Thunk!
“Who’s there! The one calling a lone goblin! Thank you for calling again today! Loyally!”
A familiar goblin appeared on the quiet stage.
A compact goblin with green skin.
From the moment he appeared, a smile spread across Gobori’s face.
Thunk! Thunk!!
“Hah. Running again today? Let’s do well! Just don’t trip me up!”
“Hmm? Hahaha! Good morning! We meet so early today! Haha!”
Rose and Dulv were also called out one by one.
On stage were me, Pae Wang, Rose, Gobori, and Dulv.
I had already put Flowerdol away beforehand, worried he might get scared.
Good.
Shall I try out the greeting I prepared?
I had prepared a greeting for today.
“Hi! Welcome! Did all three of you rest well? Let’s go hard today too! Let’s go!”
It was the ‘latest slang’ I’d read about in the dictionary.
“Oh?”
- Interest
“Go-gosing?”
“Hmm?”
My greeting left the three of them flustered.
Well, it was understandable.
I had learned it just the day before.
Diablo and Baraks said it sounded natural, so I must have done it right.
“Um… hyungnim?”
“Yes! What is it?”
“Why are you speaking like that? Did you eat something bad?”
But Gobori’s reaction was unexpected.
His face turned blue, as if embarrassed.
“Hey! Who taught you that tone? Who taught you such a rude thing?”
“Huh? Isn’t that the new style slang?”
“You must be crazy! Stop it right now, it’s giving me chills! I thought you were picking some weird concept; you scared me! I’m so embarrassed!”
Rose shuddered and got worked up.
What was going on?
Had I done something wrong?
Dulv just shook his head with a light laugh when our eyes met.
“Hyungnim.”
“Hmm?”
“That tone… it’s some kind of initiation ritual. They deliberately teach embarrassing phrases to mess with newbies. Looks like you fell for it.”
“I did? Me?”
“Yes. Didn’t the channel viewers say anything? If you hadn’t, they’d have really messed with you.”
Gobori tilted his head and asked.
Baraks and El Diablo.
Apparently, they held back their words when Treya was around.
Looks like those two teamed up to play a prank.
“Sigh… I thought it was the latest slang, but it seems I was tricked. Sorry about that.”
“Oh, haha! Everyone gets fooled on the first day! Just stick to what you did yesterday!”
“Yeah! Try that slang one more time? I’ll just slap you!”
“Heh. Don’t be too harsh. There are worse things than that, so that’s cute. The channel friends are pretty mischievous!”
The three of them laughed at my words.
Sigh.
My face heated up from the embarrassing behavior.
I’d have to scold Baraks and Diablo when I got back.
“Well, let’s get going today. What are we doing? Dungeon again like yesterday? I’m already looking forward to it.”
I changed the subject with a sly smile.
Anyway, what we had to do today was already decided.
The ‘me’ above the screen.
They call this a ‘character,’ right?
I pressed the character and began amplification.
[★★ Wandering Swordsman] [Amplify!]
[Traits]
[Equipment]
[Skills]
[Strike]
I clicked ‘Amplify’ next to the name.
Thunk!
“Oh?”
“Oh!”
“Ooh.”
The flash above my head excited the three of them.
“Grr?”
Then Pae Wang showed interest too.
The sudden movement of Pae Wang startled the three of them.
“Ah. It started moving yesterday. Something like AI? They say it grows on its own? Maybe that’s why.”
“Oh! Hyungnim! You’re already studying that? You’re fast!”
“Pfft. I studied all day yesterday. And this is amplification, right? Does this mean I become 3-star?”
“Yes! Wow. You’re amplifying something you didn’t do yesterday! Congratulations, hyungnim! Let’s go to 4-star and 5-star!”
Gobori answered my words.
“What are you waiting for! Hurry up! Stop dragging your feet!”
“Amplification just two days after coming to Valhalla! Congratulations! I’m happy just watching!”
Rose and Dulv were just as happy as if it were their own achievement.
Kugugu…….
With a massive boom, the stage shook.
In the bright flash, I floated in midair.
[★★ Wandering Swordsman] Lv. 66
[You can amplify into the following!]
[1] [★★★ Wind Swordmaster]
[Skill Enhancement: Haste speed increased by 30%.]
[2] [★★★ Seasoned Elite Swordsman]
[Stat Boost: Attack power increased by 30%. Defense increased by 30%.]
[3] [★★★ Dancheong Flame Apprentice Swordsman]
[Stat Boost: Attack speed increased by 50%. Movement speed increased by 50%. HP reduced by 50%.]
[4] [★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker]
[Trait Enhancement: Indomitable Warrior → Indomitable Hero. Overcomes 10% of level and trait-related penalties each time an enemy is defeated. No longer loses bonuses from death.]
The empty space above the stage.
Four names floated on the screen.
There were four classes I could amplify into.
“Oh! Wind Swordmaster! That’s a good one! If you follow that growth tree, you become a hero specialized in speed! Wasn’t the 5-star Gale Sword God? A tier-1 first-strike hero!”
Gobori clenched his fist and cheered.
“Eh, the safe choice is Elite Swordsman! Didn’t you hear the Swordmaster stories last time? Most new Swordmasters coming to Valhalla start as Elite Swordsmen! Isn’t that perfect for you?”
Rose added her opinion, and
“Hmm. Indomitable Sword Stalker, huh? It’s a somewhat unfamiliar class. The description is a bit vague.”
Dulv muttered while stroking his beard.
Yes.
This was the reaction I wanted.
If I had decided alone yesterday, I wouldn’t have heard these opinions. Listening to the three of them made things clearer.
“Hmm. Which one is best here? You seem to be wondering too. I don’t know which is good, though.”
I smiled slyly and asked.
I had to hear all opinions before choosing the best.
It was a great advantage that I could decide on my own.
“You Gobori! I recommend Wind Swordmaster! Like I said, it’s the undisputed king tree that’s held tier-1 for a long time! It won’t be bad for pushing through the story either!”
Gobori raised his hand and recommended.
Wind Swordmaster.
A speed-specialized tree could give me speed similar to the Sword Ghost I met yesterday.
“If you want to be the main dealer, Elite Swordsman isn’t bad either. When it becomes 4-star later, it can use Sword Energy and handle ranged attacks too. Your personality seems flexible, right? That’s what I think.”
“Oh! Flycatcher! Pretty professional, huh?”
“Pfft! Did you think I knew nothing? I’m smart too!”
“Rose’s recommendation is solid too! The Elite Swordsman might suit your personality better! You’ll feel the solid base stats as immediate growth!”
Rose and Gobori spoke.
So it was either ‘Wind Swordmaster’ or ‘Seasoned Elite Swordsman.’
Dancheong Flame…
Aside from the name, the penalties were too severe.
It had the same limitations as the Sword Ghost, so I was passing on it.
“Graa! Grraa!”
Suddenly, an orc jabbed his hammer.
What was that?
Was he pointing to something?
The sudden action startled the three of them.
[4] [★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker]
The orc pointed at Indomitable Sword Stalker.
It was a class whose vague description didn’t draw much attention.
I wondered what use trait enhancement of Indomitable Warrior would be to me.
“What is this guy saying? To pick that? Does he even know what that is?”
“Hmm. What kind of class is that? I’ve never seen it before. Rose, have you?”
“Have I? Even a know-it-all like you doesn’t know it.”
Rose and Gobori whispered to each other.
Neither of them knew it?
“Graa! Grraa! Graaa!”
But the orc’s recommendation was stubborn.
With the hammer jab recommendation, Dulv stroked his beard and frowned.
“Hmm. If no one knows it, could it be a hidden class?”
“A hidden class?”
“What is this old man saying? Hidden classes don’t exist! Stop reading web novels!”
Dulv’s words got Gobori and Rose reacting.
Hidden class?
I’d read the word in the dictionary too.
Curious, I listened carefully.
“Is this what they call a hidden class? One that rarely appears normally?”
“Well, it’s not a definite story. Hidden classes are easy to make once you know the development method. Maybe our user purposely trained it. So it’s no coincidence.”
Dulv nodded as he spoke.
“That’s right! Our user is sharp, after all. Like how we got this orc. They’ve done many hard-to-understand things! But if that was training? Wow! Awesome, user! I believed in you, damn it!”
Gobori opened his mouth in admiration,
“Look at them, already running happy circuits just because it’s hidden! Hey! Not all hidden classes are good! What if the hidden class is a joke? Especially with no training guides, that’s crazy! Just stick to the safe path! There’s a safe class, so what’s the hidden for? Don’t get cocky!”
Only Rose opposed with a punch forward.
Well.
Rose was right.
Chasing newness and specialness could lead to not even keeping up with basics.
Seeking reckless adventures was arrogance.
“Exactly. What if?”
But Gobori’s eyes gleamed.
“Hyungnim! Could it be that you split my head open? That was your trait! Using a bug legally!”
“Huh? That thing?”
“Hmm? Using a bug legally? What do you mean?”
Rose and Dulv tilted their heads at Gobori’s words.
Ah.
Dulv wasn’t in the game then?
He seemed to refer to the prologue when I killed Gobori.
“You mean I team-killed you? That was a trait?”
“That’s right! Sometimes there are Easter eggs like that! You originally have no evasion trait, but your evasion rate is high. Maybe it’s a trait that overcomes Valhalla’s restrictions? There’s no reason not to pick it! Let’s go! Hidden class! Hahaha!”
Gobori slapped his knee laughing.
Overcoming Valhalla’s restrictions?
Like how I team-killed Gobori, and Brave Ratman Junior followed me to the plaza?
“Graa! Gahahaha!”
“Eek! What’s wrong with him? Why is he like this? Eek!”
“Gahahaha!”
The orc happily hugged Gobori.
He seemed pleased to have picked it correctly.
‘Hmm.’
I looked at the screen for a moment and thought.
If all the luck and antics so far were thanks to this trait…
This was a variable.
I was curious what kind of possibilities this variable would lead to.
Rose, Dulv, what do you think? Gobori’s words sound plausible to me. Could it be…
“Do you see it?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. If you’ve leveled up and amplified, it’s a gain anyway. The choice is still the user’s.”
“Hehe. I’m drawn to the Sword Stalker. This kind of class is an unrefined gem that no one has ever polished. Anticipating what will come of it is its own kind of fun.”
Rose and Dulv answered.
An unpolished gem.
Their answer reflected my own expectations.
Since it came to this, I might as well follow my heart.
[4] [★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker]
[Is this the hero you want? Once selected, it cannot be changed.]
Yes.
I manipulated the screen and started amplification.
[★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker]
[Amplification will cost 1,000 gold.]
[Gold on hand: 9,740 / 1,000]
Probably because of farming, I had plenty of gold.
I pressed confirm and amplified myself.
Kabang!
“Oh! Did it!”
“What? What did you pick?”
“You became 3-star! Congratulations! Haha!”
With a huge flash, the stage shook.
Gobori, Rose, and Dulv clapped and congratulated me.
[★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker] Lv. 17
The class I chose was 3-star Indomitable Sword Stalker.
[★★★ Indomitable Sword Stalker’s traits are updated!]
[Trait: Indomitable Warrior → Indomitable Hero]
It was my own path.
I looked forward to what results this choice would bring.