Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

“I can’t believe you’ve done this,” Nolan said, grabbing the back of his head.

I blinked a few times. “Uh, what did I do wrong?”

He stared at the raked field— clean of ash and burnt crops. I hadn’t taken any shortcuts like using magic to clear it, hoping that I would be awarded a Class. Of course, the System didn’t offer me anything, which was about what I expected at this point. But I had thought that Nolan would at least be glad to see his farm restored to a pristine condition.

As it turned out, I made a very big mistake.

“Amelia...” he sighed as he rubbed his temples. “Ash is very rich in nutrients. It’s good for the soil— it works like a fertilizer. A very effective fertilizer. You didn’t need to clean the ash from the soil because it would have helped new crops grow...”

“Oh.” I tilted my head back. I looked back towards the tilled field, before pursing my lips. “Well, fuck.”

—--

Nolan wasn’t upset about it. He said that his [Druid] friend was coming to Wolfwater in a week anyways, so it didn’t make too much of a difference whether the field was fertilized by the smoldering ash. I wasn’t worried either. At worst, I felt slightly bad. But we had enough food in the grain reserve to last us for a while. There really wasn’t much for me to dwell on.

Still, I sat at the front porch of the farm, sighing as I stared up at the clouds above. There were still hints of the battle and destruction from the attack of the Miststorm Riders in the blue sky— gray trails of ash that hovered up there, tinting the world so that everything was slightly duller. The atmosphere was dour, everyone was busy, I was bored with nothing to do, and cloud-gazing could only be entertaining for so long.

But worst of all, I still didn’t have a Class.

Despite everything I had done over and around Nolan’s farm, I wasn’t awarded the [Farmer] Class. At this point, I was resigned to the fact that the System probably hated me. Or maybe it just really desperately wanted a [Hero]... even though there was already a [Hero King] around.

Something was clearly wrong, but I didn’t know what. Grat-ra’zun, Nolan, and practically everyone I have ever spoken to never ever heard of such a problem before. The System was biased against me for some reason.

One possibility I could think of was the fact that Grat-ra’zun was right. I could have been Void-touched, which meant that the System could no longer grant me its powers. But that didn’t make sense, because then I wouldn’t even get the option to become a [Hero].

Another possibility was that I didn’t actually think of myself as a farmer. Sure, I spent a lot of time farming and quite enjoyed the laidback manual labor. However, in my mind, I was still a hero, which resulted in only that single Class option.

And yet, I didn’t think that was the case either.

I heard a soft set of footsteps drawing closer to me, and I lowered my head. I looked down at the dirt road as a small figure approached. A chicken stood before me, tilting her head as she clucked.

“Hello Bucky,” I said, nodding at the chicken. “So you survived.”

She didn’t respond, because chickens couldn’t speak. I reached into my side pocket, producing a handful of seeds, before sprinkling them at Bucky’s feet. She clucked and quickly began pecking the ground. I patted her lightly, smiling.

“You’re pretty high-leveled, aren’t you? Do you have a Class as well?” I asked.

Obviously, the chicken didn’t answer. From what I read up on at the Adventurer’s Guild, monsters didn’t have Classes, but they still could level up and grow stronger, eventually evolving to a stronger monster. I assumed the same could be said for animals until a few weeks ago, when Nolan told me that animals had Classes. Meaning, even a chicken could get a Class, while I could not.

“What kind of a Class do you have, anyways?” It wasn’t an actual question. I was just wondering aloud as I scratched Bucky’s neck, and she clucked at me.

I leant forward, closing my eyes as I sighed. Bucky tilted her head, and I murmured to myself.

“The Voidgod is still alive.”

Only she could see this message. It came from the World System, delivered to no one else but her. But a single bead of sweat trickled down Noele’s neck as she feared that Garron could somehow see it.

Of course, he could not.

“If it’s about the Miststorm Riders—” Garron started.

“It’s nothing,” the blonde girl said, cutting him off. “I really am fine, Garron. Thank you for worrying about me. I was just daydreaming, that’s all.”

He paused, furrowing his brows. “I... see.”

Evidently, he didn’t believe her. And she knew that. So Noele took in a deep breath and elbowed him with a grin.

“If you really want to help, I’ve got a few new Skills I’ve been wanting to test out,” she said as he blinked. “We can spar when we get back.”

Garron narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, seeing the way her demeanor suddenly shifted. Finally, he just smirked and nodded at her.

“I’ve been training too. I’m excited to show off a few things I learned, myself.”

They both laughed and chatted as they made their way back to the farm. But even as Noele smiled, she couldn’t help but look to the side. The ever-pervading blue screen refused to vanish. She didn’t let it. With a single thought, she could make it appear, and she could make it disappear.

But she stared at it, refusing to let it vanish. And that was because of what it said.

[Class advancement available! Please choose on of the following Class advancements:

[Champion Spellsword] - A [Champion Spellsword] is a protector of justice— savior of the weak, and the light in the darkness. With blades or magic, they will defend those who cannot fend for themselves, and they will rise to any danger that threatens the weak. It is the first step down the path of heroism, and that is why a [Champion] is a precursor to something greater... something more...

Do you accept this Class?

There are no other Classes advancements available for you.]

Noele saw it. It had shown itself to her after she had defeated the Miststorm Riders— no, that wasn’t right. The Noble Spellsword had only seen it long after Odell the Monster of the Mist had perished. It was odd. It didn’t make sense.

The World System only ever gave rewards as soon as a feat had been accomplished. And that meant she wasn’t offered this Class advancement for defeating the Miststorm Riders. It wasn’t even given to her for helping kill Odell.

It was what came after that. When she spoke to Amelia— when she offered to help Amelia against whatever threat the blonde girl didn’t understand. And it was at that moment, she met a criteria she didn’t even know existed. That was why she was given that Class advancement.

So Noele had been given the chance to be a [Champion]. It was a Class that was often said to precede a [Hero]. It should have excited her— anyone would be eager to accept a Class advancement, especially if it meant becoming a [Champion].

But Noele didn’t accept it just yet.

Because she knew that it must have related to Amelia somehow. And until the blonde girl figured out what it was, she wasn’t going to become a [Champion]. Because it just wouldn’t feel right.

MelasD

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