Ch 323: Class Selection.

The three hours were over, and Noah returned to Liliana's room. When he knocked, Karen opened the door.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on Bunny, Karen." smiled Noah.

"Taking care of Bunny-sama is only part of my duties, Noah-sama." nodded Karen.

Liliana, who had been lying on the bed, her ankles cuffed to her thighs and her upper body in the snug embrace of a black leather straitjacket, twisted herself to sit on the bed as Noah walked to her.

He removed the noise-cancelling headphones covering her ears, and Liliana sighed in relief.

"The time is over, Bunny. Let me unstrap you."

After Noah freed Liliana from her black leather straitjacket and ankles cuffs, she stretched carefully, now wearing only a silver one-piece swimsuit.

"How do you feel, Bunny? Are you sore anywhere?"

"I am fine, my Lord." replied Liliana. Noah could see a faint blush on her face as she glanced at Karen, who only smiled politely.

Noah had been out of the room, but he had used Promise often to check on her, and he knew. Liliana's experience with the straitjacket and leg cuffs had not been entirely unpleasant, and she had struggled for over half of the task's duration to keep still, to prevent Karen from noticing that she enjoyed the bondage to some extent. Although Karen had certainly noticed. At some point, she silently stood right before the bed, not saying or doing anything, only watching with a knowing smile.

Without a doubt, Liliana would take a bathroom break very soon and get herself some well-deserved relief.

"Alright. I'm now reconnecting to the game. I shouldn't squander my lead. Bunny, you're exempted from any more tasks today. Good night." said Noah.

"Good night, my Lord." nodded Liliana, and Noah could hear a tiny bit of disappointment in her voice.

"Good night, Karen. From now on, if I am not available for Bunny's tasks, I will trust you to strap her into the straitjacket again." smiled Noah as he walked to the door.

"I will. Good night, Noah-sama." grinned Karen.

With this done, Noah returned to the first floor and into the room they had converted into their 'game' room. Most of the dorm's residents needed a full night of sleep, but that wasn't the case for Noah and Shuiruo. She was already connected, resting in her armchair.

Noah crouched near her and spoke.

"I am about to dive in, Ruo Ruo. I hope you're having fun. See you later."

Noah sat in his own chair and pressed the button on his bangle.

…

He reappeared in the middle of the stone city, and there still wasn't any player in sight. Only a few guard and merchant NPCs.

The first thing Noah did was open his status and invest his SP. He spent 400 to bring His new Wind Step Technique to Lvl 2.

[Wind Step Technique]: Current Level: LV2, Highest Level: LV10. SP to Upgrade to LV3: 1600. Ancient battle technique, after practice, can greatly increase the movement speed and attack speed. Effect: +10% movement and attack speed.

Noah sighed at his remaining 810 SP. Almost every other player would be green with envy, but compared to the new doubled cost of upgrading his skills… He guessed that maxing any of them would cost him Skill Points in the tens of thousands.

But complaining about it wouldn't change anything. He needed to act. Noah asked some of the NPCs for directions, then headed toward the Class Hall. He could see it in the distance. It was a stupidly huge building, the size of several soccer fields.

One of the merchants could increase the size of players' inventories.

"Hello. How much would it cost me to increase the size of my inventory?"

"Oh… Could it be that you are a hero from an alternate world that we’ve heard about? Expansion to 100 spaces is 100 gold, expansion to 150 spaces is 300 gold, expansion to 200 spaces is 1000 gold. When you reach LV50, you’ll only need 3000 gold coins to expand to 300 spaces."

"I see… I'll pay for the first upgrade, please." nodded Noah.

"You already earned more than 100 Gold Coins? When you're only level 10?" exclaimed the merchant, and Noah nodded.

"*DING*… Your inventory space has been upgraded."

"Thank you. Farewell." nodded Noah as he resumed his walk. he stopped at the next merchant, selling general goods, to get a feel of the goods being sold and their price.

[Green Potion]: Intermediate HP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 800 HP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 2 silver.

[Cyan Potion]: Advanced HP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 1500 HP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 5 silver.

[Deep Blue Potion]: Intermediate MP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 200 MP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 1 silver.

[Purple Potion]: Advanced MP recovery potion, after use instantly recovers 400 MP, Cooldown Time: 5 secs, Price, 5 silver.

…………

[Elementary Strength Crystal]: Type: Energy Crystal: Grade: Elementary, Attribute: Fire, Effect: Physical Attack Strength+6%. Price: 200 gold.

[Elementary Magic Crystal]: Type: Energy Crystal: Grade: Elementary, Attribute: Water, Effect: Magic Attack Strength+6%. Price: 200 gold.

[Elementary Health Crystal]: Type: Energy Crystal: Grade: Elementary, Attribute: Water, Effect: HP+6%. Price: 200 gold.

[Elementary Dodge Crystal]: …

[Elementary Hit Crystal]: …

[Elementary Speed Crystal]: …

Noah didn't buy anything and continued toward the Class Hall.

And as he was about to reach it, he was surprised when someone walked out. A woman with long, flowing crimson red hair and large breasts, walking with the subtle signs and mannerisms of a martial artist. A white mask covered her face, and she was dressed with mismatched pieces of equipment.

She stopped when she saw him, and he stopped as well.

"Noah, I assume?" asked the young woman, looking him up and down.

"You assume correctly. Are you Eve?" nodded Noah.

"That's me." nodded Eve. "Don't tell me you haven't gone to the Class Hall yet?"

"I was dead tired from fighting a fairy-grade boss, among other things, so I disconnected as soon as I was teleported here." shrugged Noah.

"I see. That explains why the trainers said I was the first to earn a hidden profession. I was disappointed. I thought you were just a fluke after all. But not securing your class before disconnecting was a mistake! I got the best hidden class already, and it is a unique one."

"Good for you, then, and I will take this lesson to heart." shrugged Noah.

Eve nodded, slightly disconcerted by his lack of reaction, and resumed her walk. But as she passed him, she spoke.

"It would not be interesting to do it at this low level, but one day, I will fight you to death. Give me a good fight then."

"…I look forward to it." nodded Noah before entering the Class Hall.

The space inside was vast, meant to welcome thousands of players simultaneously. But there were only seven people present beside Noah. He used Scan and saw that they were trainers corresponding to seven classes. Warrior, Shield Guard, Archer, Elementalist, Priest, Assassin, and Summoner.

"Hello." smiled Noah as he walked to them. "I came to change my Class."

"Oh, another comes!" exclaimed the Warrior trainer to his colleagues. "Our calculations were wrong, we estimated that it would take at least another day or two for the so-called 'players' to come."

"Young Hero, since you came just after that beauty, you must be the second person to… wait, that insigna… Aren't you the first person to leave the Novice Village?"

"I am. I needed a nap before coming here." shrugged Noah.

"I see. Then, Young Hero, do you want to become a Warrior?" asked the Warrior trainer with an eager expression. For the first player to leave the Novice Villages to choose his class would bring him some face!

“Warriors are the most powerful profession on Forgotten continent, we warriors have the strongest close combat ability and relatively strong defense ability. On the battlefield, we are always the brave ones charging at the very front. Without us warriors, even the largest parties would be lackluster. Being able to be the first one to arrive here proves that you have strong talent and strength. Picking the warrior class also proves that you have good eyesight…"

Noah made a non-committal nod.

“The elementary warrior class does not have any branches, they can freely use sabers, swords, spears, axes, halberds and other weapons of the sort. These weapons can all freely use all of the skills of elementary warriors. But I recommend you to pick one of the weapons to continue developing, because after the second class change of warriors different branches will appear based on the weapon used, so only becoming proficient with one type of weapon is the best choice and can also save large amounts of SP. Then, of the warrior’s weapons, sword/saber type weapons have the most balanced stats, spear/halberd type weapons have a large attack area, their attack strength is high but attack speed is low, axe/mace type weapons have the strongest attack and can also stun when attacking but after the use of a skill a longer opening will be revealed. So, you have to think clearly about what weapon to pick. Then, do you want to become a true warrior right now?”

"The girls earlier mentioned Hidden professions. I'd like to hear more about those." said Noah, making the Warrior Trainer's face twitch.

"Just being first is far from enough to be worthy of having a Hidden profession. You need to prove you have heaven-defying potential as well." frowned the Archer trainer.

"Let us see our skills." nodded the Elementalist trainer.

"Hum, Full Power Strike and Little Crescent slash are both at their maximum level, not bad, not bad." nodded the Warrior trainer.

"Fire of Rage is only level 1, however. That isn't great." continued the Elementalist trainer, before his eyes went wide.

"Wait! Heaven Wind Technique? Wind Step technique? those are ancient battle techniques that are said to have disappeared 10000 years ago!!!"

"Giving him a standard class would be an utter waste." said the Assassin trainer as he turned to his colleagues, and they all nodded.

"Follow us to the Hall of Heroic Souls." declared the Warrior trainer.

"What kind of place is The Hall of Heroic Souls?" asked Noah as he followed them deeper inside the building.

“1 900 years ago, a peerless master appeared on Forgotten Continent, he is the human whose strength has been recognized to be the closest to Saint Destroyer in human history." explained the Warrior trainer. "He was called ‘War God’ by the people at that time, he was obsessed with martial arts and loved to fight, he travelled throughout the entire world never meeting a worthy opponent. Even right now, as long as they are a martial artist nobody does not know the name of ‘War God’. And after him there has also been not been another person qualified to be crowned with the name ‘War God’. But even if he is War God, he also has the time where his lifespan ends."

"1 000 years ago, his life was about to end, but he was unwilling for his power to disappear with his body. And so he built 'The Hall of Heroic Souls’ in his hometown Azure Dragon City and left his power within it. If someone is able to pass the trials that he left behind, that person will be able to obtain the recognition of the power that he left behind, thus obtaining the inheritance of ‘War God’."

"After his passing, the name of 'The Hall of Heroic Spirits’ also travelled across the world. From then on, many peerless masters followed his steps when their lives were about to end, leaving their last remnants of power within The Hall of Heroic Spirits. Whoever is able to pass their trials will be able to obtain the inheritance of the respective power, thereby changing to the respective powerful profession.”

"The Hall of Heroic Souls can be said to be Azure Dragon City’s most sacred place." said the Assassin trainer. "There is not a single martial artist on Forgotten Continent that does not know its name. Every year there are an innumerable number of martial artists wanting to enter The Hall of Heroic Souls longing to attain the inheritance of the masters’ power."

"But the Hall of Heroic Souls is not a place that you can enter just because you want to. To enter The Hall of Heroic Souls you need to satisfy at least 3 conditions. You must not have a sinful heart. Your level has to be lower than Lvl 15. Because if your level is too high and the strength of your own class matures, even if you are recognized, after adding the new profession, its strength will be weakened due to the rejection of the initial class. And you need to have high enough talent, or else even if you entered it would be a pure waste of time."

"Only those who we believe have enough talent will be able to enter the Hall of Heroic Souls." nodded the Elementalist trainer. "There are a couple billions of you guys who will enter the Forgotten Continent, the East Continent, the Shattered Continent, and the Endless Continent, but I believe less than one in fifty millions will have the qualifications to be chosen by us. I expect that less than twenty of you players will be allowed to enter the Hall of Heroic Souls."

Noah nodded as they walked. He had been surprised when he first came to the Novice Village by the large majority of players around him being Chinese. From the little he knew about the game, the population was reparteed vaguely according to time zones. The Forgotten Continent hosted China, the eastern half of Russia, and smaller countries like Vietnam or Cambodia. It should also have hosted the Japanese players, but considering the tense relationships that existed between Chinese and Japanese people, Universe Corporation had wisely decided to host the Japanese and Australian players on their own server group, the East Continent. The Shattered Continent hosted the players from both North and South America, and the Endless Continent held the European and African players.

As Noah and the trainers reached a stone door in the far side of the massive Hall, Noah felt a heavy and imposing aura, and the trainers stopped speaking.

Just before they reached the door, it opened just enough for a man to walk out. A man clothed entirely in black, who stared coldly at them: “What are you guys doing here?”

Noah could feel a hue pressure from his, and assumed he was the Hall of Heroic Souls’ guardian. He pitied any player foolish enough to try to force his way inside.

“He is the first otherworld human to arrive at Azure Dragon City, he has the qualifications to enter the Hall of Heroic Souls. You can test his qualifications right now.” replied the warrior trainer, pointing at Noah while speaking to him.

“No need, since you guys brought him, you, come in.” said the black-clothed man bluntly, staring straight at Noah for a moment.

"He can come in, you guys wait outside." said the black-clothed man, gesturing for Noah, and he entered the Hall of Heroic Souls.

"To hell with staying there! There won’t be anyone else coming to change classes in the next two days, you think everyone is as monstrous as that guy?"

"What kind of power inheritance do you guys feel that he’ll pick?" asked the Assassin trainer.

"Does that even need to be said, of course it’ll be a warrior type!"

"Bullshit! Such high spiritual talent, it should evidently be an archer type!"

"Fuck off! He’ll definitely pick an elementalist type!"

The trainers starts squabbling for face, and the black-clothed man sighed before leaving them behind and closing the door.

…

Noah now was in a large, dimly lit room, its only feature being a single row of nine pillars, each three meters apart from the others. The middle pillar was twice as thick as the others.

"Stand in front on that white tile and then let them automatically sense your strength." said the black-clothed man. If your talent can gain any power’s approval, the respective pillar will glow. If not, that says that your talent is not enough to gain the approval of any of the powers, you can only head back. Go up… Although, you shouldn’t have too much hope. The origins of these powers are all at the very least Celestial level masters. Being approved by them is definitely not something that average talent can achieve. There are countless people on Forgotten Continent with high talent, but in 1000 years there have only been 15 people that could gain the approval of these powers!"

"I assume that the middle pillar corresponds to the God of War's inheritance, and that the red-haired girl gained its recognition?" asked Noah as he walked on the white tile.

"Yes. She gained its recognition and passed its trial. Although the other inheritances do not force their candidate to pass…"

He stopped talking when the leftmost pillar suddenly released a light red glow.

"Very good, it seems you have managed to gain the interest of one of the powers left behind by a master!" nodded the black-clothed man, his voice significantly warmer and more respectful.

A second pillar started glowing with a white light. A second later, a third one released a light blue glow.

As if they were now fighting for his attention, in a mere two seconds, all the others pillars lit up, releasing glows of various colors. All except the central one, who remained inert.

"Just like her." gasped the black-clothed man.

"You… what it your name?"

"Noah."

"You truly are a heaven-defying prodigy, just like her. Maybe you would have been the one to earn the inheritance of the War God, had you come here four hours earlier… You can examine the inheritances, and pick the one who would fit you best."

Noah nodded and walked to the leftmost pillar, using Scan.

[Red Lotus Warrior]: This comes from the greatest warrior of the long lost Forbidden City, the ‘Red Lotus Sword God’. When one inherits this strength, their class will be changed to the “Red Lotus Warrior—Red Lotus Hero—Red Lotus King—? ? ? ?”. One will wield a sword with both their hands as their weapon, and their sword dance will ignite the red lotus karmic fire. One will hold an attack power that is much greater than the average warrior’s, and one will also have fire abilities that the average warrior will never obtain, one’s strength will overwhelm all, and one is able to dance a sea of red lotus karmic fire that is just as frightening as hell.

Noah nodded to himself. This class seemed to be all about waving a greatsword around and using fire-themed skills.

Would it suit the advantage he already had from the Lunar Scourge? If the class had a passive skill for increasing damage inflicted with greatswords, his ability to dual-wield two of them might result in an interesting synergy. However, using two of them would raise eyebrows and might attract suspicion.

Noah examined the second pillar.

[Sky Court Archer]: This comes from the best archer of the Forgotten Continent, the hermit of the Sky Court, after one inherited this, their class will be changed into “Sky Court Archer—Holy Sky Court Archer—Sublime Sky Court Archer—? ? ? ?”. One will use the bow and arrow as weapons, every arrow that comes from the Sky Court Archer holds formidable power, no matter the distance or the strength will exceed normal archers greatly, and just one arrow will pierce the skies, and thousand arrows will drown the sea.

Noah stopped only long enough to appear respectful before walking to the third pillar.

[Ice Poison Assassin]: This comes from the fearsome ‘Ice Demon Ghost” of the Forgotten Continent, after inheriting this one’s class will be changed into “Ice Poison Assassin—Dark Ice Killer—Black Ice Poison Shadow—? ? ? ?”. One can use the short sword as their weapon, or they can chose not to use any weapons. One can use ice to attack anyone and limit their movements, as well as use poison to kill without warning. This skill is as frightening as the greatest venomous snakes of the grasslands.

Noah nodded, and walked to the fourth pillar, glowing with a purple light.

[Phantasmal Bladedancer]: This comes from the long lost “Dream Shadow Bladedancer”, after inheriting one’s class will be changed into “Phantasmal Bladedancer—Ghost Bladedancer—Phantasmal Sword Saint—? ? ? ?”. One will hold dual swords as their weapons, one can choose to have a single sword in one hand or use dual swords in both hands. If one holds the same swords in both hands, then the might of the swords will be brought to the apex and when the swords dance together, weaving steel, ice and shadow together, they will be peerless.

Noah smiled as he considered this one carefully. The text suggested some bonus for dual-wielding, as well as some ability to inflict both ice and shadow damage. This class would explain away Noah's ability to dual wield weapons, and a with a bonus on top for using two identical weapons… Noah thought about the two Sand Blades he already owed. Was it a coincidence, or Lilith giving him the tools for a fighting style she knew he would favor?

The incentive to use identical swords could be quite restrictive, but Noah wasn't too worried about it as he intended to learn Blacksmithing. And unless the game was terribly balanced, as long as he raised his craft high enough, the swords he would eventually craft would be at least within shouting distance from what he could loot.

Noah nodded and walked to the other side of the inert main pillar.

[Fairy Priest]: This comes from the number XXX “Fairy Queen” of the Fairy Clan that resides in the mysterious Fairy Forest, after inheriting, one’s class will be changed into “Fairy Priest—Fairy Chaplain—Fairy Prophet—? ? ? ?”. One’s body will be circled in beautiful light of the Fairies and one will hold strong healing and assisting abilities. One will also have the power to control nature to attack their enemies, and those that inherit this class will be welcome by the Fairy Clan if they ever chose to enter the fairy Forest.

Noah nodded but didn't consider it. A support role wasn't what he needed.

[Sacred Bulwark]: This comes from the indomitable Shield Guard “Sacred Bulwark” of the long lost Forbidden City. After inheriting, one’s class will be changed into “Sacred Bulwark—Blessed Shield—Sacred Paladin—? ? ? ?”. One's shield with deflect the blows of the mightiest foes, help his allies with powerful defensive abilities and damage enemies who dare stand close, even turning their attacks back to them.

This wouldn't fit Noah, either. The base Shield Guard class had excellent defense and could use thick shields almost as big as themselves, but just like Priests, they had very low offensive abilities and basically needed to constantly be in a group.

With Noah's need to grind twice as many monster as anyone else to gain a level, he had to choose a class offering a fast killing speed.

[Elemental Spellblade]: This comes from the most eccentric mage of the long lost Forbidden City, surnamed "Elemental Spellblade", who wanted to infuse his elemental power into his sword rather than launch them. After inheriting, one’s class will be changed into “Elemental Spellblade—Storm Blade—Tempest Blade—? ? ? ?”. One's sword will be infused by the powers of fire, water, lightning and ice, unleashing the powers of elements with each strike.

Noah stayed for a few minutes in front of this pillar. It was so far, with the Phantasmal Bladedancer hidden class, the one that interested him the most. After some thinking, he chose the Phantasmal Bladedancer over the Elemental Spellblade. He didn't just need offense, but also some evasion if he could, and the former sounded more promising in that regard.

Noah walked to the last pillar.

[Beastmaster]: This comes from the "Beastmaster", who tamed countless beasts. After inheriting, one’s class will be changed into “Beastmaster—Beast Lord—Beast King—? ? ? ?”. One will be able to force into submission most beasts one will critically injure, creating an army that will trample all and make the earth shake at their approach!

He discarded this one instantly. Sure, an army of underlings would be useful, and he could well imagine unleashing thousands of strong beasts against the Yan Huang Alliance of other humans enemies.

But this class wouldn't help him when facing one of the ten Demon Beasts.

Noah needed to focus on fighting strong opponents, not large groups of weak ones.

His choice made, Noah returned to the purple pillar and took the Hidden Profession scroll.

"You have made you choice." nodded the black-clothed man.

"Yes." Nodded Noah. He decided to use the scroll immediately, and it crumbled into dust between his hands.

"*DING*… Your class has advanced into Phantasmal Bladedancer."

"Class bonus stats: Strength +10, Constitution +5, Agility +10, HP +200, Hit Rate +10, SP +50. Every time player levels up, HP +10, MP +10, Agility +1, and will receive 5 AP."

"Class Passive Ability: User can simultaneously equip two swords of any type. The usage of the two swords will not interfere with each other. The attack power of each hand is determined by the weapon used by the respective hand. When both swords are exactly the same, attack power will be increased by 25%. Some special skills can only be used when both swords are exactly the same."

"Class Skills: [Sword Proficiency], [Agility Strengthening], [Mirage Blade], [Peerless Jade Dance]"

"Ultimate Skill: [Paragon]"

Noah wasted no time examining the class's new skills.

[Sword Proficiency]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level: LV7. SP to Upgrade to LV2: 400. After practice, can greatly increase the ability to control swords. This is the same battle technique that Warriors specializing in swords gain when they evolve their class. Effect: When using any sword-type weapon, damage dealt is increased by 10%. Can not stack with other weapon proficiency skills.

It was a great skill, but it couldn't stack with his Heaven Wind Technique… Or could it? The skill mentioned that it could stack with other proficiency skills. He was going to have to make a few tests and see how his damage increased whenever he upgraded any of those two skills. But if it did stack, Noah knew where his next SP were going.

[Agility Strengthening]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level, LV7, SP required to upgrade to LV2: 1000. Powerful battle technique originating from Phantasmal Bladedancer soul force. After practice can greatly increase personal attack strength permanently. Effect: Agility increases by 0.5 points per player level, rounded up.  Physical attack strength increased by Agility x 1.]

Another great passive skill. Considering the bonus 1 Agility he would get at each level over normal players, the skill Agility Strengthening would significantly boot his Hit Rate, Evasion Rate, and Physical Attack Power. It probably wouldn't be all that big at that level, but then again, that was with the skill remaining at Lvl 1. And the heavy cost in Skill Points suggested that the numbers could go much higher.

[Mirage Blade]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level, LV3, SP required to upgrade to LV2: 2000. Powerful battle technique originating from Phantasmal Bladedancer soul force. After practice, create illusory blades that will follow your strikes, doing 20% of your main strike's damage. Number of illusory blades: 1. Cost: 5 MP per illusory blade]

Noah considered this skill carefully. It seemed… balanced? At the current level, using it would cost him 5MP, ending with him doing 120% damage when the initial strike was taken into account. Compared to the 7 MP cost of Full Power Strike that did 150% damage and had that 2% chance to daze the target for a whole 23 seconds, it didn't seem worth using.

But if the number of mirage blades and damage percentage increased, he would become a high MP cost, high damage skill. The limitation to lv3 only and the high cost would make sense, then.

Not that Noah really cared about mana cost anymore, with the Star God Saint Orb giving him a whole 50 million MP.

[Peerless Jade Dance]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level, LV7, SP required to upgrade to LV2: 600. Powerful battle technique originating from Phantasmal Bladedancer soul force. After practice, create an illusion and enter stealth. The illusion follows the player's movements with a delay of 0.5 seconds. The player can attack without interrupting stealth. Duration: 3 seconds. MP Cost: 20. Cooldown: 3 minutes.

Noah raised an eyebrow at the description of this skill. Was this like forcing the opponent to fight with a laggy connection in the early internet era? The enemy would see and target the place where he was 0.5 second before, not his real location. A skill like that would be useless for a static tank like a Shield Guard, but for a class that relied heavily on agility and evasion, this was a great skill!

And finally was the Class's Ultimate Skill, Paragon.

[Paragon]: Current Level: LV1, Highest Level, LV7, SP required to upgrade to LV2: 2000. The ultimate technique from the Phantasmal Bladedancer. After practice, channel the power of Ice into your strikes, and clad yourself in shadows. Each attack also inflicts 1 x Magic Attack Strength as Ice Damage. Your Defense score is increased by your Evasion score. Duration: 30 seconds. MP Cost: 50. Cooldown: 15 minutes.

Noah's Magic Attack Strength at this point was completely anemic at only ten, but he guessed that he would find at least some items increasing his spirit at some point.

With so many interesting skills, Noah was quite happy with his new class. But the SP cost was staggering.

The Black-clothed man apparently had enough of him just standing there and grin like an idiot, as he opened the door, gesturing for him to leave the Hall of Spirit Souls.

Noah nodded and walked out without waiting anymore. He had things to do, and Eve was hot on his trail for the title of strongest player. Or she might have exceeded him already.

"Did you get one of the inheritances?" eagerly asked the warrior trainer.

Noah nodded.

"This monster got the acknowledgement of all the inheritances" said the black clothed man with the hint of a smile, and the other trainers gasped.

"I chose the Phantasmal Bladedancer one." said Noah. Both the assassin trainer and the warrior trainer looked happy, while the others appeared deflated, as if they had just lost a bet.

"Now I will take my leave. I do not want that girl to leave me in the dust. Farewell."

"Yes. Good luck, young hero. And you should speak to the Lord of Azure Dragon City. I heard he wanted to offer a quest to the first person to leave the Novice Villages."

"Yes, thank you." nodded Noah as he left.

As he jogged back to the city's main plaza, large enough for over a hundred thousand people to stand at ease, he pondered about his remaining 860 Skill Points. An amount that he had considered sizable just ten minutes ago. Now, the numbers seemed to mock his naivety.

He decided that increasing Heaven Wind Technique to Lvl 2 and Sword Proficiency two Lvl 2 would bring the most returns in the short term.

"The little master looks quite happy with his new class." chuckled Qi Yue with a teasing tone, and he hurriedly looked around.

"I didn't know you could speak to me from within the… it." said Noah under his breath as he kept jogging.

He kept his face carefully neutral as his heart skipped a beat, but not because of Qi Yue's teasing this time.

Noah was a Soul Magic user. He used it mostly to establish soul contracts with his girls or spend time with them in their soul space, but that didn't mean he wasn't able to recognize when actual Soul Magic was used on him, in a way that reminded him of the few times he had shared his memories with others.

Once again, something was happening that broke the confines of a virtual world.

And it was best to pretend to be clueless, for now.

"I am bound to the little master through the Lunar Scourge, so of course, I can. You chose this class because it would make you less suspicious if you were seen holding two swords?"

"Yes. Players might not notice at first glance if the weapons I use are two-handed swords. Dual-wielding, however, is immediately recognizable. Besides, the class looked like it would be the most useful in facing strong opponents. I think something like one of the ten Demon Beasts would kill me in one hit no matter how much defense I have, so I'll have to rely on not being hit in the first place."

"What about that fairy-grade spear, then, little master?"

"Too recognizable, and because of the Phantasmal Dancer's inherent bonuses when using identical swords, it wouldn't add much to my offense to use it."

Noah reached the plaza. Half of its northern side was occupied by a huge palace. Noah slowed down when he reached the ten guards standing in front of the gate.

"Halt. State your business!" ordered one of them.

"Greetings. I am the first player to have reached this city, and I heard that the Lord might have a mission for me." said Noah with a nod.

The guard looked down at his insignia and nodded.

"That is the case. Follow me inside, Hero from another world."

Noah nodded and followed him. He was led to an opulent room where he was asked to wait, two more guards keeping an eye on him.

A minute later, the Lord of Azure Dragon City entered. A tall man with short gray hair and beard. He glanced at the insignia on Noah's chest and smiled.

"Welcome to Azure Dragon City, Hero. You must be very talented to have reached my city over a day before our most optimist expectations."

"Thank you, City Lord. One of the class trainers suggested you might have a mission for me."

"That is true." sighed the City Lord as he sat on the sofa facing Noah.

"Two months ago, my son was attacked by a rare snake during an outing. The snake's species is named the Death Stalker, because of its venom's terrifying effect. It causes a slow form of necrosis and can only be slowed by conventional cures. To get rid of the poison for good, the extract of a rare flower called the Death Bloom is needed. But that flower only grows within one of the Forbidden Zones, the Lonely Spirit Ridge. Forbidden Zones are dangerous areas that the Moon God Clan forbade us from entering. Even if I was willing to go myself, my guards would refuse to enter it."

"I see." nodded Noah. "Since I am not a follower of the Moon God Clan, I can enter that area. Could you please give me the approximate level of the monsters there?"

"Those who can be seen near the periphery are Lvl 20. The monsters deeper inside are likely stronger. My son has at most a month of time left before the Death Stalker's poison will kill him. I beg you, Hero from another world. Please help me save my son!"

"I am willing to accept. What kind of compensation could I expect if I succeed?"

"I can grant you powerful items, three thousand gold coins, and many potions. You would also have my favor. Do you have a particular wish?"

Noah thought for a few seconds, until an idea crossed him.

"There is something I wish from you, City Lord. I am helping a certain young woman escape an arranged marriage to a sinister man, and to do that, she must establish herself as an influential person in your own world. She plans to create a trading house. And if I could obtain a good location for it, for example one contiguous to the city's central plaza…"

"I see what you mean." nodded the City Lord. "That is a huge request, however. Renting a prime location on the plaza would cost at least ten thousand Gold Coins per month. I am willing to grant you usage rights on a large commercial building on the western side of the Plaza, one that would be adequate for a trading house, but for six months only. If you or your friend wish to occupy it for a longer period, you will have to pay the rent."

"Thank you, City Lord. That is a great reward, and I am very motivated." nodded Noah. "If you do not mind, I will go and start working on increasing my level right away."

The city lord took a scroll from one of his pockets.

"Take these. The first as a letter to the stable master. He will give you a mount for free. The second is a basic map of Azure Dragon City's surroundings. The location of the Lonely Spirit Ridge is indicated on it."

"Thank you, City Lord." nodded Noah.

"I wish you luck, young Hero." replied the City Lord before nodding to a guard, who gestured for Noah to follow him.

"Noah followed the guard, left the palace, and after presenting the letter to the stable master, received a brown horse. Climbing on it, he headed east, in the Lonely Spirit Ridge's general direction. That ridge marked part of the Forgotten Continent's eastern landmass, with the ocean at its bottom.

The horse… wasn't actually that great. It only increased his movement speed by 50%.

Noah reached city's eastern gate and crossed it.

“*Ding*… You have entered the map ‘The Plains’.”

Noah saw a few Lvl 10 monsters called "Restless Antelopes" but ignored them. With the high Hit Rate he now possessed, Noah felt confident that he could hunt more profitable preys.

Many different types of monsters appeared during his journey, but Noah only stopped when he found a fairly large concentration of Lvl 15 beasts.

"Red-Eyed Lizard": Type: Beast, Level: LV15, HP: 650. Strangely shaped lizard that possesses red pupils, its body will occasionally shoot out sparks, due to this it commonly creates small scale fire disasters on The Plains.

Noah dismounted, the horse disappearing like mist under the sun, equipped his two Sand Swords, and entered the aggro range of the closest Red-Eyed Lizard.

The beast shot a spark at him that he easily dodged, and Noah struck it with a normal attack from one sword.

-304.

The Lizard lunged forward, tying to chomp on Noah's leg, and Noah struck again with two words this time.

-304, -608.

The last hit had been a critical, but Noah didn't pay attention to it.

Opening his status, he paid 400 SP to bring his Wind Step Technique to Lvl 2, bringing the bonus to all weapon damage from 5 to 10%, and engaged another Red-Eyed Lizard.

-320, -320, -320.

Satisfied, Noah opened his status again, and invested another 400 SP into Sword Proficiency Lvl 2, bringing the bonus to swords from 10 to 20%. He targeted another Red-Eyed Lizard.

-354, -354.

Noah scratched his chin as he did the math. Not only were Heaven Wind Technique et Sword Proficiency not interfering with it other, but it also seemed that they stacked multiplicatively. Which meant that once maxed, they would increase his attacks with swords by a bit over 250%!

Noah next tried to attack another monster with Mirage Blade. His sword strike was immediately followed by a translucent blue blade, its tip sharply defined but its blade becoming increasingly tenuous, disappearing completely before a guard or handle could take shape.

-354, -71.

Noah then deliberately let himself be hit. It took three times for the Red-Eyed Lizard to do it, the first two having missed.

-48.

That was less than 10% or his HP. His defense mitigation wasn't bad, thanks to the quality of the items he was wearing.

Noah finished the monster and nodded to himself, opening his status. With the Lizards providing only 15 EXP per head, it would take over a thousand of them to reach Lvl 11, but…

He blinked as he saw his humongous mana. 50 000 150/50 000 150.

He had just used two Mirage Blades, and his MP were already back to max.

As a test, Noah used another one in the empty eye, and he saw his mana number change, only to return to 50 000 150 in maybe a tenth of a second.

"I'm a fool, Qi Yue. I was so preoccupied by the passive skills and increasing my damage that I completely overlooked how absurdly strong the Star God Saint Orb is. Whatever the formula for mana regeneration is, the maximum amount of mana is obviously in there somewhere, and the system wasn't conceived for the kind of absurd number I have. I regenerate my MP far faster than I can spend it."

"Hehe, little master should not underestimate the powers of the Lunar Scourge. Even the weakest of the Orbs can be heaven-defying, under the right conditions. Much less one of the three Saint-Destroyer Orbs."

Yeah. Too bad I do not have any skill that could one-shot them just yet." shrugged Noah.

He started farming in earnest, going from one lizard to another in just a few seconds. After about 20 minutes, one of them dropped an energy Orb.

[Amplification Orb]: Type: Energy Orb, Grade: Advanced. Attribute: None, Effect: Magic Attack Power +12%.

Without hesitation, Noah decided to use it on the Egg that Tao Tie had entrusted him with.

He set the soccer ball-sized egg on the ground and put the orb on top of it. The orb instantly sunk into the egg like its surface was liquid, disappearing.

Nothing seemed to happen, but Noah waited… And waited…

After 5 minutes, wondering if he should put the egg back in his inventory and resume his grind, when he heard a crack. A fine line had just appeared on the egg's surface.

More cracks spread from the initial one, and a piece of shell fell, pushed by a little grey paw. The hatchling pushed more, enlarging the newly formed hole, and a cute, fluffy head carefully stretched out of the shell.

Noah tried to help him break the shell, but he actually wasn't strong enough to damage the egg. He could only wait with a welcoming smile as the hatchling managed to fully get out of the shell.

It was definitely a dog. Less than 20 cm long, its entire body covered in grey, velvety fur, a slightly short tail, pointy ears, its overall appearance is pretty much the exact same as husky puppies.

Looking like a dog, Noah wondered about Tao Tie's description of it as the descendant of a 'Great Beast'.

“*Ding*… You have hatched ‘Unknown Creature’, system has already named the creature based on its innate talent, named as ‘Holy Spirit Beast’.”

“*Ding*… ‘Holy Spirit Beast’ requests to become your pet. After a creature becomes your pet, you’ll be able to summon them at any time to help with combat. Under the condition that a pet has been summoned, a pet will split 10% of your experience to engage in personal growth. After pets die, they will need to be revived at the revival stone, they cannot be summoned again before revival and lose a level upon death. A pet’s obedience is related to its loyalty. When loyalty drops below a certain threshold, the pet will leave the owner and run away. You currently can have at most 3 pets at a time. Do you accept the self-attachment of the ‘Holy Spirit Beast’?”

"Of course I accept." smiled Noah, already fond of the fluffy puppy who stared up at him with loving eyes.

“*Ding*… ‘Holy Spirit Beast’ has successfully become your pet, please pick a nice nickname for your ‘Holy Spirit Beast’.”

Noah sighed. He was terrible at naming things, instantly suffering from blank page syndrome. His first thought was to name him Fenrir, but he already had a Fenrir at home, and the name didn't suit a being that wanted a peaceful life. With a shrug, he decided to go for the obvious.

"What do you think of 'Little Grey'?"

"Ruff!" eagerly replied the Holy Spirit Beast.

"Little Gray it is, then." smiled Noah as he scratched his little head.

“*Ding*… Pet ‘Little Grey’ successfully named.”

“*Ding*… Congratulations you have gained the first Celestial grade pet in the world, the matter has been recorded into the World Hall of Fame, the pet ranking list of the China region you are in has been unlocked. You’ve gained Fame+200, SP+200, maximum number of pets+1, can simultaneously summon +1 pet as rewards. The System will release a global announcement. Do you wish to hide your personal information?”

Since Noah already had a huge target on his back, he saw no point in trying to be discrete now about his possessions. Anything that could maximize in fame and influence would help his goals of aiding Yun Meng Xin and gaining prominence within the Cassell College.

"I do not wish to hide it."

"*Ding*… Global announcement, player 'Noah' has obtained the first fairy-grade or above pet. The pet ranking list is now unlocked."

Pet Ranking List

Rank 1: Holy Spirit Beast          Grade: Celestial          Level: 0          Owner: Noah

Once again, Noah's caused everyone to talk about him for a few minutes.

…

In one of the Novice Islands, the Sword Emperor gave the finishing blow to a Lvl 9 2-star elite Vicious Bear as his party members saw the latest announcement.

"Noah again, the first person in the world to obtain a Fairy item, the first person in the world to leave the Novice Village. Now when almost everyone is still at the Novice Village, he actually gained a Celestial pet. Looks like he’s already no longer a person we can’t pay attention to. How’s the investigation about his information?" asked Long Tian Yun.

"We may have a lead. There is a Spirit who appeared in Japan about two weeks ago. The news didn't quite reach us in China as there was no destruction and not a single person was injured. He calls himself Noah, and he is currently attending Cassell College. But we do not know yet if he is the same as the Noah in Mystic Realm. I had contacted a few of our contact among the students, but they haven't yet responded" replied the Flame Emperor.

Long Tian Yun frowned, as Cassell College wasn't a place where he could simply send people to kill someone and use his family's influence to cover it up. But still, it would be possible to arrange something, should he be the one and refuse to cooperate.

“…Continue to track his location. Of course, it's best if you can discover his real identity. Like before… This kind of person, either we control him in our hands, or completely strangle him before he can fully develop. Although, he… I actually hope he chooses not to be roped in by us, right now I am very interested in his ‘Soaring Cloud’ and the Celestial pet he just got!”

"Ah, Young Master, you might not be able to get your wish this time. If he hears the name ‘Yan Huang Alliance’ he’ll probably be scared half to death. I don’t believe that he has the balls to defy young master’s wish." said another.