Even Lynn hadn't expected this.
He only knew that the Good Village Sword the village chief had handed to him was made of extraordinary materials. However, since the weapon had never shown any magical properties, he hadn't paid much attention to the shortsword.
He never expected that the shortsword would suddenly show its true power at this moment!
It had actually shattered a class-holder's weapon in a single blow!
Damon was naturally even more shocked. Although the weapon was merely a training tool he used to teach apprentices, it was still a high-quality weapon forged from fine steel. While it couldn't slice through iron like butter, it was at least a piece of work that a master dwarven blacksmith would call a “satisfactory creation.”
Yet, it had actually snapped just like that.
It happened so suddenly that Lynn couldn't stop his momentum. He could only watch helplessly as the shortsword lunged toward Damon's lower back.
Fortunately, Damon was a class-holder after all. At this critical moment, he finally revealed a glimpse of his true strength.
Lynn saw his figure blur. In a daze, Damon seemed to vanish for a split second, causing Lynn's attack to strike empty air.
Lynn was astonished. What skill did Damon just use? Kamui?! How did he just turn intangible?
Meanwhile, the other adventurers watching from the sidelines were truly shocked by the scene.
That newcomer had actually forced Instructor Damon to take action!
The adventurers of Wingen Town, who had long been dissatisfied with Damon's arrogant attitude, felt that Lynn had thoroughly vindicated them. Aside from their satisfaction, everyone was also deeply surprised by Lynn's performance. From this day on, Lynn would likely become quite famous among the low-level adventurers of Wingen Town!
Damon swept an expressionless gaze across the whispering apprentices.
The adventurers were instantly too frightened to continue talking. They quickly resumed practicing the combat techniques they had learned from the instructor, pretending to be deeply focused.
If their hands hadn't been shaking as they stabbed the wooden training dummies, their act might have been a bit more convincing.
“Come with me,” Damon said in a low voice, leading the way to a quiet, undisturbed corner.
What is he doing? Surely he isn't trying to get revenge on me, is he?
A few unsettling thoughts flashed through Lynn's mind, but he followed anyway.
Betty cast a nervous glance at the two of them. She had already gripped her communication crystal, ready to call her mentor for help at a moment's notice.
I wonder if Teacher can beat this Assassin!
...
“No need to be nervous,” Damon said, looking at Lynn's guarded posture once they reached a secluded spot. “It's just that if the other adventurers were to overhear some of these things, it would bring you trouble.”
But looking at Damon's expressionless, corpse-like face, Lynn couldn't bring himself to let his guard down.
Suddenly, Lynn felt his hand lighten. Looking down, he realized the shortsword was already in Damon's hand.
Lynn didn't panic even though his weapon had been taken. He felt that Damon wouldn't stoop to stealing his weapon.
Besides, even if Damon were truly shameless enough to do so, Lynn still had the Mages' Association to back him up. He had already noticed Betty's movements when they walked over.
Damon carefully examined the shortsword, which was made of an unknown material yet could easily shatter fine steel. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.
Suddenly, with a flick of his hand so fast Lynn couldn't even see what happened, the shortsword was returned to its sheath.
“Keep it safe. Once your class level reaches Level 12, you will learn how to use this thing. But before Level 12, you had better avoid taking it out too often.”
Lynn rested his right hand on the hilt of the shortsword. Level 12 was exactly the level where the “Late-Game Expert” Rune from his talent choices would take effect.
He hadn't expected that the Good Village Sword given to him by the village chief would be such a precious weapon, one that was tied to the late game of a class-holder.
Not far away, seeing Damon return the weapon to Lynn, Betty lowered the hand that had been ready to activate her communication crystal.
...
Damon said, “Since you forced me to use a skill, regardless of whether you relied on the strength of your weapon, it proves your strength has met my requirements. Now, I will tell you everything you want to know.”
Lynn nodded, focusing his mind and preparing to commit Damon's every word to memory.
But Damon turned the tables and threw a question at him first. “How much do you know about class-holders?”
Lynn shook his head.
As a minor from the countryside, he had absolutely no knowledge of class-holders!
The corners of Damon's mouth curled slightly. He was now even more certain that Lynn was a commoner.
This fit the recruitment standards of their Brotherhood perfectly.
“Let me first explain the basics of class-holders to you,” Damon said.
“As everyone knows, there are all kinds of powerful monsters in this world—undead, giants, chromatic dragons... Some of them inherit powerful bloodline strength at birth and possess a Challenge Rating. However, we do not call these monsters class-holders.”
“Humanoids such as humans, elves, and dwarves, who acquire extraordinary powers called ‘Skills’ through training and reach a certain level, can condense a class. Only these individuals are called class-holders.”
Lynn nodded. It was similar to what he had been thinking lately—he only needed to train his Skills to a certain level to become a class-holder.
This made the proficiency system of the Monster Identification Manual incredibly important. The manual could help Lynn better understand how far he was from condensing a class.
Damon continued, “Because the combat techniques in this world are diverse and varied, practicing different Skills often leads to different branches when condensing a class, resulting in different professions.”
“For example, learning spells usually condenses the Mage class. Practicing concealment-type Skills typically makes one a Rogue, and practicing shield-bearing combat techniques leads to the Shield Guard class. The condensed class is highly correlated with the types and proficiency of the Skills you have mastered.”
“And as for the most common classes today: Fighter, Rogue, Ranger, Priest, Mage...”
“These names you are familiar with are popular because the Skills required to advance to these classes are classic, practical, and easy to learn. Since everyone practices these Skills, they naturally condense into these mainstream classes.”
“By the same token, if you practice more niche Skills, you might condense some rarer classes when you finally advance to a class-holder.”
“Take the Rogue and Assassin classes as examples. Both require practicing Stealth. However, the former also requires training Sap or Steal in addition to Stealth, while the latter requires learning Kidney Strike or Assassinate.”
At this point, Damon looked at Lynn with a faint, knowing smile. He recognized the Skills Lynn had used as Kidney Strike and Backstab. This kid definitely had the potential to become an Assassin.
Lynn felt a bit guilty under his gaze, thinking to himself that he would start practicing Rogue Skills diligently once he got back today. He didn't want to become an Assassin, a class that sounded incredibly high-risk.
However, if he trained both Rogue and Assassin Skills to the point where they were sufficient to condense a class, would he awaken a class that merged the advantages of both?
Based on what Damon said, there should be many types of classes in this world. Perhaps such a hidden class really existed.
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