Gacha Leveling

Matthew showered at home after spending a long time abroad. He recovered well from the branding Belial gave him. After drying himself with a towel, he passed his hand on the bathroom mirror cleaning it from the condensation of the warm water and stared at the mark left on his chest.

It was almost like a tattoo. All black. A globe fractured in the middle and two wings hugging it. The symbology was clear enough. The globe was Belial’s broken realm and the wings were the demon king themselves.

Watching TV with his mother in the living room felt normal again. As if Belial’s brand and influence were never there.

"Lynn was here a couple of times when you were away." His mother commented. "She showed us the ring you gave her. It’s so beautiful."

"Yeah. Erin helped me choose." Matthew said.

"Have you two discussed a day for the wedding?" Martha asked.

"No. We’re not ready for that." Matthew gave a nervous smile. "It just felt right to give her a ring after everything that happened in Nuilynn."

"But don’t make her wait too much." His mother admonished him.

"I won’t mom. As soon as she’s ready. She’s been very busy recently with taking control of the family businesses here on Earth." Matthew explained. "When she feels it’s time..." Matthew added.

Martha hugged him tight.

"You grew up so much." She smiled.

The next day he met Faralynn at school. She looked down onto the torn dragon armor.

"Is there a time when you go inside a dungeon that your life is not in danger?" Faynn joked.

"This is no joking matter." Faralynn admonished her secretary.

"It is a bit funny." Matthew smiled, nodding at Faynn.

"Matthew!" Faralynn admonished him. "Belial came to you. In a dungeon. On Earth. This is not a joking matter." She spoke loudly with tears in her eyes. Her face contorted in fear.

Matthew hugged her.

"It’s alright, Lynn. Don’t worry."

"Don’t worry? How can’t I worry when a demon god is after you?" She hugged him back. "They don’t want me dead. I just have to figure out how to get rid of them."

"You’re going to need the help of a god, kid." Faynn said.

"But which?" Matthew asked. "I don’t know any who’s willing to help me."

"How about mom?" Ffyr suggested.

"Titania?" Faralynn exclaimed. "I doubt she’s going to help."

"We could always ask." Ffyr pouted. "Plus. I want to go home."

"Home?" Matthew questioned her. "That’s why you’ve been distant? You’re homesick?"

"A bit. Yes." Ffyr confessed.

"She’s right. It won’t harm asking Titania." Faynn gave her opinion while picking up the dragon armor. "I’ll take this to Nuilynn to get it fixed."

"Thanks." Matthew said.

"How do we get to the Chaos Realm?" Faralynn pondered, sitting down on a chair.

"I don’t know." Ffyr shook her head.

"Well. We can take a lot at it later. I have to go to Geovanna’s class now." Matthew said, giving a kiss on Faralynn’s forehead.

"Me too. Kazan must have already started." Faralynn got up and walked with Matthew to the gymnasium.

After training, Matthew finally decided to check his stats. He leveled up with the dungeon reward, but was a bit reticent into looking at it.

"Congratulations!

You drew a tier 2 class!

Carpenter"

Carpenter was a production class. It had the Woodcut skill, which allowed the Carpenter to cut and shape wood using mana, Enhance Wood skill, which gave it the power to make wood stronger permanently with mana, and Carpenter Experience, which made the Carpenter gain experience points merely by working instead of having to beat monsters.

However, it was a useless class for Matthew. He decided to redraw.

"Congratulations!

You drew a tier 2 class!

Visomancer"

Visomancer was a great class. It had 3 skills all with very similar effects. Strength Up, Vitality up and Agility up. He decided to pick the Strength Up skill, since he could already improve his Vitality with Vitality Boost and his Agility with Reckless Agility.

Then he looked at the message he was avoiding.

"Congratulations!

You were blessed by a Greater God!

They bestowed you with the Umbromancer class.

Praise Belial."

"Praise Belial..." Matthew scoffed, rubbing the mark they left on his chest. It hurt like hell. He didn’t ask for it.

He stood there looking at his stat screen. He couldn’t simply give it back. He didn’t even know how he could. It felt wrong to pick a skill from that class or use its free points.

But it would also be stupid not to use it. Diving in any dungeon was dangerous work. Not using all weapons available to him was simply stupid.

Umbromancer had the Repel Light skill, which did exactly that, it repelled light creating darkness and shadows. Faynn used it together with the Materialize Mana skill to create her weapons made of shadows.

The second skill was Summon Shadow. It allowed the Umbromancer to summon creatures that inhabited the Shadow Realm, a realm made entirely of darkness much like the Fire Realm was a realm of fire.

The last skill, and the skill Matthew chose, was Shadow Step. It was a skill that allowed the Umbromancer to use shadows and dark places as a pathway to the Shadow Realm, but only for brief moments. This allowed the user to travel from shadow to shadow almost like teleporting.

For entering the Shadow Realm permanently, he’d have to have a skill much more powerful, the Sage’s only skill Dimension Magic.

Matthew picked his free points and looked upon his stats.

"Matthew Lordstone – Level 44

Doctor (T2) – Level 1

Warrior (T1) – Level 4

Gunner (T2) – Level 2

Plague Doctor (T3) – Level 1

Ranger (T4) – Level 1

Summoner (T2) – Level 3

Priest (T1) – Level 2

Necromancer (T3) – Level 2

Witch (T3) – Level 1

Witch Doctor (T3) – Level 1

Caller (T1) – Level 2

Assassin (T3) – Level 1

Berserker (T4) – Level 1

Tautomancer (T3) – Level 1

Mage (T1) – Level 2

Miko (T4) – Level 1

Lancer (T3) – Level 2

Swordsman (T2) – Level 1

Scout (T1) – Level 1

Merchant (T1) – Level 3

Defender (T1) – Level 1

Thief (T2) – Level 1

Dancer (T4) – Level 1

Shadow (T4) – Level 1

Hydromancer (T2) – Level 1

Healer (T1) – Level 2

Worker (T1) - Level 1

Seer (T3) - Level 1

Umbromancer (T2) - Level 1

Visomancer (T2) - Level 1

Stats

HP = 68/ VIT = 65

MP = 111/ MAG = 79

STR = 63/ AGI = 65

MIN = 74/ CHA = 65

Skills: Anesthesia (E), Imbue Mana (B), Boost Gunpowder (D), Resist Disease (E), Animal Companion (E), Purification (E), Unholy Mana (D), Witchcraft (E), Healing Totem (E), Summon Spirit (D), Pact (E), Spirit Magic (E), Reckless Agility (E), Berserk (E), Copy (E), Lingering Mana (E), Summon Lesser God (E), Stand Magic (D), Summon Pact (E), Sharpen (E), Sense Traps (E), Identify (D), Vitality Boost (E), Sense Others (E), Secrecy (E), Entice (E), Bless (E), Shadow Form (E), Create Water (E), Heal (E), Inventory (E), Sixth Sense (E), Neutralize Poison (E), Project Mana (E), Strength Up (E), Shadow Step (E)."

When Matthew was about to leave the school, he met Tina going out as well.

"Hey Matt." She greeted him. "I talked with Lynn not long ago."

"Hey, Tina. You did?"

"She said you were looking into going to the Chaos Realm?" She asked him.

"Yeah. I want to speak to mommy about all that stuff." He answered, rubbing the spot on his chest where Belial’s brand was.

"I see." Tina pressed her lips together. "Well, there are no gates that lead to the Fae." She pondered. "But, as I told Lynn, some people said they were in the Fae briefly when venturing Titania’s Labyrinth."

"Titania’s Labyrinth?" Matthew questioned.

"Oh, right. You weren’t here when it opened. The old Labyrinth of Ekidu dungeon reopened as Titania’s Labyrinth. It’s heaps more dangerous than it was before, but the rewards are so much better now." Tina explained.

"Really?" Matthew rubbed his chin. "Yes. That dungeon was connected to the Fae even before mommy took over it. It’s possible there’s a way into the Fae."

"If you don’t find it, I can always ask Bianca to help you, once the Tower brings her back. Thanks to you, they are already preparing the Auricte to bring her back to Earth." Tina offered.

"You think she would?" Matthew questioned.

"Of course she will. If it wasn’t for you, she’d never have the opportunity to come back." Tina nodded sagely.

"Ok. Thank you Tina." Matthew smiled at her.

"And let the Tower take a look at that mark of yours someday. It’s not everyday that someone is marked by a god." Tina gave him a mischievous smile.

Matthew laughed out loud seeing her face.

"It’s never a simple thing with towers, is it?" He said, thinking about his dealing with the Tower of Ryvylin.

"Well. The Black Tower won’t harm you at least." Tina teased him.

"Alright, Tina. Just set a date." Matthew agreed.

"Ok. And, who knows? Perhaps we can find a way for you to get rid of it?" Tina said hopefully.

Instead of that giving Matthew hope, it just made him sad. He knew the chances were almost zero.

"Yeah." He expired.