Beyond the walls, the world transformed completely. The human base, its paths and buildings, gave way to a dense forest with towering trees that seemed to touch the sky.
The atmosphere was different in the wilderness, heavy with the presence of danger lurking in the shadows.
It was difficult not to be on guard, especially as a newbie stepping into this unknown territory for the first time.
Alicar noticed several other groups of awakeners moving through the forest, though they paid him and Iris no attention.
They were too focused on their own objectives, too busy trying to survive and grow stronger.
But as Alicar turned his head to look for Iris, he noticed that she had already moved ahead, walking toward a large rock to search for something.
"...What are you doing?" Alicar asked, genuinely confused.
"Withered Moss," Iris said calmly, not even looking back at him. "Neither of us are strong right now, but we can get some kills using what we have."
These were some of the more "useless" things that were taught in school, things that most students ignored because they seemed irrelevant.
For example, the fact that applying withered moss on your body reduced the chance of being attacked by certain types of monsters in the Initial Stage.
Of course, almost no one in their right mind would remember that, simply using their skills to fight instead.
Yet Iris did remember, and she seemed determined to use every advantage available to her.
But while this happened, something strange began to form in Alicar’s vision.
Fwoosh!
Above Iris, strings started to appear, binding themselves all around her body like invisible threads. She didn’t seem to sense them as she continued gathering the moss, completely unaware of what was happening.
Ding!
[The vessel needs to approve of the contract.]
These were the only words that appeared before Alicar as he was about to use his class, and he sighed.
"Hey," Alicar spoke, making Iris look back at him with a questioning expression. "I lied. I actually have a class."
"...What?" Iris seemed actually shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "But..."
"I can’t fight with it," Alicar continued, cutting her off. "But perhaps I can help you. In fact, I can help the both of us."
At that moment, a panel appeared before Iris’ emerald eyes, its letters glowing with an ethereal light.
Ding!
[Do you wish to sign Soulless’ contract?]
[Yes] [No]
Anyone who saw such a thing would be skeptical beyond belief, especially someone like Iris from such a prestigious family.
The Crowford name carried weight, and they were known for their caution and intelligence.
But as she saw Alicar’s gaze, and the faint aura coming off the panel, her intuition told her that it was the right choice.
There was something about him that she trusted, something that made her believe this was the path forward.
And so, she clicked on [Yes] without Alicar even having to persuade her further.
Ding!
["Iris Crowford" has accepted the "Contract" and will receive a new class.]
’Damn, really?’ Alicar thought, ’I guess she must have been desperate.’
In an instant, the strings that had surrounded Iris began to glow with a powerful light, and her entire body started to radiate energy.
Power started to accumulate more and more as the strings transferred their abilities to Iris, and once it was done, they seeped directly into her, becoming invisible as if they had never existed.1
Ding!
["Iris Crowford" has obtained the "Elemental Mage" class.]
"Huh?" Iris gazed at her own hands, faint traces of elemental energy crackling across her palms. "Wait... this is..."
She couldn’t truly find the words to explain what had just happened. All that she knew was that she somehow got another class. She still had her [Genesis Farmer], but now, when she opened her status panel, it displayed something entirely new.
[Name: Iris Crowford]
[Classes: Genesis Farmer (Unique), Elemental Mage (Special)]
[Talent: None.]
[True Title: None.]1
[Level: 1 (0%)]
[Constitution: 5]
[Strength: 4]
[Agility: 5]
[Spirit: 10]
[Attribute Points: 0]
[Skills: Appraisal, Genesis Farming, Six-Elements Affinity, Elemental Attack.]
For most awakeners, even across all races, their class only started with one or two skills if they were lucky, and even among the best classes, starting with three skills was impossibly rare.
But now, for some reason, Iris had four skills, all thanks to the new class she acquired. The power flowing through her veins felt incredible, unlike anything she had ever experienced.
And as for Alicar himself...
Ding!
[You have gained the "Elemental Mage" class.]
[Skills: Six-Elements Affinity, Elemental Attack.]
"Got them," Alicar grinned widely, his heart pounding with excitement. "My first skills."
Of course, that meant that Iris also had those very same skills at her disposal, but it didn’t bother him.
He assumed they’d be teammates from now on, partners who would grow together and watch each other’s backs.
In fact, Alicar planned for his team in the future to strictly consist of people who he was linked to through contracts.
There was not a single awakener in the entire world who wouldn’t want a second class after all, right?
---
[Skill: Six-Elements Affinity]
[Rank: Epic]
[Level: 1]
[Description: Grants an affinity to the six elements. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice, Lightning.]
---
[Skill: Elemental Attack]
[Rank: Rare]
[Level: 1]
[Description: Make use of the power of your affinities to conjure different attacks. Your proficiency with this skill will determine your attacks’ power.]
---
"Holy hell, an Epic and Rare skill," Iris gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief, "And six elements?"
It wasn’t just the number of skills that mattered, but also their rank. The ranking system went as such: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary.
Alicar had never heard of any skills above Legendary, and neither had any other awakener he was close to, so most simply assumed there was nothing higher.
But still, the average skill rank was Common or Uncommon, yet just like that, Iris and Alicar were given an Epic and Rare skill with their new class.
"I have so many questions," Iris gazed at Alicar as she got up from the ground, brushing off the dirt from her clothes. "But I think it’s not the time for that right now."
Alicar simply nodded, eager to test his new abilities now that he wasn’t the powerless nobody everyone made him out to be.
For the first time in his life, he had actual power, and he couldn’t wait to see what he could do with it.
And luckily, they soon enough had that opportunity.
A low growl echoed from the treeline, and a pair of glowing eyes emerged from the shadows.
...
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