Ch 210: A day of first times
Hello, dear readers.
This time, I come with good news.
My Internet connection is back, and, fortunately, I got a power generator that allows me to have moments of electricity during the day, so I think I could resume the pace of publication of the novel.
It's not ideal, but it will have to do.
According to the latest word from the power company, I will probably be without power for several months (I don't even know how many) due to storm damage.
But I don't want to leave the novel on hiatus for that long, so I'll try to post a chapter every week on Wednesdays, as usual.
Anyway, if one day I can't post the chapter on Wednesday due to these special circumstances, I will post it some other day of the week.
I hope you have started the year well.
With nothing more to say, I'll say goodbye.
If you want to support, you can at: https://www.patreon.com/finlegost
There, you can find 18 chapters in advance. Thanks to my patrons and to those who comment on the chapters. It means a lot to me and motivates me to continue this hobby of mine.
And, of course, thanks to everyone who reads this novel.
*************************************
We are currently on the 9th floor of the Altamira Labyrinth.
Delia needed a few seconds to recover from the air travel and remained somewhat crestfallen and pensive as we approached the entrance.
However, as soon as we crossed the entrance to the labyrinth, her attitude changed radically.
"I'll take the two enemies on the left, and you take the ones on the right," I say to Delia as we see a group of four monsters approaching from one of the labyrinth's corridors.
3 Snow wolves and a Giant mantis.
"Ok" says Delia, with an expression of confidence, calmness, and autonomy when fighting monsters that are new to her.
'I guess that the damn spear does its job well'.
It must be because of her new weapon that Delia is so different when fighting.
Where before I had to support her physically and psychologically, now she accepts my directions and rushes through them with almost as much ease and fluency as Alessia.
And although her physical capabilities and combat experience are still far behind when compared to Alessia or myself, Blue Wind is more than enough to make up for the difference.
Thanks to the mana surrounding its blade and the runes it has, the spear pierces through the bodies of enemies as easily as it would if it were sticking through water.
Moreover, Delia seems to be able to change its length and size at will, so that she simply stays away from enemies and makes her weapon lengthen and contract rapidly, piercing the bodies of the poor monsters, who can only watch as death approaches and their companions fall one after the other due to an excess of injustice.
For this very reason, trusting in my companion's ability... Or… in the capabilities of her weapon, I avert my gaze from the two Snow Wolf she has to defeat and focus on my enemies.
"Justice Weapon."
As soon as I say those words, my bow begins to glow with a bluish-gold aura, and I shoot an arrow in the direction of the Giant Mantis' head, which, upon receiving the projectile, explodes into golden particles.
'Activate Agility Profile'
At full speed, I pull an arrow from my inventory, and, in a millisecond, I get ready and aim at the Snow Wolf, which is in the air, heading in my direction in a huge leap.
'Activate Strength Profile'
"Justice Weapon," I say as I release the arrow, and it flies towards the wolf's body with a speed and strength that stops the momentum of the monster's leap and launches the monster's body in the opposite direction, whereupon it begins to disappear into golden particles before it hits the ground.
I got this new skill thanks to having the Luck profile activated in the full-scale war... But I don't know exactly when it happened.
When I went to rest at the makeshift camp with Yair and his group, I looked at how many levels I had leveled up after killing so many enemies, and, as expected, I got a lot of levels.
48, to be exact.
But that wasn't all.
Surprised, I saw that I also got two new classes related to combat, so I added them to my status.
To do it, I took advantage of the free stat points by investing 37 points to activate the two new classes and finally reaching the maximum number of classes I could have active at the same time.
[Emir] [Great Adventurer Lvl 10] [Archer Lvl 41] [Knight Lvl 13] [Sword King Lvl 6] [Leader Lvl 27] [Survivor Lvl 37] [Traveler Lvl 8] [Hero Lvl 1] [Barbarian Lvl 1]
I used the remaining 12 points to increase the experience discount to 90% and added 2 points to Luck, as that day I was able to see how insanely positive the benefit of having that stat in high numbers can be.
But that's not the important thing!
The important thing is that, with the Hero class, I got a new skill, and I love its name!
That's why I say its name every time I go to attack an enemy, even though I only need to say it or think of it once to give the weapon a buff effect, which lasts until I want to deactivate the skill.
[Justice weapon Lvl 1.] [0|3] [The weapon is wrapped with the will of all past heroes, granting it an extra damage bonus or a large damage bonus if used to defend someone. This skill consumes mana per hit dealt while the skill is active].
[To upgrade to the next level, the following materials are required: (A dragon's heart) (a kraken's tooth) (tears of gratitude x999)]
The upgrade conditions are the only bad thing about the ability.
Even though they are terribly rare and powerful monsters, I can try to get a kraken tooth and a dragon heart using the power of money...
But the last material on the list is very problematic....
How am I supposed to get people's tears of gratitude?! and what's more, I need 999 of them!!!!
'Haa.... But whatever, I don't need to level up the skill. Just by having it, no one will be able to oppose me. The name of my skill literally says that I am someone who is righteous and good. Which means that anyone who opposes me will be seen as evil and criminal. I can't wait to see what Yair will say about this skill. He'll probably vomit blood with envy when he sees me use it'.
The weird thing is that this is the first time I've seen these two classes.
I knew that the Barbarian class existed because I know from my parents' stories that many people who come from the northern kingdoms of the continent have that class, but I've never heard of anyone possessing the Hero class.
I mean, I have always heard stories of heroic deeds and tales where there is a hero who saves people, but it was never mentioned that the class of those people was Hero.
What's more, in the stories, it was made clear that the classes those people had were classes like Mage, Magic Knight, Sword Saint...
Does that mean I'm destined to be someone who will do something more epic than the people in those stories?
[Hero Lvl 1: someone selfless who seeks to help others. A role model for the masses. Heroes help the world, and the world benefits greatly the growth of those who help others]
'I hope not.'
I like the kind of life I lead at the moment.
Saving people I care about is fine, but I have no intention of going around the world saving strangers.
Hero must be a super legendary class because it seems a lot rarer than Saint, but if so....
'Why did it only give me one skill? Delia has a lot of skills for being a Saint, and Hero sounds just as great or even more so. I should have at least 5 new skills...'
[Someone selfless who seeks to help others...]
'Haa... Looks like the Luck profile gave me a very strange gift. When I can, I will have to look for information about it in the library, because I don't really like the class description.'
As I thought about these things, we continued to move through the labyrinth in silence.
'I miss the old Delia a bit.... This Delia is very quiet and focused at all times. Surely it's all the fault of that cursed spear! Should I ask her to fight with another weapon from time to time? That would probably bring back the attitude she always has when we're in the labyrinth....'
"Delia, there's another group of four monsters up ahead, a short distance away."
"Ok, what's the plan?" she asks, tilting her head adorably to the side as the spear glows with a menacing bluish light in her hands.
'She's not even surprised that I know this stuff.... Yes, the spear must definitely be slandering me behind my back..... But at least my little Saint's adorableness hasn't changed.... Nothing can change that'
"It's late. I'm going to take care of them. Also, I want to try out a new weapon. When I'm done, we'll go back to the Solitary Temple," I say, pulling out the great sword I got as a reward for defeating the leader of that evil guild.
"Hmm.... okay"
My new skill and classes aren't the only things I'm debuting today.
I'm also using for the first time the bracelet called [Light Weapon] and the boots called [Swift Steps], as well as the great sword that is as long as my body.
In short, all the items I got as compensation for being defamed in front of so many people.
According to my interface description, the bracelet lightens the weight of the weapon I'm using, and the boots increase my speed.
But the most important thing is the sword.
Leonardo didn't get to hit me with it during our duel, but if he could have, the result of that battle would have been very different for me.
Although I have never used it yet, I can see that the sword is very sharp and heavy, so much so that it is so uncomfortable to wield that I probably wouldn't use it in other circumstances.
But luckily, the problem of the weapon's weight is easily solved with my new bracelet.
The weird thing is that the sword doesn't have any runes on it, nor does it have any Empty slots, so it's a mystery as to what it is that makes its weight and edge that way.
Those are the only three things of value I got from the vain swordsman, as his storage ring didn't have much else apart from some potions.
After walking a short distance, two Black widows and two Lvl 9 Fire ants appear before us and stand on guard at the sight of us.
'Activate Agility Profile. Sword breathing style.'
"Justice Weapon!"
Before they decide to attack, I lunge forward at lightning speed, and with a single sideways slash, I cut down all four monsters, who offer the same resistance to the blade of my great sword as if I were cutting air.
'Yep, I think this is going to be my melee weapon of choice. At least when I'm not making chains...'