Chương 34: Ultimate cloak

Once Ethan selected [Knight], nothing dramatic happened. There was no surge of light or visible transformation, no tremor in the chamber to mark the moment. The change was internal and subtle enough to not even realize there was a change at all. He knew differently, however. Gaining a new class may not automatically turn you into what that class was, but over time, with the stat distribution, you would slowly fall more in line with it.

And this was without acquiring the class-specific skill, which was what he was going to do right now. Ethan kept his hand on the monolith and navigated into the shop instead of withdrawing. The familiar catalogue unfolded before him. Consumables, equipment, general skills—most of it irrelevant right now. His eyes did, however, linger briefly on the healing salve. His body wasn't in the best shape, and it would help. But it wasn't to be. Not while he had a skill to select. He checked his Potential. 608 PO.

It seemed he had done more than enough to gain a good amount. After killing the colossus, advancing his cultivation, and just reaching level twenty in general, it had seemed to bump him up quite a lot. He moved to the Knight-exclusive section. Unlike the standard skill listings that stretched endlessly, this one was concise. These particular skills were only available when you selected a new class. And each class offered completely different options. Right now, he had around twenty to pick from.

Twenty skills only him and other Knights could select. But Ethan wasn't even looking at twenty. He had one in mind. One that he had wished he grabbed last time. So he pulled it up, along with his previous choice to compare. [Oath] Pledge your oath and show your conviction. Increases all stats while active. Percentage varies depending on oath. Cooldown: 24 hrs Cost: 535 PO [Iron Resolve] Reduce fear and suppression, allowing you to always follow through. Cost: 380 PO His gaze settled on [Iron Resolve] first.

That had been his choice the first time he stood at this exact crossroads. Back then it had made perfect sense. He had been angry, uncertain, and reactive. The world had felt unstable beneath his feet, and he had wanted something that guaranteed he would not falter. Iron Resolve delivered exactly that. It hardened the mind. It stripped away hesitation. It ensured he could push forward even when he felt he couldn't. It was a great skill, and one he would even still want.

But his Will stat did the same thing, to a lesser extent. And after years of struggling and still pushing forward, Ethan felt his resolve was already iron. Hell, he might even get offered a similar skill for free. But as good as the skill was, what it didn't do was shift battles. It didn't create openings. It didn't give him any extra strength. It simply ensured he could endure whatever came. And that had defined him for a long time. But he already knew he needed more.

He didn't want to be someone who could just scrape by. He needed to be better in every single way. Ethan's eyes moved to [Oath]. The cost was steep, but that was not what had stopped him before. He had more than enough Potential now. The real cost was something else. Oath was a skill that demanded action. It demanded you follow through on your words. But the payoff could be amazing. The percentage increase scaled based on the strength and authenticity of the vow.

A weak promise would grant a weak boost, while a binding conviction—something rooted deep enough that breaking it would fracture you—could turn the skill into something extraordinary. It was a straight boost to power, depending on how determined you were. Iron Resolve would help him withstand what was coming. Oath would help him change it. He no longer needed help enduring. He needed the ability to push beyond his limits at the moment it mattered most. His decision settled quietly in his chest. He selected [Oath].

He felt the skill etch into his soul, instinctively understanding how to use it. The strength of the skill depended on conviction, but the vow could only be as strong as the soul that had to house it. And that could normally be a problem. But Ethan suspected that his soul was far stronger than others at his level. He drew a slow breath and removed his hand from the monolith, shutting down the shop. Around him, others were touching it or looking through the reanimations.

Leah was standing with Alice, talking in whispers.

"I will clear this trial," he said in his mind.

"And I will do it with humanity intact. This is my oath." The moment the thought solidified, something responded. Weight pressed down on him. A pressure—dense and immeasurable—settling across his shoulders and spine. It felt like standing beneath something vast. Like he was trying to hold up the world. For a brief, wild moment, he thought it was working. That this was the beginning of something monumental. Then the weight grew heavier. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

His vision blurred slightly. His chest tightened. The pressure became unbearable. He felt his soul straining to hold such a powerful vow. He crumbled to a knee, something wet dripping down his face. But luckily before things got too scary and his soul got damaged, he felt the vow disappear. Like it was unable to latch onto him. Ethan exhaled slowly and wiped his nose, his hand came away bloodied. He stood up, not paying attention to the people looking at him. He had hoped that would work. A grand vow.

Something large enough to shake the foundation of the skill and give him a monstrous boost. He stood in silence for several seconds, recalibrating. He needed something immediate. Something he would not hesitate over. Something his soul would be powerful enough to house. His thoughts shifted to the present. To the blood-soaked chamber. To the survivors scattered behind him. To Leah.

"I will get out of this settlement," he said internally.

"And I will bring the survivors to safety." The weight returned, but it was smaller. Focused. It settled across his shoulders like armor instead of a collapsing sky. It was heavy, but he could hold it. He felt resistance, not rejection. The vow pressed against him, and he felt his soul push back. The weight locked into place. Something tightened around his core. His soul strained as if something had been tethered to it. His energy drained rapidly until he felt worn out. He clenched his jaw and endured it.

The strain passed, and he felt the skill activate. Ethan caught himself as an influx of power hit him. A broad smile spread across his face, even if he was still in pain and injured. He immediately pulled up his status and expanded everything, wanting to see the full picture without missing anything. And the system had acknowledged it.

Name: Ethan Carter Level: 20 Class: [Knight] Cultivation: • Core — [Molten] • Body — Unawakened Attributes: • Strength: 46 (49) • Endurance: 37 (39) • Agility: 30 (32) • Perception: 32 (34) • Willpower: 34 (36) Skills: • Steadfast Lv. 8 (Common) • Advanced Sword Mastery Lv. 3 (Uncommon) • Keen Sense Lv. 4 (Common) • Oath Lv. 1 (Rare) Ethan read everything over. A lot had changed since he last pulled it up. But it was good to see the numbers behind what he was feeling.

From doing some quick calculations, he gathered his Oath had granted him just under ten percent in bonus stats, which was busted, as he knew it would be. Despite being surrounded by the dead, Ethan felt giddy. His thoughts shifted to what would happen when he could say a more powerful oath, or when he leveled the skill up. It was definitely the right choice to go this route. Even though he could feel he needed to complete the goal he set for himself, or else something bad would happen.

He didn't know what, but the skill itself seemed to be telling him that the oath had to be completed or voided organically, confirming he had to be careful what he used this skill on. It looked like everyone was finished with their scavenging. Ethan walked over to Leah and Alice, the bonus to his constitution helping him ignore the pain, if not heal it. Leah looked up as he arrived.

"Need a hand?" Ethan waved her off.

"I'll be fine." She hesitated, then nodded.

"I have to report back to the guild. They need to know about this and begin a proper investigation," Alice said as he arrived.

"That makes sense. We will all travel together. But first, let's do a sweep of the guild hall. There might be something else time-sensitive in there," he said.

"I want to leave as soon as possible though. So let's get this done quickly." She turned and headed toward the structure at the center of the chamber. Leah gave Ethan a wary smile.

"Are you coming? I'm sure you want to be filled in on everything that's happened, just as I want to know what's happened to my little brother. Let's walk and talk?"

"I do have some questions," Ethan answered. Primarily why the hell she took Scout.

"I'll answer. Here, let me help you." Leah moved closer and wrapped her arm under his shoulder before guiding him toward the guild hall.

"So then, what do you want to know?" she asked. Ethan responded immediately.

"Why did you take Scout?" Leah snorted and shook her head.

"It looked like a good option. From everything you said in the journal, it would help me find a settlement the easiest. That was the goal, wasn't it?" Ethan nodded.

"Well yeah, but it also makes you the first option to, well, scout things. Which always leads to an early death. I thought you would have went with something else is all."

"Ethan." He looked down at her.

"What?"

"You said I died… or at least that you never saw me again. When I arrived here, all I could think about was surviving. Scout gave me that option. You stated in the book that it's the best starter class for navigation." They walked into the hall in silence, Ethan stuck in his thoughts. He turned a corner, leading them toward where the guildmaster's office would be.

"I get that," he relented.

"At least tell me you got a good skill." Leah laughed.

"I mean, I thought it was good." She sighed before continuing.

"It's the bloody thing that got me into this mess. That got Chris killed." Ethan paused, making them come to a stop.

"Don't do that."

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Blame yourself for things. Things happen. Worse things than this will happen in these trials. You can't blame yourself when they do. Just learn and grow." She looked at him for a moment and then not so subtly changed the subject.

"It's called Wayfinder. I don't know how it works, but it seems to subtly guide me wherever I want to go." Ethan listened as she continued to explain the skill and what she had been doing. He didn't recall the skill itself, but it sounded like some kind of perception- or luck-based ability. He kept guiding them to the room, hoping that anything of importance would be kept in there. Leah pushed the door open, and Ethan led them inside. The room was basically empty.

It had a table in the center with a chair behind it, some stuff sprawled over it. But other than that and a large map that hung on the wall with a desk under it, there was nothing. Ethan let go of Leah and used the table to hobble around. At the other side, he searched through the drawers, while Leah began looking elsewhere in the room. After finding nothing, Ethan let out a defeated sigh.

While he was hoping for further information about the necromancer, he was more looking for the device that powered the ward over the settlement. Just as he was about to begin his search elsewhere, Leah called out.

"Hey, what's this thing?" Ethan looked at her. She was standing by the map, the drawer to the desk open, and in her hand rested a small metal disk. Ethan smiled.

"That is exactly what I'm looking for." She threw it over to him. Ethan snatched it out of the air, looking at the small intricate carvings that marked its round body. He pushed the top in and felt the object click. With that, he knew the settlement would come back into view. Now, the outside world could see in.

"Alright. Let's get out of here."

"What was that?" Ethan slid it into his bag.

"That was one of the most powerful wards I've seen." He paused, remembering she probably wouldn't know what that was.

"It's basically like the cloak from Harry Potter, but for this entire building."

"Oh."