With the elf receptionist's guide, the three managed to reach a private Job Upgrade machine usually reserved for employee use.
Of course, its use was originally extended only to Aster, as per the Director's orders. But both Kali and Tina were his party members, so the receptionist decided to make an exception and allowed them.
"Please touch the panel in the middle. The upgrade would be done automatically." She explained.
Aster stared at the large monument-like machine before stepping forward. As told, he extended a hand forward and touched the panel. As soon as he did, the display started to show a long loading bar, moving at a rate of 1% every second.
"Keep your hand on the panel until the bar reaches 100%, please. Removing your hand would cause an error, and you'll have to restart from the beginning." The elf receptionist clarified.
Aster took almost two minutes before the loading screen finished, showing his new Job details.
[Name: Aster Mistral
Job Class: Magic Swordsman (II)
Skills Earned: None]
The details shown were a lot fewer compared to the comprehensive Job and skill appraisal he had seen before. However, he did know that nothing much would change just by upgrading his class, so he just took a step back.
"Oh! So you truly have a rare class!" The receptionist smiled as she read the words displayed on the monitor. "As expected of the Director, her foresight is great!"
"Huh? What does Faeloria have to do with this?" He asked.
But Kali and Tina's ears flicked in attention upon hearing his words.
"No honorifics?"
"Darling, who's this Faeloria girl you're talking about...?"
Kali was simply curious as to why Aster was calling the director of the Class Exchange Hall on a first-name basis without honorifics or titles, but Tina was different. Her gaze was empty as she smiled in Aster's direction.
"Huh? What's with this kid? Boy, did you get lost in here? You should scram before we get angry."
"Who do you think you are? Just because you're a human, you think you can boss us around?"
"Keke, what a fearless idiot! Don't you know we are over level 100?!"
The six guys were all half-oni, making them tall at over two meters with scary features. They had red skin exposed on their arms and faces. Despite their intimidating presence bearing down on Aster, he didn't so much as blink. The confident smile on his face remained, no matter what they said.
"Brat, you're not moving?" One of the men, the leader-like figure among them, stepped forward and spoke.
Aster saw him and guessed what his intentions were. As such, he warned him preemptively. "If I were you, I wouldn't use violence here, you know?"
"Hah! And what can you do? Twist my arm?! Don't worry, I'll keep it so that you'll just be in the hospital for a month or so!"
The leader-like man threw a punch right at Aster's face. It was fast, almost faster than a blink. However, a flash of light appeared right as his fist came close.
"ARGH!"
The man cried in pain immediately, holding his fist, which was slightly red from the impact. Aster simply looked down on the man who fell to the ground, his smile never disappearing from his face.
Of course, he didn't do anything. After all, the gap in levels was too big for Aster to have a fair fight. Furthermore, he couldn't use his Frostfire Legacy, as he was currently preventing the increase in its control.
"Stop right there!"
Instead, a familiar voice echoed.
Everyone turned to look at the source, seeing a beautiful-looking elf officer walking toward them with a hand extended forward.
"You! You are under arrest for assault! You're coming with me!" The elf officer declared before catching the man with a swarm of vines that grew from the floor magically. "And you all are accomplices to the crime! You'll need to come with me too!"
Aster saw the officer and smiled—rather, he already saw him even before approaching Cassy and Liz. "Officer Helvetica, it's been a while."