Chapter 73: Class Creator Upgrade
The closer they drew to the Goblin Mountains, the more powerful the goblins they encountered became.
By the end, even Level 16 and Level 17 goblins were relatively common, part of teams even larger than those they had met at the start.
Despite this, the adventure team had little trouble dealing with them.
Not only did they not suffer, but the ease with which they slayed increased.
Their familiarity with the goblins was one thing.
Another, perhaps greater factor, was Aurelius. With every battle, he grew more accustomed to fighting alongside them, allowing the team’s coordination to improve noticeably.
"Handsome! Are you interested in joining our team after this?"
"You know, we are the most famous adventure team in the entire northern border! Becoming part of our team is the greatest opportunity you’ll ever get!"
Around a flickering campfire, Andrea took a sip of wine out of a metal flask, staring at Aurelius with sparkling eyes.
It was as though she had found a treasure and was afraid that blinking would let it slip away from her grasp.
Her intense gaze made Aurelius instinctively shrink back.
He had seen those eyes in the past. They were the eyes of a desperate man looking at a beautiful woman.
Or in this case, the opposite.
Aurelius didn’t believe Andrea had truly been impressed by his combat prowess.
Most likely...
’She is after my wealth!’ he realized.
He was wiser than to give an answer.
Remaining noncommittal, he raised his head. His gaze swept through his surroundings.
Medea was busy, tending to the bow she had been using all this while.
Although Aurelius had no way of confirming it, he strongly suspected this weapon was a Relic.
Beside her, the ever-silent Matthew was polishing his bronze knuckles.
As for Marcus... he was glaring at Aurelius with a gaze as intense as that of Andrea.
Seemingly noticing Andrea lean closer to him, the hostility in his eyes deepened.
Aurelius rubbed his forehead.
Was there a single normal person in this team?
Could it be that every Awakener team was like this? Or had he been mistaken before and he was unfortunate to meet them instead?
He shook his head.
By overhearing their conversation, Aurelius had already understood that they were drawing closer to their true destination.
Taking advantage of the time everyone was resting, he decided to prepare for any unexpected events.
His mind stirred.
Lines of text immediately appeared.
...
[Name: Aurelius Sol]
[Template: NPC (Common), Player]
[Title: Rabbit Killer, Fated Hero]
[Class: Taboo Arcanist]
[Sub-Class: Alchemist — Level 25/25 {Capped}]
[Sub-Class: Class Creator — Level 0/25 (0/100)]
[Rank: 2 / Level: 21/40 (0/2200)]
[Base Stats:] Strength: 64, Agility: 89, Intelligence: 147, Vitality: 67, Luck: 16, Spirit: 1620/1620
[Skills: Synthesis Lv. 2, Awakener’s Physique Lv. 5, Transmutation Lv. 6, Fireball Lv. 2, Radiant Lance Lv. 3, Solar Manifestation Lv. 3, Arcane Insight Lv. 3, Arcane Deconstruction Lv. 1, Weapon Infusion Lv. 1, Reforge Lv. 1, Plant Control Lv. 2, Archery Lv. 1, Teaching Lv. 1 ...]
[Talents: Arcanist’s Heart Lv. 1, Alchemist’s Touch Lv. 2, Knowledge Library Lv. 1, Divine Intervention, Trade]
[Reputation: 15]
[Skill Points: 3]
[EXP: 6800]
[Relics: Blood Crown Fragment (Common)]
[Inventory: Mystery Cloak Recipe (Epic)]
...
Aurelius’ Base Stats had undergone another massive increase, mostly due to the upgrade of his Alchemist Sub-Class, while Arcane Insight had filled his Skills column with new abilities.
He was hardly surprised by this sight. He had looked at it several times over the past few days, tracking his progress every once in a while.
The only thing that truly caught his attention was the amount of Experience he had unknowingly accumulated.
6800 EXP!
He had only reached such a number once in the past, during the Sunless Sect infiltration. Back then he had been forced to spend it immediately in order to deal with the Lost Sun.
Thus, it was the first time Aurelius could truly savor the feeling of such "wealth".
For a moment, it seemed that everything had been worth it.
His intense hunting, the exploitation of the Players, and the killing of team after team of goblins.
Unfortunately, his joy did not last for long.
Soon, he glanced at the number beside the Arcanist Class.
2200 EXP!
This was how much was required if he wanted to level it up any further.
In comparison, his new Class Creator Sub-Class was far less costly to upgrade.
Even so...
’It’s still several times more costly than the Alchemist Sub-Class!’
’Is it because Alchemists are too weak? Or because it’s an Exclusive Sub-Class?’ Aurelius grumbled inwardly.
The difference was staggering. Every level of Class Creator required ten times as much EXP as Alchemist had.
Class Creator completely went against the easy-to-level nature of the Alchemist Sub-Class.
For a fleeting moment, he wondered whether choosing such a powerful Sub-Class had been a mistake.
Should he have chosen a weaker Sub-Class instead?
But he quickly dismissed that thought.
Of course it had been worth it!
Trade had shown its potential during his interactions with World_Builder.
As for Teaching, it was only a matter of time before it displayed its power.
With that in mind, although somewhat unwilling, Aurelius made the tough decision to upgrade it.
He soon watched as his EXP rapidly decreased.
In return, notifications flooded his field of vision.
[You’ve Leveled Up. Class Creator has reached Level 1.]
[You’ve gained: INT +1, LUCK +1]
[You’ve Leveled Up. ... Level 2.]
The prompts continued for a while...
...
The Player Panel possessed formidable power.
Aurelius had long known how extraordinary the Player Panel was. Now, that fact was demonstrated once again.
Although he was sitting right next to several Awakeners and his strength was constantly improving, none of them noticed any clues.
Even Medea, who was the most knowledgeable and was extremely familiar with Awakeners, remained oblivious to his rapid growth.
Two men and two women rested, each using their own method to relax.
It was only fifteen minutes later that Andrea finally spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Alright. We’ve all recovered our Mana and stamina."
"We will return to the city before the sun sets. That means we don’t have much time left."
"It’s time to get going."
Her voice snapped Aurelius back from his stupor. He looked at the four people getting ready and also rose to his feet.
His gaze lingered on the red ’X’ mark painted on the map in Andrea’s hands as his expression grew thoughtful.