I noticed a plethora of changes in my status screen since I last viewed it outside of the minotaurs boss room. The staggering amount of essence I had accrued was barely an afterthought.
The first and something I already had an idea of was my mana. I had exploded with mana and flames after I chose my class. From the feeling of a dense sludge to an always-moving river of magma. Effectively my mana 'multiplier' had doubled, from ten times my intelligence stat to twenty times. There were even hidden benefits that might've escaped my eyes if I hadn't spent so long with the Wyrmling Gauntlet. My difference in my mana control was nearly night and day.
I looked down at the red ring around my arm that barely showed my old friend resting under the magic-dampening gauntlets.
The next most glaring change in the screen was that the N/A that's been in front of the class option for months was finally gone. In its place was a mythic class. Something that the vampire woman did not know existed.
Furthermore…..' Ok, I've been patient enough.' I tried my best to ignore the last line and take stock of every change. The last line caused my nerd senses to tremble in interest.
(Class….. 3 spells available!)
It was hard to ignore as it moved, unlike the rest of the flaming status screen. It pulsed much like a notification on a phone.
I hesitantly raised a finger and 'clicked' the pulsing notification. For the first time, I saw something else appear from the Holy Arc. The normal status screen was swallowed by a rolling flame until it began to smolder and rolled into itself to form an entirely new page.
Class
Rank: Mythical
Archetype: Warrior Mage
Description:%+#=<3%^+…..
Spells: N/A
Obtainable Spells: Pearlescent Step, Armament Ignitus, Sunless Regalia.
'Awesome... Finally, the real game begins!' I nearly let out a maniacal chuckle. Here it was, my chance to learn true spells and magic. Based on the names alone I'd bet that the first spell is movement ability, and the next was a weapon buff. Though the last one left me slightly stumped so I clicked it.
Name: Sunless Regalia
Spell Type: Conjuration
Lore: The Armor worn by the ????'s legion. Her flames may not completely protect her soldiers but it does act as a way to deliver her wrath to any who dare strike her warriors. Cursed to burn till the end times.
Incantation: (LOCKED)
Requirements: 65 Intelligence, 30 Dexterity, and 12 Faith
Cost: 725,000 Essence
'So it summons an 'ethereal' set of armor.' So all together I received a movement ability, a weapon buff, and a set of summonable armor. The synergy was insane for a close-range fighter.
It seemed this class wanted me to fight close range despite what was normal for a wizard-like class. Yet was it truly smart to fight at close range with my stat distribution? Wouldn't it be more optimal to give me a few long-range AOE spells?
No, if I looked at it based on the 'requirements' it gave me an idea of what my build should have. I briefly glanced over the others and the same three stats were in the requirements. Dexterity wasn't even a factor for the movement ability.
So two conclusions could be made, I had a horrible class or I'd receive spells to cover the weaknesses left by specializing in Intelligence, Dexterity, and Faith. I doubted a Mythic class designed by the very gods this world could be bad.
'Might as well check the other two spells more thorou…..' My thought was interrupted by the sound of a tight cloth being released and the scrape of metal knee guards against the cobblestone.
'Oh, I had nearly forgotten she was still here….' Ivar would've smacked the hell out of the back of my head if he was here to see it. I had completely nerded out despite knowing there was a potential enemy less than twenty feet away. I turned to regard her but nearly stumbled in surprise and choked on air.
Gone was the turban that hid her from the eyebrows up, along with the face mask that hid everything under her eyes. Snow white hair, one side shaved nearly to the scalp, the other side braided along the side of her head along the curve of his neck. That left a set of bangs free to frame her face.
Carmel skin, tinted black lips, pointed ears, and amethyst eyes. She was almost too perfect, if not for a scar that started from the point of her cheekbone and traveled down to her collarbone.
She was beautiful and I had already figured she was pretty under all that cloth, just based on her eyes. So seeing her face wasn't what shocked me, not it was the face she was nearly prostrated five feet away from me.
She was seated seiza style with her head bowed low. I took note of both of her daggers she had placed a foot away from her. I noticed that they both glowed blue.
'Rare gear? That's it? How the hell did she reach the fifty-seventh floor?' It might have been unfair because I had never seen equipment or magical items of a higher tier than rare but it just didn't seem right. Had she searched for secret rooms, or even fought every mini-boss she managed to find?
How could she even dream of taking out the necromancer with rare gear and most likely a rare class to boot? Sure she may have been able to kick my ass, but I was the equivalent of a newbie in here.
Yet, I knew in my heart that if I had been able to reach this floor normally I would've destroyed this ninja elf girl.
"Stand up lady, I liked you more when you were fiery and violent" I tried to joke my way to show how uncomfortable I was in this situation.
"I am Achel Durella, a member of the Netherborn Society. I offer you my blades for fifty years, everything I know of this place and the outside world. Just please, let me join your cohort!" She did not raise her head once throughout her apparent 'job interview'.
'Did this woman just swear to fight for me for fifty years just to be allowed to come with me?' I was dumbfounded, yet I could understand. She has been stuck on this floor for forty years, how many years did it take her to even reach this deep? It seemed she was desperate, and whatever she thought she saw from me was enough to give away five decades.
Yet, this extreme change of demeanor left me suspicious. If I were in her shoes would I have prostrated myself for a chance at progressing?
No, I either would have escaped this coliseum or died years ago.