Nfirea turned toward the approaching elderly woman, his face showing a slightly embarrassed expression. "Grandmother."
"This isn't the place for your charity."
"During the 'Royal Duel,' your focus should be on purchasing and gathering herbs, not wasting time," said Lizzie, hands clasped behind her back. Her wrinkled face carried a look of impatience, her tone tinged with irritation.
"Yes, Grandmother," Nfirea replied softly, scratching his golden hair in embarrassment.
Hearing the brief exchange between the two, Aron finally understood why this pair of grandmother and grandson, who should have been in the border city of E-Rantel, were now in the royal capital.
Suppressing his thoughts, Aron kept his face calm and composed.
Despite her unassuming appearance as a frail, old lady, Lizzie was no ordinary figure. As the most renowned pharmacist in E-Rantel and a genuine third-tier magic caster, her strength was significant.
In game terms, she would be level 15 or higher, placing her among the stronger humans. At Axel's current stage, provoking her was out of the question.
Lizzie glanced at Aron. Her gaze first landed on the short sword at his waist and then shifted to his slightly muscular arms.
"Let's go, Nfirea," she said coldly, withdrawing her gaze. She turned and started walking away with her hands still clasped behind her.
"Alright, Grandmother."
Nfirea nodded quickly, taking a step toward the street. However, he hesitated, turned back, and looked at Aron.
"You must be here to watch the duel between Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus, right? I heard the ticket prices for the arena seats are really high."
"Um… here, take this water pouch. Eating black rye bread without soaking it in water can make you choke," Nfirea said earnestly, removing a water pouch from his belt and extending it toward Axel.
This guy... is kind of annoying, Aron thought, his jaw tightening slightly. If he didn't already understand Nfirea's personality, such unsolicited kindness from a stranger would undoubtedly make him wary.
As someone who grew up an orphan, Aron had always been uncomfortable with random acts of goodwill.
"I don't—"
Just as Aron was about to refuse, Enfrea thrust the water pouch into his hand without giving him a chance to protest.
The sudden action caused Aron's expression to shift.
It wasn't because of Enfrea's insistence but because, in the instant their hands touched, his status screen suddenly displayed new information.
....
[Ding—]
[Contact with a Special Dual-Class Individual—Alchemist (Genius), Pharmacist (Genius)—has triggered general class acquisition conditions]
[You have unlocked the general class "Genius." Would you like to activate it?]
[Note: This class provides no attribute bonuses]
....
Aron's arm trembled slightly as he read the notification.
In "YGGDRASIL", combat classes were divided into Basic Classes, Intermediate Classes, and Advanced/Special Classes. Beyond these, there were non-combat general classes, often referred to as "Production Classes."
These included professions like alchemists, pharmacists, blacksmiths, farmers, merchants—roles that had little to no direct impact on combat, essentially support roles.
However, in this world, general classes weren't limited to production professions. They also included roles entirely absent in the game, such as slaves, maids, nobles, princes, kings, and princesses.
These general classes often lacked even the utility of production roles. Classes like "Prince" or "Noble" were innate, while roles like "Slave" were typically acquired through specific life experiences.
This difference between players and natives was crucial: players could actively choose whether or not to acquire a class, whereas natives often gained classes automatically based on their experiences, whether they wanted them or not.
"Activate!"
Without hesitation, Aron immediately confirmed the activation in his mind.
Just moments ago, he had been agonizing over whether to choose a warrior or caster basic class. Yet now, he eagerly activated a general class that provided no combat bonuses.
It was clear how thrilled he was at the moment.
.....
[Activation Successful—Genius: Level 1]
[Genius (General): This class allows the substitution of any basic or general class and can transform into the desired class based on need]
[Note: Due to its unique nature, leveling this class will not increase base stats, and transformed classes will not gain innate traits]
...
Aron stared at the notification, suppressing the surge of excitement welling up inside.
"Are you okay?"
Nfirea's voice brought him back to reality. The young alchemist looked at Aron with concern, seemingly puzzled by his sudden change in demeanor.
"Sorry, and thank you," Aron quickly replied, snapping back to the moment. He released Nfirea's hand and took the water pouch with a sincere expression.
This gratitude was heartfelt.
"It's nothing," Nfirea said, smiling politely. With a nod, he turned and hurried to catch up with Lizzie.
Watching his retreating figure, Aron took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
He never expected to stumble upon such a rare and extraordinary general class by sheer chance!
With the [Genius] class, Aron no longer needed to agonize over his choice of basic classes. It effectively removed one of the most significant obstacles in his character development.
Even more importantly, the class dramatically improved his margin for error.
To Axel's knowledge, aside from himself, there was only one other person in this world with the [Genius] class: Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, the "Golden Princess" of the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Known as the "Golden Princess" or even the "Calamity Princess," Lakyus's Princess (General) class was derived from her [Genius] class.
While the rare [Genius] class was wasted in the hands of a native, its full potential could only be unlocked by a player.
For the first time since his arrival in this world, Aron felt a glimmer of hope.
It was just a single general class, yet Aron felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His previously bleak outlook on the future now seemed much more manageable.
"On top of that, I've discovered another important detail."
Aron's eyes gleamed with newfound determination.
The activation of the [Genius] class through contact with Enfrea revealed a vital aspect of his "Player" trait.
So far, he had identified two critical activation methods: touching weapons to unlock combat classes and interacting with uniquely talented individuals to unlock general classes.
However, Aron noticed something else: while he gained the [Genius] class, he hadn't unlocked Nfirea's Alchemist or Pharmacist classes.
"That must mean regular interactions with others don't trigger class unlocks. It only worked because Nfirea possesses dual 'Genius' traits," Aron thought, his mind racing with possibilities.
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