NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Betrayed?
"A Class where I might lose my sanity?" Edith echoed, her brow furrowed in confusion as she mulled over Olgan's words.
Watching her reaction, Olgan felt a pang of surprise. Why was she acting this way? Could it be that she had never encountered a Class like that before? It seems impossible.
Yet, he sensed Lenna's gaze growing fiercer, a silent affirmation that they both understood the gravity of his statement.
"Yes, I might also know a way for you to retain your sanity as well" he replied calmly.
Edith hesitated, her expression shifting as she spoke. "Such Classes are indeed quite common, though their names remain a mystery to us. We simply categorize them as Worthless Classes.
"They possess tremendous strength—often surpassing that of other classes at the same Ascension's level. However, the drawbacks are painfully clear. Once someone falls into these Classes, they lose all rationality, becoming little more than a beast, driven by instinct rather than intellect. While their offensive power is formidable, they can be easily overwhelmed by those who retain their wisdom.
"We've never discovered their names or advancement requirements, because conversing with people who have lost their sanity is useless. Even reading their thoughts is impossible since their minds become a chaotic jumble.
"And here you are, suggesting that you might know the conditions to become one of these Worthless Classes, and even a way for me to retain my sanity?"
Doubt flickered across Edith's face, yet within her despairing eyes, Olgan detected a glimmer of hope.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, filled with internal struggle, her gaze hardened with resolve. "I'm willing to give it a try."
Lenna, who had been listening intently, could no longer contain her concern. "Princess Edith! Please reconsider! Even if what he says is true, that doesn't guarantee your success or your sanity!"
Edith smiled softly at Lenna. "Don't worry, Lenna. I've thought about the possibility of failure."
She reached into her Inventory, retrieving a radiant scroll and a small bag filled with shimmering stardust. "This is a Class Reset Scroll, and this bag contains Dream Dust."
"The Class Reset Scroll, as the name suggests, can reset one's class. However, there are strict limitations. The most significant downside is that the user loses the new memories they would gain after the Class Ascension, including the conditions for advancement. It's a small negative effect I'm willing to accept.
"Dream Dust can induce sleep. If I lose my sanity and show no signs of clarity, please use this to put me to sleep before activating the scroll. I grant you permission." She tapped something on an invisible hologram before handing both the scroll and the Dream Dust to Lenna, whose expression was a mixture of concern and disbelief.
With a hint of playful frustration, Edith remarked, "If only there were an Attribute Point Reset Scroll instead of just a Class Reset Scroll."
They don't have that? Olgan mused, pondering the expensive cost such a scroll would fetch.
Would people go to war for it? The thought struck him as absurd, and he quickly shifted his focus back.
Edith turned to Olgan. "So, when and how do we begin?"
With a reassuring smile, Olgan glanced at the night sky as he returned to his table to resume his meal. "There's no rush. It's already night, so we should rest first. Prepare yourself mentally, because what you're about to do is indeed quite risky."
Acknowledging the risk made both Lenna and Edith feel a little calmer; they would have been more concerned had he seemed overly confident.
No one in history had succeeded in making these Worthless Classes functional like ordinary ones.
Eventually, Edith retreated to her tent, mentally exhausted from the day's events.
Olgan watched as Lenna stowed their cleaned plates into a backpack and then put the backpack into her Inventory.
She returned to patrol the camping area.
He scratched his head, pondering how best to approach her. Gaining Lenna's cooperation was crucial for what's coming next.
Ultimately, considering Lenna's hard-to-approach personality, he decided it's best to be straightforward. "Lenna, may I speak with you for a moment?"
Without turning her head, she continued her vigilant night guard duty. "Speak," she replied coldly.
"I need your cooperation…"
And with that, Olgan began to explain his plan.
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The following morning, after breakfast and once Lenna had stored all their camping supplies, Olgan called out to Edith, a nervous smile playing on his lips. "Alright, are you ready?"
Edith returned his smile, though it concealed a deeper worry. "I'm ready. What should I do?"
"You'll be sparring with Lenna." He gestured to the hesitant Lenna beside him.
"Just sparring?" Edith asked, confusion evident on her face.
If achieving the conditions for Class Ascension were as simple as a sparring match, noble families wouldn't guard the knowledge so fiercely, unwilling to share or spread the method, even executing the servants who uncovered the secret of their most prized knowlege.
While Worthless Classes were indeed more easily accessible, the almost guaranteed rate of insanity among those who attempted to ascend suggested it couldn't be so straightforward.
"Yes, that's right," Olgan affirmed with a thumbs-up, only to awkwardly retract it as both Edith and Lenna regarded him with bemusement.
It seemed the gesture held no meaning in this world.
"Alright, Lenna, please guide me," Edith said, adopting a sword stance.
Lenna nodded and charged at Edith without hesitation.
As expected, Lenna overpowered Edith, who barely struggled using her high HP.
Lenna's relentless attacks forced a frown from Edith, each strike methodically chipping away at her health, causing a cascading bleeding effect that overwhelmed her HP recovery.
When Edith's HP dipped below 40%, she noticed Olgan rushing up behind Lenna, a sword gripped tightly in his hand.
Time seemed to freeze as she watched Lenna's body somehow go rigid with a frown on her face, caught in a moment of unnatural stillness.
"W-what are you—" she gasped, horror coursing through her as she witnessed Olgan plunge the sword deep into Lenna's stomach.
Lenna's blood splatted onto Edith assymetrical yet beautiful long grey-and-white hair, drying her charming face red in blood.
"AHHHHHH!" Edith screamed, her eyes blazing with rage and her muscles bulged red as she swung her sword at Olgan, who wore a smug, third-rated villainous smirk.