152. A Dime a Dozen

“Ugh, what happened?”

I groaned as I sat up, rubbing my head. There was this dreadful feeling hanging over my head— a haze that seemed to cloud my memory of the moments before I collapsed. Why did I lose my consciousness? My mind slowly whirred. Was I knocked unconscious?

I blinked, the implications of such a thing settling in. Was I attacked?

I leapt to my feet, glancing around, creating a Star Forge at my side. Readying myself for an attack from any direction, I stood steadfast, peering through the foliage of trees, only to see a bright light peeking over the horizon.

“Huh. It’s… morning?”

“It is.”

I nearly jumped as a voice answered me. Daniel sat under a tree, yawning as he faced me. I looked at him, then at the red-haired woman napping off to the side. Wasn’t Edithe the one supposed to be keeping watch?

Why was Daniel the one awake now?

“What happened?”

I was very confused. Perplexed by the whole situation. The Human man just sighed, speaking bluntly.

“You fell asleep, Salvos.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

“Yeah, you transformed into a Human and immediately dozed off.”

“...you’re lying.”

He shrugged.

“That’s what Edithe told me. You can ask her when she wakes up— or just go back to sleep. It’s up to you.”

Standing up, Daniel stretched his arms and legs before sauntering over to the campfire. He produced some foodstuff, no longer looking at me as he spoke.

“Since you can sleep now, why not try having some breakfast? Maybe you’ll actually like it.”

I watched the Human man in disbelief. He was lying— he had to be lying. And yet, a groggy feeling stopped me from getting to my feet. It made me feel lazy. Like I didn’t want to move. Like I just wanted to lie down and let darkness take over me.

My eyes widened, and reality shattered.

“NOOOOOOO—”

—--

My companions stared at me as I rocked back and forth, hugging my legs tightly to my chest. They were having their first meal of the day. Breakfast, or whatever you called it. The smell of the food wafted my way, but I didn’t indulge in such disgusting practices like them.

I was a Demon, not a Human!

“You sure you’re not going to try any, Salvos?”

Edithe proffered me some dried meat. I shook my head vehemently.

“Absolutely not! I don’t have to eat, nor do I want to eat!”

She exchanged a dubious look with Daniel. He grinned as he scarfed down his food.

“Well— of course. You don’t have to eat, just like you don’t have to sleep too, right?”

I glared at him.

“I don’t need to sleep! I stopped feeling sleepy the moment I transformed out of that stupid Human form!”

I crossed my arms, scowling. I was now back to being myself, no longer pretending to be a mortal. I had my enchanting horns and comforting claws back on me.

“It’s because of that [Partial Mortality] Skill— when I transform into you stupid Mortals, I get your dumb, dumb, dumb needs to sleep and eat too!”

I made sure to emphasize the last ‘dumb’ to make it clear how dumb I thought this dumb situation was. Somehow, Edithe still didn’t get it.

“Come on, Salvos. It really isn’t that bad. Maybe the reason you’ve always hated food is because you never really had a need for it. You could just transform back to a Human and give it a little taste test, right?”

“No!”

I stood up, stamping a foot on the ground.

“I will not do that! I’m never going to be a Human, or Kobold, or Cyclops ever again!”

Spinning around, I marched five steps— and sat down. My companions watched me come to a stop, blinking. They spoke at the same time.

“What are you doing, Salvos?”

I hesitated.

“I… um, have to choose a Class. So, I’ll be blacking out now.”

Class Available:

Requirements for twelve Classes have been met from reaching Level 100 in your Subspecies!

Twelve?! I had twelve Class options for me to choose from? Edithe told me that most Humans only got five or six Classes to choose from during their first ever advancement. I got double that! I excitedly began sifting through my choices.

[Warrior]

A [Warrior] is a beginner Class specializing in melee combat. A [Warrior] fights with their brawn over their brain. They rarely use magic, preferring to bring the fight to their enemies than otherwise.

+3 to [Vitality]

+3 to [Strength]

+1 to [Endurance]

+1 to [Wisdom]

+1 to [Agility]

Huh. That sucked. It was just so… basic? There was no way I was choosing the straightforward [Warrior] pick as my Class. Next!

[Mage]

A [Mage] is a beginner Class specializing in magic A [Mage] manipulates mana to do their bidding. They rarely get their hands dirty in combat, using spells to defeat their enemies above all else.

+3 to [Endurance]

+3 to [Wisdom]

+1 to [Vitality]

+1 to [Strength]

+1 to [Agility]

Another beginner Class? Alright, moving on.

[Archer]

An [Archer] is a beginner Class specializing in...

Again? Skipped.

[Rogue]

A [Rogue] is a beginner Class specializing in...

Seriously? How many ‘beginner’ Classes were there?

I was Level 100. An Archdemon. I have vanquished thousands of foes and overcome enemies double my level. I have achieved feats that no one else in entire nations could ever hope to match.

From the Netherworld to the Plaguelands, I survived the harshest environments, escaped encounters with the strongest monsters and Demons, and mastered powerful magic through sheer talent alone.

I was Salvos.

I wasn’t going to accept any beginner option for my first ever Class!

I still have eight more Classes to choose from. The next one better be good!

[Runner]

A [Runner] is a beginner Class of the [Messenger] path...

…

[Baker Apprentice]

A [Baker Apprentice] is a beginner Class of the [Baker] path...

Three more. Surely there had to be at least one good option—

[Deacon]

A [Deacon] is a beginner Class of the [Priest] path…

[Smith Apprentice]

A [Smith Apprentice] is a beginner Class of the [Smith] path...

Why?

Is this happening because I was mean to Daniel?

I promise not to be mean to Daniel ever again.

Please just give me something that’s not a beginner Class. It doesn’t have to be super special. Anything will do! Just something that’s not for beginners!

[Precise Archer]

A [Precise Archer] is an [Archer] who has demonstrated accuracy beyond the beginner level. Their marksmanship would be lauded by lords and ladies, praised for their ability to strike each and every one of their targets without any aid from their Skills.

+5 to [Endurance]

+3 to [Strength]

+3 to [Agility]

+1 to [Vitality]

+1 to [Wisdom]

This was… something. It was certainly better than what I was given so far. But I wouldn’t really say it was good. It was better. That was it.

Hopefully things kept improving.

[Summoner]

A [Summoner] is a [Mage] specialized in Spirit summoning. They have befriended Spiritkind and made a pact with them. Now, they do not fight alone, instead accompanied by the Spirits whom they have found as allies at their side.

+5 to [Wisdom]

+3 to [Endurance]

+2 to [Vitality]

+1 to [Strength]

+ 1 to [Agility]

A [Summoner] wasn’t a basic Class, huh? I was pretty sure Edithe explained it to me once. One could become a [Summoner] at nearly any level. Its requirements were fairly simple: you simply had to be a practitioner of magic while interacting with Spirits a great deal.

It wasn’t really anything special. But… if I became a [Summoner], I’d be able to summon Mistshard and Druma, wouldn’t I?

Or would me being a Demon get in the way of that?

I was definitely considering this path. Maybe it would even help with becoming a kind of [Space Mage] in the future!

[Diabolist]

A [Diabolist] is a [Mage] who has studied Demonkind, becoming a pariah, living in exile from society. They have seen the desolation of the Netherworld, spoken with ambassadors of the Demon King, and met Archdemons of great power. The [Diabolist] seeks this power, learning the ways and magicks of Demons, no longer interested in the teachings of mortal men.

+8 to [Wisdom]

+5 to [Vitality]

+5 to [Endurance]

+2 to [Strength]

+2 to [Agility]

Now this— this is good.

This seemed like the kind of Class you’d get at Level 40, not Level 10. It was exactly what I was hoping to get, considering everything I’ve done. I would’ve chosen it, no questions asked, if not for the description.

Learning the ways and magicks of Demons? This Class… maybe it was very beneficial for mortals. However, I was already a Demon. I already knew ‘Demon magic’, right?

I still had one more option. I hoped it would be good.

[Adept of the Fae]

A [Adept of the Fae] is a [Mage] who seeks out the mysteries of Fairykind. They wish to learn the mystic arts which make these Fairies so special— the secrets which the Oracle of Light, Melissa, kept to herself until her death. This pursuit may be a foolish one, with no teacher to guide them, but a [Adept of the Fae]’s curiosity will drive them forward in their path regardless of the consequences.

+10 to [Wisdom]

+5 to [Vitality]

...consequences?

This description made me wary. The Stat Points it gave out were very specialized too. Once again, it felt fitting. Like the [Diabolist]. But this took it a step even further.

I was only worried about what it said towards the end. It was ominous. Yet, it would further my goal, no?

Fairies were masters of space magic. That was how they could cross from the Spirit Plane to the Mortal Realm all by themselves. I needed to learn how to do that. I scoured the sprawling Motharis Mountain Range in search of the dangerous Brilsum Ruins Dungeon just so I could speak with a Fairy.

It was time for me to choose. I had a dozen options. Most of the Classes were worthless to me. Only [Summoner], [Diabolist], and [Adept of the Fae] had any worth.

[Diabolist], however, was… almost redundant. It would let me master Demon magic. I was a Demon. I knew Demon magic by default. Maybe it was a Class that Human [Cultists] lost their minds over, if they got the option for it. It definitely had the best Stat boost of all my choices. It might be the strongest of them.

But it was the least useful to me.

So, all that was left was [Summoner] and [Adept of the Fae]. If I chose the former, I might be able to see Mistshard and Druma again. We’d be able to fight alongside each other, just as we once did over a year ago.

Edithe wouldn’t have to be upset that she wasn’t a [Summoner] any longer, because I’d be able to summon her Spirits for her any time she wanted. However, did she want that? Could Mistshard and Druma even keep up with us now that we were around Level 100? And going back a little bit, was it even possible for me to summon Spirits as a Demon?

It was too uncertain. I wanted it. I vied for things to return to what they once were. But I had accepted that things changed, and even if I tried to reverse things to the old, it wouldn’t be the same.

Honestly, there really was only one option for me the entire time. I was given twelve Classes. Only one of them truly suited me.

[Adept of the Fae]. Could it be dangerous? Probably. But a vague, nebulous warning wasn’t going to stop me. It gave me what I wanted and needed, both at the same time.

It was the only logical choice for me.

Class Chosen!

You now have the Class [Adept of the Fae]!

Gained 5 Stat Points!

[Wisdom] +10

[Vitality] +5

Gained 3 Secondary Skill Slots!

Gained 3 Secondary Skill Points!

Secondary Skill [Banish] is now available!

Secondary Skill [Spatial Sight] is now available!

—--

“Ouch… my head.”

Waking up from an evolution never really felt like anything. It was like the world vanished for a moment, reappearing shortly after. However, waking up from getting a Class was painful.

Whatever change that went through me didn’t affect my body at all. It only affected my mind, and it made my head ache with intense pain. I glanced up, blinking as I saw a figure standing over me.

Daniel had his arms cross, a sneer spread across his face.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. How was your nap?”

I stared at him. Slowly, I got to my feet, and he braced himself.

“Wait, that was a joke, don’t—”

I walked past him, murmuring to myself.

“You promised not to be mean to him. Just ignore him. You promised—”

He blinked as I continued on my way.

“...oh thank god, I thought my balls were screwed.”

I didn’t hit him. I had other things to do. I still had a Title to choose, after all. I got them at Level 100, so they should all be good, right?

Title for Great Feats:

Requirements for two Titles have been met!

You now have three Titles available!

Titles:

(Unarith’s Fiend)

You have slain the High Zealot of Unarith and brought chaos and fear into the city! The terror you have caused makes you a Demon in the eyes of the Cult of the Old Gods, bolstering your spirit and your pride!

+5 to [Vitality]

+7 to [Strength]

+3 to [Endurance]

+3 to [Wisdom]

+5 to [Agility]

(Scale Champion)

You have won the Trial of the Scales, bringing victory on behalf of the Risen Dragons! They see you as their champion, the brave warrior who fought for their cause, earning you their praise and gratitude!

+4 to [Vitality]

+4 to [Strength]

+4 to [Endurance]

+4 to [Wisdom]

+4 to [Agility]

(Savior of Falisfield)

You have liberated Nixa’s largest province of Falisfield from a rampaging Greater Demon! You have saved the city of Silvergrove from falling, and avenged all those who have been killed in the destruction! You are a hero in the people’s eyes!

+3 to [Vitality]

+5 to [Strength]

+5 to [Endurance]

+3 to [Wisdom]

+3 to [Agility]

...these Titles sucked.

I’m sticking with what I have for now.