild leader, here for equipment crafting?"
"Who knows? Today's the day I get to see the famed ShepherdWind. He's actually quite handsome."
"Idol! Come here and cut the line!"
...
Currently, in Darkstone, the two most talked-about subjects were the WindSong Guild and ShepherdWind.
Everyone held deep admiration for someone who single-handedly leveled the Rock Guild's stronghold and suppressed the leaders of the five major guilds.
Seeing him now, many eagerly offered to let him cut ahead.
Sebastian graciously accepted their offers.
Upon entering the blacksmith shop, Sebastian addressed old Arthur, "Master, I'd like to have a private word with you."
Arthur gave him a glance, and the stern expression on his face suddenly melted into a warm smile. "Of course."
He then, much to everyone's surprise, jovially slung an arm around Sebastian's shoulder, leading him deeper into the shop.
???
The players waiting outside were left with incredulous expressions, their faces filled with question marks.
"My God, is ShepherdWind that close with the master?"
"I must be dreaming. It's been a month, and I've never seen the master smile. I thought being stoic was just his character setting."
"Damn, big shots are indeed big shots. Having such good relations with an NPC? Pure envy right there."
In no time, a buzz ran through the crowd of players.
To put things in perspective, Blacksmith Master Arthur was notorious among the players for his fiery temper and difficult nature.
Some players in the past had attempted to increase their favorability rating with him, only to receive a good thrashing.
Instead of gaining favorability, they ended up increasing their dislike rating with him.
As a result, whenever players sought out Master Arthur for crafting or other matters, they did so with trepidation, always wary of upsetting him.
But today, Arthur's unexpected behavior left them utterly gobsmacked.
At this moment, inside the blacksmith shop, Sebastian revealed his purpose to old Arthur.
He hoped that Arthur could help him find the materials mentioned in the class change quest and promised to pay a high price for them.
Without hesitation, old Arthur agreed, showing that having a high favorability rating had its perks.
Sebastian, feeling grateful, left the blacksmith shop with admiring and worshipful glances from the others, his mood uplifted.
The material-related quest within the class change quest was now resolved, and it was time to head to the designated dungeon for monster hunting.
With this in mind, Sebastian left Darkstone and made his way towards Spider Cave.
Inside Spider Cave, Sebastian, adorned in the Ashen Set, resembled a war god.
With Breeze's assistance, he ruthlessly slaughtered the small monsters, eventually arriving in front of the Boss, the Spider Queen.
"Great God of Flame, please heed my call and bestow upon me..." he chanted, his voice echoing.
The void ripped apart, and a colossal blaze descended with incredible force, smashing into the Spider Queen.