Chương 16

The receptionist trembled as she handed Rudra a clear crystal ball.

"P-Please place your hand on the orb, sir," she stammered, glancing nervously at the guy on the floor.

"The system will read your stats and offer your paths." Rudra placed his hand on the cold glass. It instantly flashed with deep crimson and bright blue light. A holographic screen popped up. The receptionist read the text and gasped.

"I have your results, sir," she swallowed hard.

"Based on your physical stats, your skills, and your weapon usage, you unlocked three paths: [Apprentice Brawler], [Apprentice Magician], and [Apprentice Staffman]."

"I'll take Apprentice Staffman," Rudra said.

"Confirmed," she tapped a few glowing runes.

"May your path be sturdy." Golden light erupted from the crystal, wrapping around Rudra. System prompts flooded his vision. [You have changed your class to [Apprentice Staffman]!] [Class Bonus: The foundational attributes of a staff wielder have been reinforced.] [Strength has increased by 10.] [Agility has increased by 10.] [Stamina has increased by 10.]"Hell yes," Rudra clenched his fists. The power surge felt incredible. His Strength was 91, and his Agility was 90.

He was completely broken for a Level 12 player. [The class [Apprentice Staffman] naturally grants the skill: [Basic Staff Mastery].] [The system has detected the user has already acquired [Basic Staff Mastery]] [To compensate for the overlapping reward, your existing skill level will receive a significant enhancement!] [Basic Staff Mastery has reached Level 5!] [Passive] [When equipped with a staff, attack power and attack speed will increase by 12%. The probability of a critical hit will increase in proportion to the user's Agility.] Rudra's eyes lit up. But the system wasn't done yet. [Two new class-specific active skills have been generated.] Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. [Crushing Strike (Lv. 1)] [Type: Active (Offensive)] [Channels heavy momentum to the tip of your staff for a devastating overhead or horizontal swing. - Deals 150% of your physical attack power. - Resource Consumption: 30 Stamina. - Skill Cooldown: 12 seconds.] [Iron Guard (Lv. 1)] [Type: Active (Defensive)] [Brace your staff with both hands to absorb a heavy impact. - Reduces incoming physical damage by 60% for a single strike. - Resource Consumption: 20 Stamina. - Skill Cooldown: 8 seconds.] Rudra reviewed his new arsenal with a satisfied grin. He was finally a complete combatant. If an enemy kept their distance, he could close the gap with his monstrous 90 Agility.

If they swarmed him, he could blast them back with [Minor Tidal Push]. If an attack was too heavy to dodge, he could absorb it with [Iron Guard]. And when he finally countered, his 91 Strength combined with [Crushing Strike] and his Level 5 Mastery would utterly obliterate them. He dismissed the windows. He was finally a complete fighter. He tossed a silver coin onto the desk.

"Thanks for the help," Rudra said and walked back outside. It was time to leave Seabreak. But he had two quick stops to make first. He walked into Broc's restaurant, ignoring the "Staff Only" sign in the kitchen.

"I need ingredients," Rudra said, dropping a few silver coins on the cutting board.

"Rock salt, dried seaweed, and a full waterskin." Broc pocketed the silver and tossed him a burlap sack and a leather pouch.

"Thanks," Rudra stored the items.

"The food really was great. I'll definitely use the recipes." He walked out before Broc could reply. His next stop was the militia training grounds. The dirt yard was full of Level 10 players groaning and sweating as they swung basic weapons. Gareth was standing at the front, looking miserable.

"Keep your backs straight!" Gareth roared.

"Monsters don't care if your legs hurt!" Rudra leaned on his heavy oak staff by the fence, watching them suffer. He remembered the agony of his first week. He was so glad he got it over with early. Gareth stopped yelling. His sharp eyes locked onto Rudra. The veteran noticed Rudra's upgraded posture and the heavy iron-oak staff immediately. Rudra didn't speak. He just gave the old man a firm nod of respect. Gareth scoffed, shaking his head. A faint smirk tugged at his scarred face, and he nodded back.

With his goodbyes done, Rudra walked to the northern gates of the town. He opened his map. Medivah said the temples were everywhere. The closest major city was Port Nereus, a massive naval hub with a flooded, abandoned district. It sounded like the perfect place to look.

"Hey," a guard called out from the watchpost.

"The roads to Port Nereus are full of Level 20 Goblin Raiders. The Merchant Guild is running a protected caravan tomorrow. You should wait."

"I'm in a hurry," Rudra replied, not breaking his stride.

"Suit yourself, kid," the guard grunted.

"Don't cry to us when you respawn." Rudra spun his staff. Wait a whole day just to walk slowly behind a wagon and share EXP with a dozen other players? Not a chance. He had a hidden quest to grind. He walked straight out into the wilderness.